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U-20 ice hockey world championship in Canada overshadowed by problems

NNormally it works like this at the U-20 World Championship in ice hockey: The game is played from Christmas until shortly after New Year, in front of tens of thousands of fans in large halls and millions in front of the screens. The annual meeting of top talents is a national event, especially in ice hockey’s motherland. Legendary reporter Bob McKenzie once called it “synonymous with Canadian Christmas”.

But when the next edition begins this Tuesday in Edmonton, it will be completely different. First of all, the World Cup takes place in midsummer because it was canceled in winter due to numerous corona cases. And far more decisive for the clouded anticipation: Host Hockey Canada is badly hit after the TV broadcaster TSN revealed in May that the association had tacitly agreed on a settlement with a woman. The woman had complained about an alleged gang rape of eight ice hockey players on the sidelines of an association event in 2018 – including players from the then U-20 team.

Since then, the scandal has been steadily expanding, with association representatives recently having to admit to a parliamentary committee that they had transferred almost nine million Canadian dollars to victims of abuse since 1989 for settlements. Instead of tackling the problem, people pay hush money, say the critics. Meanwhile, the U-20 team from 2003 is also under investigation.

Top talent stay away

In this mixed situation, a tournament is now taking place that does not meet the highest demands in terms of sport either. Some top talents are staying away because of the upcoming league season, the Russian ones are not allowed to play because of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. In addition, the descent is suspended. What the Germans like, however, who therefore see the World Cup more as a preparation for the next one – which will take place in December. With a view to this, he wants to “involve younger players right now”, says national coach Tobias Abstreiter, they should gain “important experience”.

Abkampfer still has current goals, he wants to reach the quarter-finals. That would be the second time in a row that a German U20 has never done it before. “It’s a very nice goal and a big challenge,” says the national coach, whose team must finish at least fourth in the group of five with the United States, Austria, Switzerland and Sweden. A win could be enough to win against the American team on Wednesday morning (4:00 a.m. CEST at Magentasport), but it is not to be expected.

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