1997 IIHF European U18 Championship

The 1997 IIHF European U18 Championship was the thirtieth playing of the IIHF European Junior Championships.

Group A

Played April 12 to the 20th, in Znojmo and Třebíč, Czech Republic. Switzerland shocked everyone by opening the tournament with wins over the Czechs and the Russians. Although they tired by the end of the tournament, their win over Slovakia assured them of their first (and only) medal in the European Juniors.

First round

Group 1

Team	SUI	CZE	RUS	UKR	GF/GA	Points
1.    Switzerland		4:3	6:2	2:4	12:09	4
2.   Czech Republic	3:4		4:4	8:1	15:09	3
3.   Russia	2:6	4:4		8:2	14:12	3
4.   Ukraine	4:2	1:8	2:8		07:18	2

Group 2

Team	FIN	SWE	SVK	GER	GF/GA	Points
1.   Finland		3:3	5:0	3:0	11:03	5
2.   Sweden	3:3		6:2	6:3	15:08	5
3.   Slovakia	0:5	2:6		7:2	09:13	2
4.   Germany	0:3	3:6	2:7		05:16	0

Final round

Championship round

Team	FIN	SWE	SUI	RUS	CZE	SVK	GF	Points
1.   Finland		(3:3)	8:1	4:2	3:2	(5:0)	23:08	9
2.   Sweden	(3:3)		4:2	4:4	4:1	(6:2)	21:12	8
3.    Switzerland	1:8	2:4		(6:2)	(4:3)	3:0	16:17	6
4.   Russia	2:4	4:4	(2:6)		(4:4)	8:3	20:21	4
5.   Czech Republic	2:3	1:4	(3:4)	(4:4)		4:2	14:17	3
6.   Slovakia	(0:5)	(2:6)	0:3	3:8	2:4		07:26	00

7th place

Ukraine

2:1 (1:0, 0:1, 1:0)

2:5 (0:3, 2:0, 0:2)

2:1 o.t. (1:0, 0:1, 0:0, 1:0)

Germany

Germany, losing the best of three series in overtime, was relegated to Group B for 1998.

Tournament Awards

• Top Scorer Marko Kauppinen (9 points)
• Top Goalie: Mika Noronen
• Top Defenceman: Jonas Elofsson
• Top Forward: Michel Riesen

Kauppinen, a defenceman, set a record for the lowest point total to lead a tournament.

Group B

Played March 21 to the 30th, in Maribor and Celje, Slovenia.

First round

Group 1

Team	NOR	POL	BLR	SLO	GF/GA	Points
1.   Norway		4:2	5:2	3:4	12:08	4
2.   Poland	2:4		7:3	4:2	13:09	4
3.   Belarus	2:5	3:7		5:4	10:16	2
4.   Slovenia	4:3	2:4	4:5		10:12	2

Group 2

Team	DEN	HUN	FRA	ITA	GF/GA	Points
1.   Denmark		4:3	6:4	6:0	16:07	6
2.   Hungary	3:4		5:3	6:5	14:12	4
3.   France	4:6	3:5		6:5	13:16	2
4.   Italy	0:6	5:6	5:6		10:18	0

Final round

Championship round

Team	NOR	POL	HUN	BLR	DEN	FRA	Team	Points
1.   Norway		(4:2)	2:2	(5:2)	4:3	2:2	17:11	8
2.   Poland	(2:4)		5:5	(7:3)	6:4	3:1	23:17	7
3.   Hungary	2:2	5:5		1:1	(3:4)	(5:3)	16:15	5
4.   Belarus	(2:5)	(3:7)	1:1		4:2	8:6	18:21	5
5.   Denmark	3:4	4:6	(4:3)	2:4		(6:4)	19:21	4
6.   France	2:2	1:3	(3:5)	6:8	(4:6)		16:24	1

7th place

Italy

7:3 (3:1, 3:0, 1:2)

7:2 (3:0, 4:1, 0:1)

Slovenia

Norway was promoted to Group A, and Slovenia was relegated to Group C, for 1998.

Group C

Played March 12 to the 16th in Miercurea-Ciuc and Gheorgheni, Romania.

First round

Group 1

Team	GBR	EST	ROM	NED	GF/GA	Points
1.   Great Britain		8:0	5:2	3:1	16:03	6
2.   Estonia	0:8		3:2	8:4	11:14	4
3.   Romania	2:5	2:3		5:0	09:08	2
4.   Netherlands	1:3	4:8	0:5		05:16	0

Group 2

Team	LAT	AUT	LTU	CRO	GF/GA	Points
1.   Latvia		3:3	10:2	5:1	18:06	5
2.   Austria	3:3		6:1	1:0	10:04	5
3.   Lithuania	2:10	1:6		5:2	08:18	2
4.   Croatia	1:5	0:1	2:5		03:11	0

Placing round

7th place	Croatia	2:1 (1:0, 1:0, 0:1)	Netherlands
5th place	Romania	4:2 (1:0, 1:2, 2:0)	Lithuania
3rd place	Estonia	4:3 o.t. (2:1, 0:0, 1:2, 1:0)	Austria
Final	Great Britain	4:3 (0:2, 3:0, 1:1)	Latvia

Great Britain was promoted to Group B and the Netherlands was relegated to Group D, for 1998.

Group D

Played in Belgrade, FR Yugoslavia from March 4 to 9. The hosts completely dominated, with forward Csaba Prokec scoring 29 points in their 5 games. ^[1]

Team	YUG	ESP	BUL	ISR	ISL	TUR	GF/GA	Points
1.   Yugoslavia		11:0	16:2	14:2	21:0	52:1	114:05	10
2.   Spain	0:11		5:3	3:3	11:6	20:3	039:26	07
3.   Bulgaria	2:16	3:5		5:3	5:2	7:0	022:26	06
4.   Israel	2:14	3:3	3:5		9:5	13:0	030:27	05
5.   Iceland	0:21	6:11	2:5	5:9		4:2	017:48	02
6.   Turkey	1:52	3:20	0:7	0:13	2:4		006:96	00

Yugoslavia was promoted to Group C for 1998.

References

1. Group D

• Complete results
• Duplacey, James (1998). Total Hockey: The official encyclopedia of the National Hockey League . Total Sports. pp.  530–2. ISBN   0-8362-7114-9.