ERHDC HARD AT WORK IN BALOCHISTAN
You could never accuse Uralica's Emergency Relief and Human Development Corps of slacking off during an assignment, but their operations in Balochistan alongside the Peshawar Pact, the League of Islam, and the American and Dakotan Peace Corps have been particularly strenuous in spite of the relative brevity of the war there. But as ERHDC head Judah Kalifungwa-Uralets says, "It's like the old Uralican adage goes - nothing worthwhile is ever easy."
With much of the support infrastructure damaged and several residential buildings destroyed in many major cities, construction is the primary job for these guys, although setting up temporary homes for returning refugees is pretty high up the list, and they have to be done quickly. Kalifungwa-Uralets himself was on the ground in Hub, across the Sindhi border from metro Karachi, talking about some of the things needing to be done.
"Hub's government forces were driven out relatively quickly and as such there weren't many things damaged; a good percentage of the returning refugees to the area were able to return home right away. This is anything but the case in places like Zahedan, Quetta, and Iranshahr where residential blocks have been devastated. We have piping coming in to fix the water mains, and a lot of construction materials from up in Uralica and also import from Canada and Cascadia. Of the roughly 5.8 million refugees that this war and the events leading up to it created, only around one and a half million have actually returned yet, but our people in the neighbouring countries are working on that as we make sure to have enough housing for all of them by the time everyone gets back. This is going to be a months-long - in some places probably over a year long - endeavour. But it needs to be done. Loving your neighbour as yourself."
Given Uralicans' penchant for learning languages, where the rebuilding coalition is found lacking in interpreters, some ERHDC are working with multilingual Balochistanis to learn enough Balochi to give basic instructions to those Balochistanis wanting to help the rebuilding process, or just to regular civilians.
"Uralicans have an uncanny propensity for language learning," said soon-outgoing New UN Secretary General Pierre-François Dumont. "So when someone said that there weren't enough interpreters, I said, 'Try teaching some Uralicans. The average citizen there speaks eight languages to begin with." So they tried it, and sure enough they're already seeing some results. I anticipate it will take maybe a month or two before the first Uralican interpreters can roll out. And there are enough English-speakers among Balochistani academics that it's actually pretty feasible. Uralicans always seem to be eager to learn!"
Workers are set to start coming in from the New European Union (especially Old Spain, with Catalonia leading the way, and Greece) and from other NCIS nations (Siberia and Kazakhstan in particular have committed quite a bit to this) within the week.
DATES SET FOR 2023 IIHF CHALLENGE CUPS; FIRST LOOKS AT APPLICANT NATION PROGRAMS!
Pavel Datsyuk and Nikita Alexeyev
(Transcript)
NA: Hello again, hockey fans! Nikita Alexeyev here with the legendary Pavel Datsyuk to bring you the latest in hockey news. Today we're shifting gears away from the usual NHL, KHL, UIHL, and other Euro hockey news to talk about next year's IIHF Challenge Cups.
PD: Oh my goodness, some of those are too big to keep track of!
NA: Yeah. And we're going to start with the specific one you're referencing - Asia-Pacific Division I, which is being held in Kuwait, from 20-31 March 2023. It is a doozy, having four divisions in the opening round rather than the typical max of two. But there's a reason for this. The IIHF didn't want to go straight to three tiers without first determining the skill level of the huge number of teams. There are no applicants this year, but some of the teams are still relatively raw.
PD: Oh yes. Let's see the groups again. *NA produces a remote and clicks, and this comes up on the screen with flags:*
Group A - Kuwait, Pashmenish, Sri Lanka, Papua
Group B - Bahrain, Bharat, Saudi Kingdom, Micronesia
Group C - Hawaii, Melanesia, Hijaz, Bangladesh
Group D - Dravidia, Kashmir, Tibet, Sana'a
PD: All four groups have at least one team that lags behind the others, and I'd argue that at least Group A and Group C have a clear 50-50 split between haves and have-nots. Because of the change in format for 2024, you will actually see more teams relegated than those that actually stay behind in Division I - two promotions, four stay-behinds, and ten teams being technically relegated to form the new Division II tournament. There are actually two tiers to the repechage round, too. The last-placers play in one, for 13th to 16th place, and the third-placers play in another, for 9th to 12th place. They're all relegated anyway, and the true relegation round is actually the first round of consolation play, where the losers are relegated and play in the 7th-place match for seeding in 2024.
NA: I think three out of the four fourth seeds above will be playing on that second tier. It's hard to say who will actually finish last. The exception of the four is in Group A.
PD: I'd ask what's so special about Papua, but then I remembered their policy about missionaries getting automatic citizenship rights after five years, and there are a few such individuals on their team - it's those Canadians, Uralicans, Dakotans, and Americans that you really have to watch out for at this level! And I think they even have a Korean or two in there as well...
NA: And they have an ex-NHLer MK as their head coach! One-time Stanley Cup champ Robyn Regehr has taken on their head coaching role!
PD: For a moment I thought you were gonna say it was Richie, but he hasn't even retired from playing hockey yet! He's in the UIHL-2 with Mennonites Pazhga. Anyway, I somewhat agree with your assessment as I think Sri Lanka still has serious work to do to grow the game. Those Jeyabalan brothers are nothing if not persistent, though. Sri Lanka only has one hockey rink at present, in the far north of the country, and is set to put a team in the Dravidian League. Papua has built three arenas, in Jayapura, Lae, and Port Moresby, and actually have a very small league running.
NA: Yup. Six teams. Three in "Pomo," two in Jayapura, and one in Lae. Pretty impressive to get all that running so quickly.
PD: They had help. Australia's hockey federation has a vested interest in the fledgling Papuan Ice Hockey League, which is technically within Australia's hockey system. I still think Papua's gonna be in Div II in 2024 though.
NA: We'll see. You're probably right, but I'm holding out hope that Papua can beat Pashmenish. That's probably the game I'll keep the closest eye on; it's surely going to be Kuwait winning that group. I really can't believe I just said that! *PD laughs*
PD: To think that Kuwait needs to be all the way down here to actually win a group! Even though Group A has the most newbies with two, though, Papua I think is probably the best of the five at this point and should have been seeded third in hindsight. So what about Group B? I think the seedings are pretty indicative of who will finish where.
NA: So do I. Bahrain is far and away the most skilled team in that group, with Bharat having enough skill to keep them ahead of the Saudis for now and Micronesia just being glad to be participants at all. But I must say, the fact that they have a league going is something else! Five teams, if I remember correctly.
PD: Six, and the flight schedule is insane given how far apart those teams are located, but as with any sport, they get free flights as a perk! Anyway, yeah, they have one team each for Guam, the Northern Marianas (based on Saipan), Kiribati, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Palau.
NA: Ah, gotcha. The Palau one must be new. But yeah. Their facilities are small, but very high-end. The nats play home games on Guam.
PD: One thing you really have to watch out for with Bharat is that they have a tendency to play dirty, and Micronesia doesn't quite have the same grit as Polynesia, Melanesia, or even Papua or Hawaii among Pacific Island nations.
NA: Bahrain's beaten them once. They can do it again. Okay. Group C. Hawaii, Melanesia, Hijaz, Bangladesh.
PD: Closest group of the four. Melanesia looks hungry just by looking at their early training camps. Hawaii does have more skill, but Melanesia has grit to spare and they'll push the lower two teams around with relative ease. Hijaz does have the leg up on Bangladesh, but I wonder if, after Papua, Bangladesh is the best last-seeded team.
NA: Can't say I completely disagree, even if they don't have the same facilities Micronesia does. They have a much larger potential talent pool. Now, the big question between Hawaii and Melanesia is, will Hawaii have all of its best players? Dustin Kim went from one side of the Pacific to the other this season and plays for the Tijuana Tigres of the PPHL. So this puts his participation into question. Another player was already in NAMPHA, Matt Chang, who plays for Salem in the same league. We'll grant that Morris Tamate from Melanesia plays his pro in Japan, but Japan always takes the international seasons off, which means there's a sizable gap in March for him to take to play for his country.
PD: A group of death, perhaps?
NA: That's what I'm thinking. Now Group D doesn't have quite the same problem as Dravidia's best players all have international release clauses in their contracts. And let me tell you something - with how much Dravidia has improved from last year, even from the few training camps I've seen, there's no way they aren't winning this group. I'm actually surprised how well ice hockey has caught on there even though there are so few ice arenas in the country.
PD: And more on the way from what I've heard. But Dravidia has been getting richer, so is it any surprise? Anyway. Kashmir has the grit, and they have the work ethic, but they just lack the skill to be able to put one over on this new and improved Dravidian team. Now the real question is, who has what it takes to get promoted in a year where you're five times more likely to get relegated?
NA: I wouldn't doubt Kuwait would be one of them because they have home ice, and the ice there is relatively good even in spite of Kuwait's poor reputation beyond the continental level. With that being said, there are actual quarterfinals, rather than just having the group winners be the only ones eligible for promotion, which I think is perfectly fair. The orgs are trying their darnedest to not have Bharat play Kashmir, and things even get tense between them and the Dravidians. So they're doing the "double fan." 1A against 2D, 1B against 2C, 1C against 2B, and 1D against 2A.
PD: For the sake of argument, let's say Hawaii does actually win Group C. Going by our other picks, that would give us Kuwait against Kashmir, Bahrain against Melanesia, Hawaii against Bharat, and Dravidia against Pashmenish.
NA: Oh man. Pashmenish will get stomped if those matchups hold up unless they actually have improved, and I'm not seeing that from the footage! Kashmir took Dravidia to overtime last year, so they aren't to be underestimated, but I still think Dravidia has that matchup. Bahrain-Melanesia's a tough call. Let's say Bahrain for argument's sake. Hawaii-Bharat... yeah... HAWAII.
PD: Agreed on all fronts. Now things get trickier. You've got the games to go up and the games to stay up. First, Kuwait against Dravidia. Dravidia's improved, especially on defence, but they just do not have the experience that Kuwait does. They aren't a complete writeoff, but I'd say it's a high chance that Kuwait takes that one and the first promotion slot. Through some miracle, Bahrain didn't play Hawaii last year, and that is a very hard match to call this year. I'm gonna go with Bahrain simply because there's no chance of them not having all of their best players, meaning that it's an all-Persian Gulf matchup for the win, while Dravidia and Hawaii lock horns and stay in Div I.
NA: And that's a match I think Dravidia can win. It would actually be a rematch of last year's fifth-place bout, which Hawaii only won in a shootout.
I actually think, though, that Hawaii does have a shot at beating Bahrain if they can get their best players.
Now what about the tilts to stay up?
PD: Kashmir against Pashmenish? Friendly neighbour rivals. That's going to be a fun one to watch, but I think Kashmir's got it. They've got much more grit and they were able to keep it much closer against the skilled teams they played than Pash did because of it. But I think the orgs would be praying that Melanesia wins the other one because Bharat against Kashmir always has something go wrong.
NA: High likelihood to be fair. They played in the 9th-place match last year and Melanesia won then, and the same have actually improved whereas Bharat hasn't really. So Bharat and Pashmenish will drop and Kashmir and Melanesia will stay up. I think the Karakoram Tigers will win 5th-place though. I genuinely enjoy watching them even though they aren't particularly skilled by Uralican standards, because they play the game with heart, grit, determination, all the best intangibles of a hockey team.
On to Africa?
PD: Why not? *NA clicks remote*
*on screen*
Challenge Cup of Africa, Division I - Ogbomosho, Yorubaland - 20-31 March 2023
Group A - Gabon, Mauritius, Adamawa (app.), Tigray (app.), Seychelles (app.), Nilotica (app.)
Group B - Namibia, Yorubaland, Mbundu (app.), Hausa Nation (app.), Somalia (app.), Comoros (app.)
NA: These matches are going to be pretty crazy with eight of the twelve nations being raw applicants. Many of them have played their first exhibition matches against close neighbours, with some absurd scorelines. There was the five-nation Indian Ocean Cup fairly recently, which Réunion won - no surprise there - and they ran rout over everyone; in spite of being applicants, I think Adamawa could beat Mauritius pretty easily. *PD nods* Mauritius beat the Seychelles both times the two butted heads by a combined score of 19-4. Nilotica is about as raw as it gets, so it's more a participation thing for them. I think the only other country I could see finishing last is maybe the Seychelles. Tigray and Somalia have too many expats. Hausa Nation has an ex-NHL for a coach and actually doesn't look too bad for a team taking its first hockey strides. Of the applicants, though, I think Adamawa is the best. Heck, depending on how they fare they might even medal!
PD: Bronze at best. Gabon is looking like the odds-on favourite to win the whole pirozhki. Namibia is looking like they're improving as well. Yorubaland... we'll see. *after a pause* Not nearly as much to talk about without the whole restructuring!
NA: On then to the Americas, Division I...
*on screen*
Challenge Cup of the Americas, Division I - Asunción, Paraguay - 20-31 March 2023
Group A - Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, Dutch Antilles, Bolivia, Bahamas (app.)
Group B - Paraguay, Panama, Costa Rica, Mayan Republic, Venezuela, Uruguay (app.)
PD: There aren't too many more countries in the Americas that don't have a hockey team. I think every independent country in South America save Guyana does...
NA: Yup.
PD: ...and then in Central America and the Caribbean, the only ones that don't are El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, and the Canadian discontiguous territory of the Cayman Islands.
NA: The IIHF counts Bermuda there as well. That will probably never happen since the lack of available space just does not permit it.
PD: And then North America... umm, ice hockey was kinda born there! Canada and the Old USA are still hockey's heartland as far as the Western Hemisphere is concerned. Literally the only country on the list of the non-involved that is actually trying right now is the Cayman Islands, and they won't be ready for years yet!
NA: So what are your thoughts on the applicants?
PD: The Bahamas are pretty brave to get involved this early, but hey, isn't that what the Challenge Cups are for? Yeah, they started out with an exhibition game against the Antillean Union and got absolutely massacred, 41-0. They lost a more modest 9-2 against the Dutch Antilles, though.
Uruguay has a larger talent pool to draw from but hockey really isn't that popular there. However, their losses in exhibitions have been less marked than their Bahamian counterparts'; They actually had a lead on Venezuela before getting into penalty trouble and losing 6-3, they lost 7-1 to Bolivia, and they lost 5-2 to the Dutch Antilles. So we'll see if they can steal some points perhaps.
NA: I doubt it. Like you implied by the whole "penalty trouble" thing, they are somewhat lacking in discipline. Unlike Division I in AsPac and Africa, though, this is a very, very close race. I'd say that seven different teams may have a shot at it. If I had to pick two teams, it'll be Paraguay winning and either Argentina or Panama going up with them, but in Group A, Colombia and Cuba are close to each other and to Argentina in terms of skill level, while Costa Rica and the Mayans have a shot at both Paraguay and Panama in Group B. In Paraguay's case, though, it's the goaltending of Luís Ronaldo Éricson that will give them the advantage. I don't think there's a goalie nearly as good on any of the other teams, even Argentina.
PD: I can't really argue with that. Paraguay's biggest issue is offence. Éricson is probably the third-best goalie in South America after Kléber Dias from Brazil and Marcelo Yupanqui from the Inca Republic. (Erik Lauder from the Canadian Antarctic team isn't bad, either.) But their offence was pretty lackluster, and that got them relegated from the top level last season.
NA: They are still in need of some improvement even if they have improved a little bit. On to Europe Division I then?
PD: The one-group wonder!
*NA clicks remote*
PD: This one's a bit shorter.
Challenge Cup of Europe, Division I - Nicosia, Cyprus - 20-27 March 2023
Abkhazia, Cyprus, Gibraltar, Kosovo, Malta, North Macedonia
PD: The question everyone is asking - will NHL rookie tough guy Arbër Xhekaj play for Kosovo? He's a three-passport wonder, having Canadian, Kosovar, and Czech citizenship. He was tied to the CHL last year, but that kind of grit would really put Kosovo up a few notches!
NA: The Hamilton Bulldogs haven't said either way, but who we do know his younger brother Florian - a seventh-round pick in this year's NAMPHA Draft - has gotten permission from the Hamilton Steel Kings to make the trip if they are out of playoff range by the time March 18th rolls around. He's not exactly a headline-maker in the OHL but as we've all seen, that really doesn't matter in the Challenge Cups!
PD: I think if they get Arbër, they'll pass North Macedonia and Cyprus as the best bets to beat Abkhazia and take promotion, and since they aren't on home ice this year, the Abkhazians will have to work harder for it anyway. Even so, I think Abkhazia are still the faves, unless by some freak accident they wind up without Sokrat Kvitsinia. Cyprus is on home ice, but I'm not sure even with Kazakis that they'd stand a chance against a Xhekaj-enhanced Kosovo.
NA: Yeah, you're right. So when April rolls around you get the Cups proper.
PD: 2 April. But AsPac has run into a bit of a bump. Persia was initially going to host the Cup proper, but they withdrew from that because of the war in Balochistan. They are considering moving it to Dushanbe, Tajikistan, but nothing is final yet. Still, if it goes ahead, it'll be between 2-14 April.
NA: And the groups. *NA clicks remote*
*on screen*
Challenge Cup of Asia-Pacific - Host TBD - 2-14 April 2023
Group A - Libnan, Vietnam, Punjab, Polynesia, Uyghurstan, Oman, Kurdistan
Group B - Chukotka, Jordan, Tyva, Persia, Nepal, Qatar, Tajikistan
NA: If they could get maybe one more applicant for Div I they could make this a four-grouper. Cambodia has finally submitted an application and will debut in 2024.
PD: Not out of the question. I've heard rumours from my friends in South and Southeast Asia that Himalaya is now considering joining the IIHF as well. But anyway, not surprising that these groups are far closer than their counterparts in Division I with most of the teams capable of winning the group if they play their best hockey. It's a much easier question to ask concerning who would go down. Remember, the Cup proper is downsizing to ten teams for 2024.
NA: In spite of the seedings, it won't necessarily be the bottom two who we favour to drop. This would certainly be the case for Group B; if Tajikistan ends up hosting, I think they have what it takes to beat Nepal and Qatar. I think they may well do anyway!
PD: They've been improving! But so has Qatar. Nepal... ehhhhhh... that depends on whether or not Shrestha still wants to play for them. And even then I think Nepal is the weakest team in the group. Unless another team really has injury problems I can't see them staying up. Now Group A's second drop is much harder to call. We saw last year that both Oman and Kurdistan came ready to play. Oman destroyed Div I last year and the only team that even made them break a sweat was Kurdistan. Tajikistan got a second in late but it was too little too late, as Oman dominated that gold medal game. The semi with Kurdistan on the other hand was some of the best hockey I've seen in a Challenge Cup. It was back and forth and exciting.
NA: From the Group A teams as they are now, the only real pick I have is that Uyghurstan is finishing bottom. Oman and Kurdistan may even end up dark horses, but that group on the whole is stupid close other than the Uyghurs in terms of skill. Picking a winner for this may be better done closer to time.
PD: Agreed. So let's move on to Africa then. *NA clicks remote*
*on screen*
Challenge Cup of Africa - Libreville, Fangland - 2-11 April 2023
Group A - Botswana, Réunion, Egypt, Igbolandia, East African Union
Group B - Fangland, Calvinia, Lesotho, Akan Empire, Ethiopia
NA: Now the real question here is, can Botswana win without Tshireletso? The new captain of the San Jose Barracuda may be limited to only the Worlds should they make the playoffs this year.
PD: Botswana also has great depth though, and Tshireletso is really the only question mark, with team captain Nkosilathi Kgasa having an international release clause in his NAMPHA contract. I'd still have them as one of the faves even without Big Toonie in the lineup. But it would be a much closer match between them and the only two teams I think could actually beat them, neither of whom are in their opening group!
NA: I'm guessing Fangland and Calvinia...
PD: V yablochko! (Note: means "in the bullseye" in Russian, used much the same way that "Bingo!" or "Bullseye!" is in English figurative language) There are of the other teams that have shown improvement, though, like Réunion, Egypt, the Akans, and Ethiopia. I actually think Lesotho is going to be the dropper from Group B. Group A will be closer between the EAU and Igbolandia, and in my view it is the stronger of the two groups, so maybe it's a bit unfair, but hey, seeding is based on last year's results.
NA: That's hockey, eh?
PD: Now the Americas cup proper is gonna be fun to watch, because given improvements and promotions, you don't know who is going to win! *NA clicks remote*
*on screen*:
Challenge Cup of the Americas - Constanza, Hispaniola - 2-13 April 2023
Group A - Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil, Canadian Antarctic Territories
Group B - Hispaniola, Inca Republic, Puerto Rico, Antillean Union
NA: I think the Canadian Antarctic Territories may be in over their heads, but I know they'll fight like caged animals to stay up. With the Antillean Union now having an on-again-off-again NHLer as goalie, though, I think Group B's drop is going to be Puerto Rico rather than them.
PD: Ehhhhh... we'll see. I think the Boricuas have slightly better offence and defence than the Antilleans, even if Pujols isn't nearly as good as Gibson.
NA: See we will. The big question I have is who will take top spot in Group B. Hispaniola was a surprise tournament runner-up last year after stunning the Incas, but the latter have really put in work to try and improve. Valenzuela did get a brief callup to Rockford earlier this month but is now back down with Peoria of the ECHL, a team he leads in scoring. Much like Tshireletso, his participation in the Challenge Cup is in question now because of his North American involvement. But we can also say the same for Hispaniola's best players.
PD: Yes, Martin Auclair was traded, right? He now plays for the AHL's Saint John Saints, making him the second Hispaniolan to become a regular AHLer after J.P. Zéphir, who's with the same. They're linemates and play really well together at the AHL level! The Saints are skating in... to a very likely playoff spot! Chris Gibson's in the NHL right now with Saskatchewan, but they are not looking that good early on.
NA: See, the Jamaicans were smart. Although Malcolm Subban couldn't procure an international release clause, everyone below the NHL level did, so guys like Ho-Sang, Stewart, Jordan Subban, and so on are able to leave to play for Jamaica whether their club teams want them to or not. I still think they're going to win.
PD: It would appear so, well, if Trenchtown Wailers goalie Curtis Wrigley can step up in goal. He's had good mentoring, so we'll see! Back to Europe now!
*NA clicks remote*
*on screen*
Challenge Cup of Europe - Tiranë, Albania - 2-11 April 2023
Asturias, Crimea, Albania, Galicia, Alania, Faeroe Islands
PD: Alania was very fortunate that they woke up in time to stay up last year. If not for that last playoff game they would have been relegated for finishing last in the group, but instead they beat North Macedonia and stayed up. They've taken that to heart this year and have been holding extra national team practices and even local exhibition matches to better themselves. Sure, they didn't win them all. But they did win a couple.
NA: Yup. Beat Abkhazia 6-3, beat Crimea 5-3, beat Nokhchynya 5-4 in OT, beat Azerbaijan for the first time, 4-3, beat Persia 4-2, kept it close in a 5-3 loss to Dagestan...they're looking much better this year. Of course, they got clobbered 18-2 by Transcaucasia and 12-0 by Turkey, but those results were expected! And Vladimir Artyomov has kept the tapes of those two games for teaching purposes. He said, "sometimes it's the blowouts that teach you the most on where you need to improve," and he's absolutely right.
PD: I highly, highly doubt the Faeroe Islands are going anywhere - not if they played anything like last year!
NA: Gee, really? I would never have guessed... *both laugh* Seriously, you're right. They played ridiculously good hockey last year. They might even have been able to win the Challenge Cup proper with that level of play. Even Asturias should be wary of them. Especially Christian Høydal, who is with Herning Blue Fox of the Nordlander Elitserien on a two-year contract. But yeah, unless someone else really blows it or gets riddled with injuries, I can only see Galicia being relegated, because they've been spinning their tires a little.
PD: I can't disagree. And that actually brings our discussion to a close.
NA: It does. I will make one final comment about how impressed I am that so many countries are willing to give hockey a try!
PD: Grow the game!
NA: Tomorrow - talking about Severstal's impressive KHL run! Until then, for Pavel Datsyuk, I am Nikita Alexeyev!
You could never accuse Uralica's Emergency Relief and Human Development Corps of slacking off during an assignment, but their operations in Balochistan alongside the Peshawar Pact, the League of Islam, and the American and Dakotan Peace Corps have been particularly strenuous in spite of the relative brevity of the war there. But as ERHDC head Judah Kalifungwa-Uralets says, "It's like the old Uralican adage goes - nothing worthwhile is ever easy."
With much of the support infrastructure damaged and several residential buildings destroyed in many major cities, construction is the primary job for these guys, although setting up temporary homes for returning refugees is pretty high up the list, and they have to be done quickly. Kalifungwa-Uralets himself was on the ground in Hub, across the Sindhi border from metro Karachi, talking about some of the things needing to be done.
"Hub's government forces were driven out relatively quickly and as such there weren't many things damaged; a good percentage of the returning refugees to the area were able to return home right away. This is anything but the case in places like Zahedan, Quetta, and Iranshahr where residential blocks have been devastated. We have piping coming in to fix the water mains, and a lot of construction materials from up in Uralica and also import from Canada and Cascadia. Of the roughly 5.8 million refugees that this war and the events leading up to it created, only around one and a half million have actually returned yet, but our people in the neighbouring countries are working on that as we make sure to have enough housing for all of them by the time everyone gets back. This is going to be a months-long - in some places probably over a year long - endeavour. But it needs to be done. Loving your neighbour as yourself."
Given Uralicans' penchant for learning languages, where the rebuilding coalition is found lacking in interpreters, some ERHDC are working with multilingual Balochistanis to learn enough Balochi to give basic instructions to those Balochistanis wanting to help the rebuilding process, or just to regular civilians.
"Uralicans have an uncanny propensity for language learning," said soon-outgoing New UN Secretary General Pierre-François Dumont. "So when someone said that there weren't enough interpreters, I said, 'Try teaching some Uralicans. The average citizen there speaks eight languages to begin with." So they tried it, and sure enough they're already seeing some results. I anticipate it will take maybe a month or two before the first Uralican interpreters can roll out. And there are enough English-speakers among Balochistani academics that it's actually pretty feasible. Uralicans always seem to be eager to learn!"
Workers are set to start coming in from the New European Union (especially Old Spain, with Catalonia leading the way, and Greece) and from other NCIS nations (Siberia and Kazakhstan in particular have committed quite a bit to this) within the week.
DATES SET FOR 2023 IIHF CHALLENGE CUPS; FIRST LOOKS AT APPLICANT NATION PROGRAMS!
Pavel Datsyuk and Nikita Alexeyev
(Transcript)
NA: Hello again, hockey fans! Nikita Alexeyev here with the legendary Pavel Datsyuk to bring you the latest in hockey news. Today we're shifting gears away from the usual NHL, KHL, UIHL, and other Euro hockey news to talk about next year's IIHF Challenge Cups.
PD: Oh my goodness, some of those are too big to keep track of!
NA: Yeah. And we're going to start with the specific one you're referencing - Asia-Pacific Division I, which is being held in Kuwait, from 20-31 March 2023. It is a doozy, having four divisions in the opening round rather than the typical max of two. But there's a reason for this. The IIHF didn't want to go straight to three tiers without first determining the skill level of the huge number of teams. There are no applicants this year, but some of the teams are still relatively raw.
PD: Oh yes. Let's see the groups again. *NA produces a remote and clicks, and this comes up on the screen with flags:*
Group A - Kuwait, Pashmenish, Sri Lanka, Papua
Group B - Bahrain, Bharat, Saudi Kingdom, Micronesia
Group C - Hawaii, Melanesia, Hijaz, Bangladesh
Group D - Dravidia, Kashmir, Tibet, Sana'a
PD: All four groups have at least one team that lags behind the others, and I'd argue that at least Group A and Group C have a clear 50-50 split between haves and have-nots. Because of the change in format for 2024, you will actually see more teams relegated than those that actually stay behind in Division I - two promotions, four stay-behinds, and ten teams being technically relegated to form the new Division II tournament. There are actually two tiers to the repechage round, too. The last-placers play in one, for 13th to 16th place, and the third-placers play in another, for 9th to 12th place. They're all relegated anyway, and the true relegation round is actually the first round of consolation play, where the losers are relegated and play in the 7th-place match for seeding in 2024.
NA: I think three out of the four fourth seeds above will be playing on that second tier. It's hard to say who will actually finish last. The exception of the four is in Group A.
PD: I'd ask what's so special about Papua, but then I remembered their policy about missionaries getting automatic citizenship rights after five years, and there are a few such individuals on their team - it's those Canadians, Uralicans, Dakotans, and Americans that you really have to watch out for at this level! And I think they even have a Korean or two in there as well...
NA: And they have an ex-NHLer MK as their head coach! One-time Stanley Cup champ Robyn Regehr has taken on their head coaching role!
PD: For a moment I thought you were gonna say it was Richie, but he hasn't even retired from playing hockey yet! He's in the UIHL-2 with Mennonites Pazhga. Anyway, I somewhat agree with your assessment as I think Sri Lanka still has serious work to do to grow the game. Those Jeyabalan brothers are nothing if not persistent, though. Sri Lanka only has one hockey rink at present, in the far north of the country, and is set to put a team in the Dravidian League. Papua has built three arenas, in Jayapura, Lae, and Port Moresby, and actually have a very small league running.
NA: Yup. Six teams. Three in "Pomo," two in Jayapura, and one in Lae. Pretty impressive to get all that running so quickly.
PD: They had help. Australia's hockey federation has a vested interest in the fledgling Papuan Ice Hockey League, which is technically within Australia's hockey system. I still think Papua's gonna be in Div II in 2024 though.
NA: We'll see. You're probably right, but I'm holding out hope that Papua can beat Pashmenish. That's probably the game I'll keep the closest eye on; it's surely going to be Kuwait winning that group. I really can't believe I just said that! *PD laughs*
PD: To think that Kuwait needs to be all the way down here to actually win a group! Even though Group A has the most newbies with two, though, Papua I think is probably the best of the five at this point and should have been seeded third in hindsight. So what about Group B? I think the seedings are pretty indicative of who will finish where.
NA: So do I. Bahrain is far and away the most skilled team in that group, with Bharat having enough skill to keep them ahead of the Saudis for now and Micronesia just being glad to be participants at all. But I must say, the fact that they have a league going is something else! Five teams, if I remember correctly.
PD: Six, and the flight schedule is insane given how far apart those teams are located, but as with any sport, they get free flights as a perk! Anyway, yeah, they have one team each for Guam, the Northern Marianas (based on Saipan), Kiribati, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Palau.
NA: Ah, gotcha. The Palau one must be new. But yeah. Their facilities are small, but very high-end. The nats play home games on Guam.
PD: One thing you really have to watch out for with Bharat is that they have a tendency to play dirty, and Micronesia doesn't quite have the same grit as Polynesia, Melanesia, or even Papua or Hawaii among Pacific Island nations.
NA: Bahrain's beaten them once. They can do it again. Okay. Group C. Hawaii, Melanesia, Hijaz, Bangladesh.
PD: Closest group of the four. Melanesia looks hungry just by looking at their early training camps. Hawaii does have more skill, but Melanesia has grit to spare and they'll push the lower two teams around with relative ease. Hijaz does have the leg up on Bangladesh, but I wonder if, after Papua, Bangladesh is the best last-seeded team.
NA: Can't say I completely disagree, even if they don't have the same facilities Micronesia does. They have a much larger potential talent pool. Now, the big question between Hawaii and Melanesia is, will Hawaii have all of its best players? Dustin Kim went from one side of the Pacific to the other this season and plays for the Tijuana Tigres of the PPHL. So this puts his participation into question. Another player was already in NAMPHA, Matt Chang, who plays for Salem in the same league. We'll grant that Morris Tamate from Melanesia plays his pro in Japan, but Japan always takes the international seasons off, which means there's a sizable gap in March for him to take to play for his country.
PD: A group of death, perhaps?
NA: That's what I'm thinking. Now Group D doesn't have quite the same problem as Dravidia's best players all have international release clauses in their contracts. And let me tell you something - with how much Dravidia has improved from last year, even from the few training camps I've seen, there's no way they aren't winning this group. I'm actually surprised how well ice hockey has caught on there even though there are so few ice arenas in the country.
PD: And more on the way from what I've heard. But Dravidia has been getting richer, so is it any surprise? Anyway. Kashmir has the grit, and they have the work ethic, but they just lack the skill to be able to put one over on this new and improved Dravidian team. Now the real question is, who has what it takes to get promoted in a year where you're five times more likely to get relegated?
NA: I wouldn't doubt Kuwait would be one of them because they have home ice, and the ice there is relatively good even in spite of Kuwait's poor reputation beyond the continental level. With that being said, there are actual quarterfinals, rather than just having the group winners be the only ones eligible for promotion, which I think is perfectly fair. The orgs are trying their darnedest to not have Bharat play Kashmir, and things even get tense between them and the Dravidians. So they're doing the "double fan." 1A against 2D, 1B against 2C, 1C against 2B, and 1D against 2A.
PD: For the sake of argument, let's say Hawaii does actually win Group C. Going by our other picks, that would give us Kuwait against Kashmir, Bahrain against Melanesia, Hawaii against Bharat, and Dravidia against Pashmenish.
NA: Oh man. Pashmenish will get stomped if those matchups hold up unless they actually have improved, and I'm not seeing that from the footage! Kashmir took Dravidia to overtime last year, so they aren't to be underestimated, but I still think Dravidia has that matchup. Bahrain-Melanesia's a tough call. Let's say Bahrain for argument's sake. Hawaii-Bharat... yeah... HAWAII.
PD: Agreed on all fronts. Now things get trickier. You've got the games to go up and the games to stay up. First, Kuwait against Dravidia. Dravidia's improved, especially on defence, but they just do not have the experience that Kuwait does. They aren't a complete writeoff, but I'd say it's a high chance that Kuwait takes that one and the first promotion slot. Through some miracle, Bahrain didn't play Hawaii last year, and that is a very hard match to call this year. I'm gonna go with Bahrain simply because there's no chance of them not having all of their best players, meaning that it's an all-Persian Gulf matchup for the win, while Dravidia and Hawaii lock horns and stay in Div I.
NA: And that's a match I think Dravidia can win. It would actually be a rematch of last year's fifth-place bout, which Hawaii only won in a shootout.
I actually think, though, that Hawaii does have a shot at beating Bahrain if they can get their best players.
Now what about the tilts to stay up?
PD: Kashmir against Pashmenish? Friendly neighbour rivals. That's going to be a fun one to watch, but I think Kashmir's got it. They've got much more grit and they were able to keep it much closer against the skilled teams they played than Pash did because of it. But I think the orgs would be praying that Melanesia wins the other one because Bharat against Kashmir always has something go wrong.
NA: High likelihood to be fair. They played in the 9th-place match last year and Melanesia won then, and the same have actually improved whereas Bharat hasn't really. So Bharat and Pashmenish will drop and Kashmir and Melanesia will stay up. I think the Karakoram Tigers will win 5th-place though. I genuinely enjoy watching them even though they aren't particularly skilled by Uralican standards, because they play the game with heart, grit, determination, all the best intangibles of a hockey team.
On to Africa?
PD: Why not? *NA clicks remote*
*on screen*
Challenge Cup of Africa, Division I - Ogbomosho, Yorubaland - 20-31 March 2023
Group A - Gabon, Mauritius, Adamawa (app.), Tigray (app.), Seychelles (app.), Nilotica (app.)
Group B - Namibia, Yorubaland, Mbundu (app.), Hausa Nation (app.), Somalia (app.), Comoros (app.)
NA: These matches are going to be pretty crazy with eight of the twelve nations being raw applicants. Many of them have played their first exhibition matches against close neighbours, with some absurd scorelines. There was the five-nation Indian Ocean Cup fairly recently, which Réunion won - no surprise there - and they ran rout over everyone; in spite of being applicants, I think Adamawa could beat Mauritius pretty easily. *PD nods* Mauritius beat the Seychelles both times the two butted heads by a combined score of 19-4. Nilotica is about as raw as it gets, so it's more a participation thing for them. I think the only other country I could see finishing last is maybe the Seychelles. Tigray and Somalia have too many expats. Hausa Nation has an ex-NHL for a coach and actually doesn't look too bad for a team taking its first hockey strides. Of the applicants, though, I think Adamawa is the best. Heck, depending on how they fare they might even medal!
PD: Bronze at best. Gabon is looking like the odds-on favourite to win the whole pirozhki. Namibia is looking like they're improving as well. Yorubaland... we'll see. *after a pause* Not nearly as much to talk about without the whole restructuring!
NA: On then to the Americas, Division I...
*on screen*
Challenge Cup of the Americas, Division I - Asunción, Paraguay - 20-31 March 2023
Group A - Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, Dutch Antilles, Bolivia, Bahamas (app.)
Group B - Paraguay, Panama, Costa Rica, Mayan Republic, Venezuela, Uruguay (app.)
PD: There aren't too many more countries in the Americas that don't have a hockey team. I think every independent country in South America save Guyana does...
NA: Yup.
PD: ...and then in Central America and the Caribbean, the only ones that don't are El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, and the Canadian discontiguous territory of the Cayman Islands.
NA: The IIHF counts Bermuda there as well. That will probably never happen since the lack of available space just does not permit it.
PD: And then North America... umm, ice hockey was kinda born there! Canada and the Old USA are still hockey's heartland as far as the Western Hemisphere is concerned. Literally the only country on the list of the non-involved that is actually trying right now is the Cayman Islands, and they won't be ready for years yet!
NA: So what are your thoughts on the applicants?
PD: The Bahamas are pretty brave to get involved this early, but hey, isn't that what the Challenge Cups are for? Yeah, they started out with an exhibition game against the Antillean Union and got absolutely massacred, 41-0. They lost a more modest 9-2 against the Dutch Antilles, though.
Uruguay has a larger talent pool to draw from but hockey really isn't that popular there. However, their losses in exhibitions have been less marked than their Bahamian counterparts'; They actually had a lead on Venezuela before getting into penalty trouble and losing 6-3, they lost 7-1 to Bolivia, and they lost 5-2 to the Dutch Antilles. So we'll see if they can steal some points perhaps.
NA: I doubt it. Like you implied by the whole "penalty trouble" thing, they are somewhat lacking in discipline. Unlike Division I in AsPac and Africa, though, this is a very, very close race. I'd say that seven different teams may have a shot at it. If I had to pick two teams, it'll be Paraguay winning and either Argentina or Panama going up with them, but in Group A, Colombia and Cuba are close to each other and to Argentina in terms of skill level, while Costa Rica and the Mayans have a shot at both Paraguay and Panama in Group B. In Paraguay's case, though, it's the goaltending of Luís Ronaldo Éricson that will give them the advantage. I don't think there's a goalie nearly as good on any of the other teams, even Argentina.
PD: I can't really argue with that. Paraguay's biggest issue is offence. Éricson is probably the third-best goalie in South America after Kléber Dias from Brazil and Marcelo Yupanqui from the Inca Republic. (Erik Lauder from the Canadian Antarctic team isn't bad, either.) But their offence was pretty lackluster, and that got them relegated from the top level last season.
NA: They are still in need of some improvement even if they have improved a little bit. On to Europe Division I then?
PD: The one-group wonder!
*NA clicks remote*
PD: This one's a bit shorter.
Challenge Cup of Europe, Division I - Nicosia, Cyprus - 20-27 March 2023
Abkhazia, Cyprus, Gibraltar, Kosovo, Malta, North Macedonia
PD: The question everyone is asking - will NHL rookie tough guy Arbër Xhekaj play for Kosovo? He's a three-passport wonder, having Canadian, Kosovar, and Czech citizenship. He was tied to the CHL last year, but that kind of grit would really put Kosovo up a few notches!
NA: The Hamilton Bulldogs haven't said either way, but who we do know his younger brother Florian - a seventh-round pick in this year's NAMPHA Draft - has gotten permission from the Hamilton Steel Kings to make the trip if they are out of playoff range by the time March 18th rolls around. He's not exactly a headline-maker in the OHL but as we've all seen, that really doesn't matter in the Challenge Cups!
PD: I think if they get Arbër, they'll pass North Macedonia and Cyprus as the best bets to beat Abkhazia and take promotion, and since they aren't on home ice this year, the Abkhazians will have to work harder for it anyway. Even so, I think Abkhazia are still the faves, unless by some freak accident they wind up without Sokrat Kvitsinia. Cyprus is on home ice, but I'm not sure even with Kazakis that they'd stand a chance against a Xhekaj-enhanced Kosovo.
NA: Yeah, you're right. So when April rolls around you get the Cups proper.
PD: 2 April. But AsPac has run into a bit of a bump. Persia was initially going to host the Cup proper, but they withdrew from that because of the war in Balochistan. They are considering moving it to Dushanbe, Tajikistan, but nothing is final yet. Still, if it goes ahead, it'll be between 2-14 April.
NA: And the groups. *NA clicks remote*
*on screen*
Challenge Cup of Asia-Pacific - Host TBD - 2-14 April 2023
Group A - Libnan, Vietnam, Punjab, Polynesia, Uyghurstan, Oman, Kurdistan
Group B - Chukotka, Jordan, Tyva, Persia, Nepal, Qatar, Tajikistan
NA: If they could get maybe one more applicant for Div I they could make this a four-grouper. Cambodia has finally submitted an application and will debut in 2024.
PD: Not out of the question. I've heard rumours from my friends in South and Southeast Asia that Himalaya is now considering joining the IIHF as well. But anyway, not surprising that these groups are far closer than their counterparts in Division I with most of the teams capable of winning the group if they play their best hockey. It's a much easier question to ask concerning who would go down. Remember, the Cup proper is downsizing to ten teams for 2024.
NA: In spite of the seedings, it won't necessarily be the bottom two who we favour to drop. This would certainly be the case for Group B; if Tajikistan ends up hosting, I think they have what it takes to beat Nepal and Qatar. I think they may well do anyway!
PD: They've been improving! But so has Qatar. Nepal... ehhhhhh... that depends on whether or not Shrestha still wants to play for them. And even then I think Nepal is the weakest team in the group. Unless another team really has injury problems I can't see them staying up. Now Group A's second drop is much harder to call. We saw last year that both Oman and Kurdistan came ready to play. Oman destroyed Div I last year and the only team that even made them break a sweat was Kurdistan. Tajikistan got a second in late but it was too little too late, as Oman dominated that gold medal game. The semi with Kurdistan on the other hand was some of the best hockey I've seen in a Challenge Cup. It was back and forth and exciting.
NA: From the Group A teams as they are now, the only real pick I have is that Uyghurstan is finishing bottom. Oman and Kurdistan may even end up dark horses, but that group on the whole is stupid close other than the Uyghurs in terms of skill. Picking a winner for this may be better done closer to time.
PD: Agreed. So let's move on to Africa then. *NA clicks remote*
*on screen*
Challenge Cup of Africa - Libreville, Fangland - 2-11 April 2023
Group A - Botswana, Réunion, Egypt, Igbolandia, East African Union
Group B - Fangland, Calvinia, Lesotho, Akan Empire, Ethiopia
NA: Now the real question here is, can Botswana win without Tshireletso? The new captain of the San Jose Barracuda may be limited to only the Worlds should they make the playoffs this year.
PD: Botswana also has great depth though, and Tshireletso is really the only question mark, with team captain Nkosilathi Kgasa having an international release clause in his NAMPHA contract. I'd still have them as one of the faves even without Big Toonie in the lineup. But it would be a much closer match between them and the only two teams I think could actually beat them, neither of whom are in their opening group!
NA: I'm guessing Fangland and Calvinia...
PD: V yablochko! (Note: means "in the bullseye" in Russian, used much the same way that "Bingo!" or "Bullseye!" is in English figurative language) There are of the other teams that have shown improvement, though, like Réunion, Egypt, the Akans, and Ethiopia. I actually think Lesotho is going to be the dropper from Group B. Group A will be closer between the EAU and Igbolandia, and in my view it is the stronger of the two groups, so maybe it's a bit unfair, but hey, seeding is based on last year's results.
NA: That's hockey, eh?
PD: Now the Americas cup proper is gonna be fun to watch, because given improvements and promotions, you don't know who is going to win! *NA clicks remote*
*on screen*:
Challenge Cup of the Americas - Constanza, Hispaniola - 2-13 April 2023
Group A - Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil, Canadian Antarctic Territories
Group B - Hispaniola, Inca Republic, Puerto Rico, Antillean Union
NA: I think the Canadian Antarctic Territories may be in over their heads, but I know they'll fight like caged animals to stay up. With the Antillean Union now having an on-again-off-again NHLer as goalie, though, I think Group B's drop is going to be Puerto Rico rather than them.
PD: Ehhhhh... we'll see. I think the Boricuas have slightly better offence and defence than the Antilleans, even if Pujols isn't nearly as good as Gibson.
NA: See we will. The big question I have is who will take top spot in Group B. Hispaniola was a surprise tournament runner-up last year after stunning the Incas, but the latter have really put in work to try and improve. Valenzuela did get a brief callup to Rockford earlier this month but is now back down with Peoria of the ECHL, a team he leads in scoring. Much like Tshireletso, his participation in the Challenge Cup is in question now because of his North American involvement. But we can also say the same for Hispaniola's best players.
PD: Yes, Martin Auclair was traded, right? He now plays for the AHL's Saint John Saints, making him the second Hispaniolan to become a regular AHLer after J.P. Zéphir, who's with the same. They're linemates and play really well together at the AHL level! The Saints are skating in... to a very likely playoff spot! Chris Gibson's in the NHL right now with Saskatchewan, but they are not looking that good early on.
NA: See, the Jamaicans were smart. Although Malcolm Subban couldn't procure an international release clause, everyone below the NHL level did, so guys like Ho-Sang, Stewart, Jordan Subban, and so on are able to leave to play for Jamaica whether their club teams want them to or not. I still think they're going to win.
PD: It would appear so, well, if Trenchtown Wailers goalie Curtis Wrigley can step up in goal. He's had good mentoring, so we'll see! Back to Europe now!
*NA clicks remote*
*on screen*
Challenge Cup of Europe - Tiranë, Albania - 2-11 April 2023
Asturias, Crimea, Albania, Galicia, Alania, Faeroe Islands
PD: Alania was very fortunate that they woke up in time to stay up last year. If not for that last playoff game they would have been relegated for finishing last in the group, but instead they beat North Macedonia and stayed up. They've taken that to heart this year and have been holding extra national team practices and even local exhibition matches to better themselves. Sure, they didn't win them all. But they did win a couple.
NA: Yup. Beat Abkhazia 6-3, beat Crimea 5-3, beat Nokhchynya 5-4 in OT, beat Azerbaijan for the first time, 4-3, beat Persia 4-2, kept it close in a 5-3 loss to Dagestan...they're looking much better this year. Of course, they got clobbered 18-2 by Transcaucasia and 12-0 by Turkey, but those results were expected! And Vladimir Artyomov has kept the tapes of those two games for teaching purposes. He said, "sometimes it's the blowouts that teach you the most on where you need to improve," and he's absolutely right.
PD: I highly, highly doubt the Faeroe Islands are going anywhere - not if they played anything like last year!
NA: Gee, really? I would never have guessed... *both laugh* Seriously, you're right. They played ridiculously good hockey last year. They might even have been able to win the Challenge Cup proper with that level of play. Even Asturias should be wary of them. Especially Christian Høydal, who is with Herning Blue Fox of the Nordlander Elitserien on a two-year contract. But yeah, unless someone else really blows it or gets riddled with injuries, I can only see Galicia being relegated, because they've been spinning their tires a little.
PD: I can't disagree. And that actually brings our discussion to a close.
NA: It does. I will make one final comment about how impressed I am that so many countries are willing to give hockey a try!
PD: Grow the game!
NA: Tomorrow - talking about Severstal's impressive KHL run! Until then, for Pavel Datsyuk, I am Nikita Alexeyev!
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(06-11-2022, 10:13 PM)Kyng Wrote: I love how [Abacab] has a track with a section named "Lurker", when the album title itself looks like Lurker's attempt to spell "Abacus" or something .
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