Team Russia beat Team Germany in Men’s Ice Hockey final game of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyongchang, South Korea. Vyacheslav Voynov scored the first goal, which was followed by a pair of markers by Nikita Gusev, while Kirill Kaprizov got the game-winning tally in overtime. Junior Hockey League players and coaches followed the tournament and shared their thoughts after the historic win for Team Russia.

Lev Berdichevsky

JHC Russkie Vityazi Moscow Region head-coach

“I watched the final game right from the beginning,” said Berdichevsky. “Everybody said we would win by a large margin but the game had an unexpected finish. It’s just that in a single game, especially if it’s the final, statistics don’t mean anything. Absolutely anything can happen. As for the guys tying the game up shorthanded, should obviously be respected.”

- The youngest player on that Olympic team Kirill Kaprizov looked great at the tournament.

- Gusev-Datsyuk-Kaprizov line was a great find by the coaching staff. They were undoubtedly the best players in the final game. Gusev was fantastic scoring four points.

- Would you say that the fact that NHL players didn’t come to the tournament was the key in Germany’s success?

- Perhaps, that’s why all the teams were more or less equal. Otherwise there would have been other teams playing in the final because Team Sweden and Team Finland would have competed for the medals. That’s what made the Olympics so exciting. Germany beat Sweden, Canada and played decent hockey in exciting final.

- Who would you stood out the most?

- Every game had its heroes. Vasily Koshechkin made a few big saves, Nikolai Prokhorkin played well, young players also look great – especially Nikita Gusev and Kirill Kaprizov.

Yegor Podomatsky

JHC Loko Yaroslavl goaltending coach

- Vasily Koshechkin played almost every minute of the Olympic tournament. Ilya Sorokin played just one period. When it comes to such tournaments, how are goaltending decisions made?

- Olympics is a short tournament and that’s why the coach has to make goaltending decisions judging by many factors. I was on Team Russia at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City but I spent every game on the bench as Nikolai Khabibulin’s backup. And yet I don’t hold any grudges against the coaching staff.

- Do you think it was a good experience for Igor Shestyorkin and Ilya Sorokin?

- Why not?! They were with the team, stayed at the Olympic village and participated at serious practices. That’s why this tournament did a lot of good for the guys.

Andrei Mozyakin

JHC Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk forward, Sergei Mozyakin’s son

“Thank you for congratulations! Our whole team watched the game and medal ceremony. I called my father right after the game and congratulated him on winning the gold medal,” said Andrei Mozyakin. “It was a very intense game and it became even more so when the Germans got the lead. It’s very difficult to rate the team’s and my father’s play right now. I’m just very happy for him.”