Two victories are enough for the women’s national team to win the 4-nation tournament in Kloten.
The home tournament in Kloten is over. The women’s national team easily wins the two games played . The team won the first game against Hungary 4:1. The Swiss also won 4-1 against France. “The team performed well in both games. We had a young team that did a good job,” said Colin Muller, head coach of the women’s national team. The last game in which Switzerland would have played Germany had to be cancelled. A large part of the German team suffered from an acute gastrointestinal disease.
Azam Sanaei, the 34-year-old captain of the Iranian women’s ice hockey team, has just returned from Thailand where her team ended up as the runner-up in the 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s Asia and Oceania Championship.
After impressive performances against formidable opponents throughout the tournament, the Iranian team went down fighting in the summit clash against reigning champion and hosts Thailand 3-1.
On the road to finals, Sanei’s girls defeated India 17-1, Kuwait 20-0, Kyrgyzstan 26-0, United Arab Emirates 14-0 and Singapore 3-0, conceding only one goal in five exciting games.
It was the IIHF debut for Team Melli, and they managed to create history in their first foray.
Speaking to the Press TV website, the proud skipper said the impressive result shows the women’s ice hockey team “holds enormous potential”.
“Undoubtedly, the Iranian women’s ice hockey team holds great potential, and if we keep on doing a good job, we will definitely get a gold medal in the next tournament,” she said, oozing confidence.
The 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s Asia and Oceania Championship was held in Bangkok, Thailand, from April 30 to May 7, organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).
According to Sanaei, all seven teams that took part in the tournament were much stronger and more experienced than Iran. The Iranian side went into the competition with only three years of training.
“Our team trained day and night because we knew other teams were more experienced,” the captain told the Press TV website. “We only trained for three years and had to make up for the gap.”
Sanaei has accompanied the female inline hockey team since it was first formed in 2012.
In the last more than a decade, the team participated in only three Asian championships and came third every time, Sanaei said, which prompted her girls to work harder this time.
In 2018, after Asian Roller Sports Championship in South Korea, Iran’s inline hockey team decided to replicate the success in ice hockey.
The first standard-sized ice hockey rink measuring around 1,800 meters was built only three years ago in Tehran’s northwestern outskirts.
“It was a dream come true for inline hockey players who wanted to play on the ice,” she said.
Since then, the captain said, young players began training hard to secure a spot in the first Iranian women’s national ice hockey squad.
As the ice hockey team’s training coincided with the coronavirus pandemic, international tournaments were postponed indefinitely. The tournament in Thailand presented the first opportunity for Sanaei and her team to prove their mettle at the international level.
“In the final match, our players played beyond their abilities. Our rival was the host country and a title holder, their professional experience led to our defeat,” she said.
“It was nonetheless a close fight, until the end of the second half we were tied 1-1. However, in the third and last period, we were left behind and settled for the second place.”
Fatemeh Esmaili, a 25-year-old striker of the Iranian women’s national ice hockey team, said she and her teammates “did a great job” to make it to the final, even though they had bigger expectations.
“We cried hard after finishing in second place, but we still pulled off an amazing feat,” the leading goal-scorer of the tournament told the Press TV website.
“When we lost to Thailand, we thought we blew it all, but in all fairness, it was the first time we participated in an official IIHF tournament, and we defeated teams with more professional experience,” she hastened to add.
Their impressive performance didn’t go unnoticed in Iran and across the world. Social media has been flooded with messages of congratulations for the “winner” team since the final.
Iranian government spokesman Bahadori Jahromi, foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kan’ani and sports minister Hamid Sajjadi in separate messages lauded their incredible achievement.
On Tuesday, it was announced that all expenses incurred by the members of the team would be paid by the sports ministry, acknowledging their contribution to women’s sports in the country and bringing laurels to the country on the international stage.
Due to some changes at Iran’s Ski Federation and budget-related issues, the female ice hockey squad had to pay for the visa fee and other expenses, which according to the sports minister will now be covered and the players will be also getting a win bonus for their epic feat.
“While Skating Federation was previously responsible for ice hockey, the discipline was merged with the Ski Federation six months ago and due to the changes, no budget was allocated to ice hockey in last year’s budget plan, so the private sector sponsored the team,” Kaveh Sadeqi, Ice Hockey Society chief said.
“But while we were in Bangkok, the (sports) minister announced they will pay for the expenses.”
Iranian women’s national ice hockey squad, however, is not alone in making history and bringing laurels to the country. Other female national teams, including the women’s futsal team, are also on song.
In January, the Iranian women’s team was crowned champions of the 2023 CAFA Women’s Futsal Championship.
More recently, in April, young Iranian girls confirmed their spot in the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup Indonesia 2024.
Massoud Hussain, a Tehran-based veteran sports journalist, told the Press TV website that Iranian women’s futsal and football teams have raised the bar in the past years.
“In past two editions, women’s national futsal team defeated Japan, a formidable side, which shows they possess great potential for further progress.”
He added that in addition to team sports, women have done brilliant job in individual sports as well, such as shooting, karate, weightlifting, track and field, and Taekwondo.
Zahra Nemati is one of the most successful Iranian Paralympic and Olympic archers who has won several medals for the country in international competitions.
At the 2012 London Paralympic Games, Nemati won an individual gold and a team bronze.
Following her performance at the 2015 Asian Archery Championships in Bangkok, Thailand she secured Iran a qualification slot for the Rio 2016 Paralympics as well as the Olympics.
At the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, she made history by taking home her second gold.
In 2019, Poupak Basami became the first Iranian woman to compete in International Weightlifting Federation World Championships.
She finished sixth in the D session after managing a total of 158kg – 72 kg in the snatch and 86kg in the clean and jerk – breaking her own national record.
Elham Hosseini also made history in the 2022 Asian Weightlifting Championships by winning a gold medal in the women’s 81kg weight class.
In the 2023 Asian Weightlifting Championships, five female Iranian weightlifters are expected to show up for the second qualifying event for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
“Iranian sportswomen are highly motivated, and they can be great representatives and ambassadors for their country,” Sanaei said. “All they need is the support and encouragement they deserve.”
Last year’s World Juniors in Edmonton were supposed to be a special time for German hockey prospect Jakub Borzecki.
He made the squad as an 18-year-old, and was expected to play a key role, including on the power play, as part of a team considered to be his country’s best in years.
But, he never saw the ice.
Four days before Germany’s tournament opener on Christmas Day, and just one day after exiting his mandated travel quarantine, Borzecki learned he had tested positive for COVID-19.
“I was just really excited to actually fly out to Canada to play at the World Juniors,” he said.
“At first I didn’t quite realize it,” Borzecki said. “I felt great …I still did my workouts as planned. I didn’t feel anything.”
“It was a pretty, pretty big shame to not be able to get out.”
WE TESTED SO MUCH
Borzecki spent most of his time alone in his hotel room less than a block away from Rogers Place where his teammates carried on without him .
He says he was initially able to gather for stretching exercises and video games with the eight others who had also tested positive.
“I was actually shocked that so many guys went missing because we expected everybody to be just fine. We tested so much in Germany.”
The players watched on television from their hotel as an outmanned Team Germany held its own in a tournament-opening 5-3 defeat to Finland before running out of gas a day laterin a 16-2 defeat to the host Canadians.
“It was a big challenge for them and a lot of ice time but they really managed well.”
The squad was back to full strength, minus Borzecki, for its final opening round game, a 5-4 win over Switzerland.
“I was sweating in my room just watching the games, because it was really exciting to watch the guys play,” he said.
“I was really happy for them.”
SHOCKED TO SEE ME
The win over Switzerland earned Germany its first ever quarterfinal appearance at the World Juniors, and a matchup against a Russian team considered to be among the favourites to win the event.
Ahead of the game, someone on the team arranged to have Borzecki’s jersey hung on the glass behind the team’s bench during the game, much to his surprise.
Germany forward Jakub Borzecki’s (20) jersey hangs on the bench after he has been unable to play in the tournament due to a COVID positive test, as the Germans take on Russia during first period IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship action in Edmonton on Saturday, January 2, 2021
“I just had my white jersey in my room, and suddenly my other jersey was hanging there,” he said. “Just had a big smile all over my face.”
“[I was] a little sad too of course, just seeing my jersey, but not being able to get out.”
His teammates exceeded expectations again, but came up short in a narrow 2-1 defeat to Russia.
The next day marked the end of what would be more than three weeks in quarantine, and he was able to board the team bus and fly back to Germany with his teammates.
“The guys were just shocked to see me.”
A BIG RELIEF
Borzecki, now 19, is in his first year of senior pro hockey with EC Red Bull Salzburg of the ICE Hockey League.
The power forward has recorded seven points, including two goals, in 25 games so far this season and will be part of Team Germany at this year’s World Juniors.
“I don’t take anything for granted,” he said of making his tournament debut. “It’s gonna be a big relief to finally be able to be there.”
A relief that will help bury thoughts of what might have been for him and his team last year.
“I think if everybody would have been there, we could have had a great chance to get even further,” he said.
In a further sign of a return to normalcy prior to the pandemic, on the 28th of December the Puigcerdà ice rink will host a new clash between the Catalan and Basque ice hockey teams. A duel with a certain tradition behind it that had not taken place for four years The last edtion was in 2017, also in Puigcerdà, with a Catalan victory.
With the organization of the Catalan Federation of Winter Sports (FCEH) and the support of local institutions and entities, the Christmas festivities will once again feature a two games between two friendly teams and with strong social and sporting roots in the state ice hockey.
And it is expected that many of the players who make up the staff of the men’s and women’s teams are from CG Puigcerdà and FC Barcelona , in the case of Catalonia, and CHH Txuri-Urdin , in the Basque Country.
Catalunya – Euskadi Femení 14:00h
Catalunya – Euskadi Masculí 20:00h
Action from 2017 Catalonia and Basque Country
Both teams have a significant weight in Spanish ice hockey, where CG Puigcerdà, FC Barcelona and CHH Txuri-Urdin have dominated the state competitions in recent years. The League is a clear example of this, as you have to travel back to 2015-2016 season to find a champion who is not Catalan or Basque.
Ondrej Nepela Arena in Bratislava played host to a ferocious match between Slovakia and Belarus that ended 2-1 for Slovakia. This secured Slovakia’s place in the men’s ice hockey competition in Beijing 2022.
Slovenia and Belarus entered the final period level after goals from Peter Cehlarik (SVK) and Yegor Sharangovich (BLR), both teams were well aware that a draw after regulation time would see Slovenia progress as group winners on 7 points, but Libor Hudacek’s goal late in the third period gave Slovakia a 2-1 victory and a trip to Bejing.
The Slovaks are once again headed to the @Olympics! They are the final team to join the elite 12 nations that will compete in #Beijing2022 after winning the Final Olympic Qualification Group D on home ice in Bratislava. Congratulations @HockeySlovakia! pic.twitter.com/RZ5CvGie5t
Denmark, Latvia, and Slovakia have won their respective Olympic qualifying tournaments and will participate in the men’s ice hockey competition at the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing in 2022.
All three nations finished in the top two in their respective IIHF qualification groups, adding to the already strong 12-team field at Beijing 2022, which also features top-8 teams and hosts China.
Having won both of their Group E games on home ice against Italy 6-0 and Hungary 9-0, Latvia entered the final game with a perfect record.
On the final day of their group, the Latvia played undefeated France, which was hoping to qualify for the Olympics for the first time since Salt Lake City in 2002.
At the 11-minute mark in the first period, Latvia strike first when Rihards Bukarts scored the first goal of the game.
Miks Indrasis notched Latvia’s the game winning goal in the third period. However, Stephane da Costa’s long-range effort brought France back into the contest for a frantic finish.
The Latvian penalty kill was strong for the last two minutes of the game as they hung on for a 2-1 win and a birth to the Winter Olympics, Beijing 2022.
Mēs braucam uz Pekinu! Paldies, paldies, paldies!#kopāspēks Paldies spēlētājiem, treneriem, personālam, daudzgalvainajam līdzjutēju pūlim tribīnēs un pie TV ekrāniem, paldies atbalstītājiem, kas deva iespēju pilnvērtīgi sadarboties, paldies ikvienam, kas ticēja un cerēja! pic.twitter.com/Spvbbl0rTA
A 2-0 win over Norway in Oslo gave Denmark its first appearance at the Olympic games has they topped Group F.
Both teams had undefeated records after beating Slovenia and the South Korea, goals from Frederik Storm and Nikolaj Ehlers booked Denmark’s passage to Beijing, they defeated their arch-rivals 2-0.
Winnipeg Jets forward Ehlers sealed victory for the Danes with just over Three minutes remaining, forcing Norway to pull their goaltender Adding another attacker to try and score a goal that did not materialize.
The preliminary games of the 2021 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship has become one of the most sensational in the modern history of hockey. It was pleasant that the national team of Kazakhstan became one of the success stories of the championships.
The Kazakhstan national ice hockey team finished the world championship in fifth place in Group B, one step away from the quarter finals. In seven games of the group stage, the national team of Kazakhstan won 4 games, of which two – in regular time and two more – in a shoot-out.
Kazakh players set a record In the sixth game of the Ice Hockey World Championship, the national team of Kazakhstan defeated the Italian team with a crushing score of 11-3. This result was the largest victory at the world championship. The team scored recorded the most points at this tournament than during the entire time of participation in the world elite championships since it’s Independence.
The Organizing Committee of the World Championship in Riga named forward Nikita Mikhailis, goalkeeper Nikita Boyarkin and defender Darren Dietz the best players in the national team of Kazakhstan
Previously, at the world championships, Kazakhstan won a maximum of one game. For the first time in its history, the team managed to record 10 tournament points (before, the group scored no more than two). For the first time, Kazakh team managed to beat the reigning world champions (Finland 2-1SO). For the first time, Kazakhstan won 11:3 This result is the biggest win in tournament history.
The list of records also includes the most goals 22. Kazakhstan have never finish in fifth place in the modern format of the group stage.
This achievement can even be slightly compared when Kazakhstan national team went to the quarterfinals at the White Olympics in Nagano in 1998.
At the World Championships 2021, the national team of Kazakhstan for the first time in many years ceased to be a team, which continuously runs between the hockey elite and the first division.
In this regard, it is necessary to pay attention to the opinion of the legend of Finnish hockey player, and former professional ice hockey winger and a five-time Stanley Cup champion, who was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in history, Jari Kurri, who noted before the World Championship that Kazakhstan is able to surprise at the World Championships.
Later some foreign experts noted that the team of Kazakhstan played over its head and played beyond its capabilities.
A pleasant discovery was the play of the national team goalkeeper Nikita Boyarkin, defender Ivan Stepanenko, Darren Dietz and Jesse Blacker played reliably in defense. Veteran Alexander Shin helped the team a lot. Nikita Mikhailis showed his finesse and fast skating hockey. Team captain Roman Starchenko confirmed his reputation. Artem Likhotnikov’s goal became one of the top 10 in the championship.
Of course, it is necessary to note the great contribution of the coaching staff headed by Yuri Mikhailis.
Next year, the national team of Kazakhstan will again go to the World Ice Hockey Championship, which is planned to be held in Helsinki and Tampere.
Hopefully, the performance of Kazakh hockey players on the Finnish ice will become even more successful in 2022.
NENT Groupis ready to launch a new original production, a biopic series about Sweden’s greatest-ever ice hockey player, Börje Salming. The English-language show, created and directed by Amir Chamdin (the series Partisan), will star Valter Skarsgård (Don’t Click, Funhouse) in the leading role.
The series, penned by Martin Bengtsson, will follow Salming’s trailblazing journey from his humble roots north of the Arctic Circle to become an NHL legend. The first Swedish player inducted into the prestigious Hockey Hall of Fame, Börje Salming broke numerous records, captured the hearts of millions of fans and paved the way for countless Europeans to forge careers in the NHL, the world’s best ice hockey league. In detail, Salming played over 1,100 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs across 16 seasons (1973-1989), notching 148 goals and 620 assists, and in 2017 was named one of the 100 greatest NHL players in history.
Salming himself commented on the making of the show: “It’s flattering and exciting that my story will become a series. When we began discussing this project, I reflected over everything that’s happened in my life, from taking care of myself at a young age after my father passed away, to the journey from Kiruna to the NHL, and I realised there’s a lot of screen potential there. It will be really exciting to see the show when it’s ready.”
Speaking about his involvement in the series, Skarsgård said: “This is the scariest and coolest thing I’ve ever done. It’s fantastic to get to know Börje personally – he tells such amazing stories with complete humility. His attitude was always to do things his way and enjoy it, and I’ll try to bring the same approach to the task of playing him.”
Finally, NENT Group’s Chief Content Officer Filippa Wallestam added: “Börje Salming’s sporting achievements rank with fellow Swedish superstars Björn Borg and Ronnie Peterson. Today, when 10% of NHL players come from Sweden, it’s easy to forget that Europeans were once thought too weak for this unforgiving competition. This is a story of remarkable talent, athleticism and perseverance that deserves an international streaming audience. On his 70th birthday, we hope this launch is a fitting homage to the man known simply as ‘The King’.”
Filming of the series will begin in 2022. The show, still untitled, is set to premiere exclusively on NENT Group’sViaplaystreaming service. Johanna Wennerberg of Warner Bros. International Television Production Sweden is producing.
Despite being one of the lesser well-known sports ice hockey has enjoyed a passionate following over a number of years, during which time the local teams have experienced a number of highs and lows.
The date of the origins of the game are unclear but it’s believed to have originated as a spin-off from hockey in Canada.
It was first seen by Europeans being played by native Mi’kmaq in Nova Scotia in the 17th century.
Early years of hockey in Canada
The early examples of the game were played with a stick and ball but over time the game developed.
It is understood that in 1860 a group from the Royal Canadian Rifles Regiment played a game in Kingston, Ontario using a ball that was partially sliced to give a flat side. The game was played on the frozen harbour.
Here in England a league was formed in 1903 and consisted of five teams that played at two ice rinks in London.
This influence increased the interest in ice hockey with the formation of the national ice hockey team. These teams enjoyed some amazing results culminating in winning a bronze medal at the 1924 Olympics in Chamonix and a gold medal at the 1936 winter Olympics in Garmish- Partenkirchen, Germany.
As the interest in skating and ice hockey developed Southampton opened an ice rink on the 18th July 1931. The first ice hockey match was to follow in November 1931 between Great Britain and Germany.
The original Ice rink in Southampton
That win at the Olympics made some impact locally for in 1936 Southampton tasted its first match by a team of its own.
The game was played by a local team against a team of London All-Stars with Southampton winning the game by 10 to 5.
The Southampton team became known as the Vikings in 1936 and this came about following the collapse of the French team named “Club Francais Volants”, from Paris, who played in a team strip with a large V on the front of their shirts. Unfortunately, due to financial difficulties, the club folded after only one season just as the French team had done.
The outbreak of the Second World War further hampered people’s enjoyments and the ice rink was also to suffer as a result.
In 1939 a local businessman Charles Knott purchased the ice rink with the intention of building a new team. That team was named the Southampton Imperials with the intention of playing in the London Provincial League.
Nicky Drew scores his first senior goal for Vikings 79-80 season
However, during one of the air raids, a parachute mine landed on the site promptly ending any prospect of sport being enjoyed at that location until after the war.
In 1952 a further attempt was made to resurrect the sport in the town and once again Charles Knott was instrumental in the construction of the new rink by obtaining an ice plant from the neighbouring Purley rink and a steel building structure from the Woolston Supermarine site.
A new team was arranged and play recommenced.
This new team initially achieved great success by winning the Southern Intermediate League at the first attempt. Alas, this success was short-lived and by 1964 the latest attempt to have an ice hockey team in the town was over.
Vikings League Winning side 83-84 season away at Peterborough
This however was not the end of the story for in 1976 a further attempt was made to create a team for the city.
Once again success followed with the team winning the league in the 1983/1984 season. The Vikings would again be avidly watched until the closure of the ice rink in 1988.
By Uttaran Dasgupta and Anindita Ghoshi – Tennessee Tribune
High up in the Indian Himalayas is Shimla — a scenic colonial town established by the British in 1864 as their summer capital. With cool weather throughout the year and icy temperatures in winter, Shimla was the perfect place for the British to set up an ice skating rink in 1920.
This winter marks its 100th year.
“When we were young, we used to sling our skates around our shoulders and walk from the Mall Road to the rink feeling like the cat’s whiskers all the way,” said 81-year-old Y.P. Gupta, an erstwhile architect of the Public Works Department who still indulges in his passion for skating now and then. “At that time it was a matter of pride to be an ice-skater. Now it has changed; youngsters still come but not like before.”
Gupta is one of the oldest skaters at the skating rink and is eagerly looking forward to this year’s skating season.
“For me, the passion to skate remains the same,” says Gupta. “I still wake up early during the skating season and never miss an early morning session at the rink.”
According to a book, “Simla-the Summer Capital of British India” written by Shimla-based historian and writer Raaja Bhasin, the rink was originally a tennis court. Shimla was called ‘Simla’ in colonial times.
Bhasinhas written several books covering British rule in Himachal Pradesh, the state where Shimla is situated.
In his book, Bhasin writes, “during the month of November in 1920 a Britisher, Mr Blessington saw drops of frozen water from a tap in the vicinity of the tennis court. People who lived around the area also complained about frozen water pipes, which led to a shortage of water supply during the winters. Mr. Blessington took this opportunity and converted the tennis court into a ground filled with water, which froze over-night under the clear sky. This marked the establishment of Shimla’s ice skating rink (sic).”
The book mentions that the ice skating rink is unique since it is functional only when it freezes naturally during winter, which makes it one of a kind.
“Most other ice skating rinks in the south Asian region are not natural. They remain functional all year because an optimum temperature is artificially maintained for skating,” said Bhasin to Zenger News.
The open-air Shimla ice skating rink remains frozen naturally because of its location in a sun-less spot, which records freezing temperature in winter.
The night before a skating session, a staff member of the skating rink sprays water across the open field, which sets into ice. With repeated sprays of water, the ice sheet grows thicker. After about five sprays, the ice layer is about 15 centimeters thick and ready for skaters.
An undated photo of the Simla Ice Skating Club
Today, the ice skating rink is a matter of great pride for Shimla residents, however, there was a time when it was out of bounds for non-Europeans.
“The club that ran the rink originally had 30 members, and all of them were Europeans. Indians during the British rule were not allowed to become a part of the club,” Bhasin writes in his book.
Bhavneesh Banga, the current secretary ofSimla Ice Skating Clubsaid that the facilities in the rink are old, but they have been working on the new remodeling plan that includes expansion of the original field and a covered rink. The plan also includes the installation of better field lights and seating.
The ice skating rink in Shimla received funding from the Indian Government in 2019 for expansion and remodeling, to bring it up to international standards. But due to the pandemic, much of the funding has been withdrawn for the time being.
“The work on the expansion was in progress till March but because of the lockdown we had to put it on hold.”
The administration hopes to host national ice-skating and ice hockey championships after the remodeling. The events were earlier hosted in an artificial skating rink in Gurugram near Delhi.
“At present, the rink in Shimla lacks the infrastructure to host big events” says Banga.
A morning ice skating session in progress at the rink in 2019.
The ice skating season generally starts by the end of November or in the first week of December. But this year the administration has decided not to hold any major events due to the pandemic. Generally, at the beginning of the skating season, the club arranges an intra-state ice skating championship. On Christmas day, a fancy dress event is held for kids.
“This year, there will be regular skating sessions with all safety precautions but a limit has been put on the number of people for each session,” says Banga.
Before the pandemic, whenever the club hosted any events, a crowd of 10,000 people would attend it, including the participants. This year only 200 people will be allowed to come for every skating sessions and no special events will be hosted.
In recent years, it has been a struggle to maintain the Shimla ice skating rink because of global warming and increasing temperatures.
Winters in Shimla aren’t as cold as they used to be. A study byCentre for Science and Environmentshowed that the temperatures in India have increased by more than 34.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 °C) since the beginning of the 20th century.
“We have struggled a lot due to climate change in the last couple of years. The ice on the field takes much longer to form and sometimes we have to call off skating sessions if the temperature doesn’t drop enough for the ice to become firm” says Banga.
Banga mentions that the remodeling plan will convert the open rink into a closed one since they will build a shelter around the skating field which will help maintain the temperature inside the rink.
The rink would be converted into a semi-artificial rink since they are hoping to run it all year long using the temperature control systems, which will be installed once the remodeling is complete.
Exactly 25 years ago, on December 1, 1995, the first professional ice hockey game was played in Mexico. The Toreros from the Mexican capital hosted the Eugene Snowcats from the North American League. Prior to this match, the Mexican team played only two games, both against the same “Snowcats”, and both ended in defeat with a score of 9: 6 and 8: 4, respectively. The matches took place in Oregon However at home, the Toreros were able to dominate the Snowcats and won with a score of 7: 2 scoreline.
Then the Torero played another game against Eugene, which ended with their third defeat, and after a few days the Snowcats ceased to exist.
About two weeks after the team disbanded, the league itself also died, having played only 8 matches in total, but there are rumors that those two matches between the Mexicans and the Snowcats were the only official ones, and the rest of the matches were no longer counted in the NAL, but the league itself was formed and disbanded for money laundering purposes.
The league featured five teams the Eugene Snowcats, Las Vegas Ice Dice, Los Angeles Bandits, Mexico City Toreros and Vancouver Venom. Only foreigners played for the Mexican team that was made of North American Players and Russians, including the Russian Oleg Zak, who went straight from Petrozavodsk, Russia to Mexico. Oleg Zak would become the coach of Turkish national hockey team a few years later.
Their first goal was scored by the Slovak Igor Majesky assisted by Larry Bernard. The goalie was James Jensen and some of the forwards included Dusty Mclellan and Peter Cox. But the most well known player on the Mexican team was undoubtedly defenseman Link Gaetz who was selected 40th overall by the Minnesota North Stars in 1988.
