Ice Hockey World Champions again. Team Russia went undefeated at the 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships in Finland & Sweden. Team Russia won the championship vs Slovakia 6 to 2.

Slovakia had the Cinderella run going in honour of fellow counrtyman Pavol Demitra, but fell short against the powerful Russian team. After the game, and during the Medal Presentation,  Slovak captain Zdeno Chara donned a special jersey that had the name and number 38 of Pavol Demitra, the great Slovak forward, who captained the Slovakian National Team in 2011 in Bratislava, passed away last year in the tragic Lokomotiv Yaroslavl plane crash. Throughout the tournament some Slovakian players wore his No. 38 on their equipment and others sported T-shirts with his picture on them under their jerseys.

Russian head coach Zinetula Bilyaletdinov mentioned at the post-game press conference that his team's victory was dedicated to the victims of that incident.

Russian Ice Hockey Federation president Vladislav Tretiak presented the Gold Medals, and hugged, rubbed heads with the players after he put the medals around their necks. Tretiak's passion, love and happiness of the game showed very much during the medal & trophy presentation.

Yevgeni Malkin was named Tournament MVP, won the scoring race with 19 points and also named Best Forward at the 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships.

Gold Medal Game Highlights

Gold Medal Post Game Comments 

Lucas Aykroyd of IIHF has a Great Article about the game here http://tinyurl.com/84tl6yh 

GOALKEEPERS Name Birthdate No. Club VARLAMOV Semyon 27 APR 1988 1 Colorado Avalanche BARULIN Konstantin 4 SEP 1984 30 Atlant Mytishi BIRYUKOV Mikhail 13 OCT 1985 40 Yugra Khanty-Mansisk DEFENCE Name Birthdate No. Club NIKULIN Ilya 12 MAR 1982 5 Ak Bars Kazan DENISOV Denis 31 DEC 1981 6 SKA St. Petersburg KALININ Dmitri 22 JUL 1980 7 SKA St. Petersburg NIKITIN Nikita 16 JUN 1986 12 Columbus Blue Jackets BIRYUKOV Yevgeni 19 APR 1986 48 Metallurg Magnitogorsk YEMELIN Alexei 25 APR 1986 74 Montreal Canadiens RYASENSKI Yevgeni 18 JUL 1987 77 CSKA Moscow MEDVEDEV Yevgeni 27 AUG 1982 82 Ak Bars Kazan FORWARDS Name Birthdate No. Club OVECHKIN Alexander 17 SEP 1985 8 Washington Capitals MALKIN Yevgeni 31 JUL 1986 11 Pittsburgh Penguins DATSYUK Pavel 20 JUL 1978 13 Detroit Red Wings SVITOV Alexander 3 NOV 1982 15 Salavat Yulayev Ufa KOKAREV Denis 17 JUN 1985 19 Dynamo Moscow POPOV Alexander 31 AUG 1980 24 Avangard Omsk TERESHENKO Alexei 16 DEC 1980 27 Ak Bars Kazan SYOMIN Alexander 3 MAR 1984 28 Washington Capitals PEREZHOGIN Alexander 10 AUG 1983 37 Avangard Omsk KULYOMIN Nikolai 14 JUL 1986 41 Toronto Maple Leafs SHIROKOV Sergei 10 MAR 1986 52 CSKA Moscow KETOV Yevgeni 17 JAN 1986 80 Severstal Cherepovets KUZNETSOV Yevgeni 19 MAY 1992 92 Traktor Chelyabinsk ZHERDEV Nikolai 5 NOV 1984 93 Atlant Mytishi