photo: Tim Austen/IIHF
When goaltender Olivers Freimans came off the bench in Norway’s first game of the Men’s U18 on Wednesday night, he became only the third goalie in tournament history to participate in the penalty-shot shootout after watching the entire game from the bench. In all three instances, the move resulted in defeat.
Norway and Latvia were locked in a tight game from beginning to end. Norwegian goalie Fexlix Timraz-Westin was by far the busier, facing 40 shots through 60 minutes of regulation and five minutes of overtime. Indeed, he stopped the only four shots of the OT. At the other end, Latvia’s crease custodian Ivans Kufterins faced only 22 shots, none in the short fourth period.
But when it was time to go to a shootout, Norway’s coach Kim Veisten decided to pull Timraz-Westin in favour of 16-year-old Freimans, who had watched the game from the bench.
“We had done this in the pre-season, and we had done this in the tournaments that we had previously," Veisten explained. “We had a feeling [Olivers] was good on penalty shots, so that's what we went for. I see some people are talking about this, but no matter what, we have to score on our penalty shots anyway, and we didn't. It was just a feeling, and we were feeling good about it.”
"The other goalie is better at penalties, and I was a little bit tired, so the coach said [Olivers is] going to take penalties. He’s better," Timraz-Westin told the IIHF after the game.
In the end, Kufterins stopped all four shots he faced while Maksims Saperins and Daniels Serkins scored on Freimanis.
Just a year ago a similar situation played out in another Norway game coached by Veisten. But this time it was Kazakhstan making the odd change, in the relegation game no less. Kazakhstan coach Georgi Vereshagin decided to lift Abylaikhan Toleubay and insert Tanirkahn Alpysbayev after a wild 5-5 game went to a shootout. As it turned out, teams combined for a U18 record 22 shots, but Alpysbayev allowed three goals and the Kazakhs lost the game and were demoted.
Back in 2003, Russian goalie Sergei Goryelov came on during the middle of the shootout against Slovakia and allowed one goal on two shots. It wasn’t the winning goal but Russia still lost the game.
There have been two instances at the World Juniors of a goalie substitution during the shootout, both resulting in losses. And in women’s play, there was one such change, in 2022, also a loss. These are the only instances in IIHF top-level history, and in six such events, no team that has made the change ended up winning the game.
Norway and Latvia were locked in a tight game from beginning to end. Norwegian goalie Fexlix Timraz-Westin was by far the busier, facing 40 shots through 60 minutes of regulation and five minutes of overtime. Indeed, he stopped the only four shots of the OT. At the other end, Latvia’s crease custodian Ivans Kufterins faced only 22 shots, none in the short fourth period.
But when it was time to go to a shootout, Norway’s coach Kim Veisten decided to pull Timraz-Westin in favour of 16-year-old Freimans, who had watched the game from the bench.
“We had done this in the pre-season, and we had done this in the tournaments that we had previously," Veisten explained. “We had a feeling [Olivers] was good on penalty shots, so that's what we went for. I see some people are talking about this, but no matter what, we have to score on our penalty shots anyway, and we didn't. It was just a feeling, and we were feeling good about it.”
"The other goalie is better at penalties, and I was a little bit tired, so the coach said [Olivers is] going to take penalties. He’s better," Timraz-Westin told the IIHF after the game.
In the end, Kufterins stopped all four shots he faced while Maksims Saperins and Daniels Serkins scored on Freimanis.
Just a year ago a similar situation played out in another Norway game coached by Veisten. But this time it was Kazakhstan making the odd change, in the relegation game no less. Kazakhstan coach Georgi Vereshagin decided to lift Abylaikhan Toleubay and insert Tanirkahn Alpysbayev after a wild 5-5 game went to a shootout. As it turned out, teams combined for a U18 record 22 shots, but Alpysbayev allowed three goals and the Kazakhs lost the game and were demoted.
Back in 2003, Russian goalie Sergei Goryelov came on during the middle of the shootout against Slovakia and allowed one goal on two shots. It wasn’t the winning goal but Russia still lost the game.
There have been two instances at the World Juniors of a goalie substitution during the shootout, both resulting in losses. And in women’s play, there was one such change, in 2022, also a loss. These are the only instances in IIHF top-level history, and in six such events, no team that has made the change ended up winning the game.