This is Norway, Italy's first World Cup opponent in Minsk

The match against Norway will be groundbreaking for Alexander Egger & Co. With a win against the Vikings, the Blue Team could have a lot of confidence ahead of the next two games against France and Denmark, which are also crucial for staying in the top division.

Norway took part in the Sochi Olympics in February. After three defeats in the group phase against Canada (1:3), Finland (1:6) and Austria (1:3), coach Roy Johansen's team suffered a 0:4 defeat against hosts Russia in the quarter-final qualification.

Compared to the Olympic tournament, Johansen has confirmed a large part of his team. New are the two defenders Nicolai Bryhnisveen (Lillehammer IK) and Stefan Epeland (Valerenga Oslo), and the three strikers Jonas Djupvik Lovlie (Sparta Sarpsborg), Andreas Martinsen (Düsseldorfer EG) and Andreas Stene (Sparta Sarpsborg).

In the box, Johansen will rely on Lars Haugen from KHL club Dynamo Minsk. In Sochi he was between the posts four times and had an average of 3,64 goals conceded and a catch rate of 88,9 percent. At the World Cup last year, at the end of the title fights, he was among the ten best goalies in the tournament with a catch rate of 91,46 percent (average of 2,70 goals conceded).

NHL professional Zucarello is not there

Probably the Norwegians' strongest defender is Jonas Holos from the KHL club Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. In the past season, in which the Russian club was able to advance to the semi-finals, the 26-year-old all-rounder played 68 games and scored 18 points. Holos is described as a strong ice skater with a strong shot and very good overview of the game. He has also played 39 NHL games and 17 AHL games in his career. He has donned the Norwegian national team jersey 106 times.

On the offensive, Coach Johansen even has a few players at his disposal who earn their money abroad. Färjestad BK's Martin Roymark scored two of the three goals scored at the Sochi Olympics. Anders Bastiansen also played 36 games for the Swedish first division club and scored seven points. Per-Age Skroder and Kristian Forsberg are also under contract in Sweden, with Modo Ornskoldsvik, as are Mathis Olimb with Frölunda and Robin Dahlstrom with Örebro. The two DEL legionnaires Andreas Martinsen and Ken Andre Olimb are teammates of South Tyrolean Fabian Calovi at Düsseldorfer EG.

Egger & Co. cannot ignore the young Sondre Olden, who collected 61 points in 71 games for the Norwegian first division team Valerenga this year and has signed a contract with Brynas in the top Swedish league next year.

Unlike at the Olympic Games, Norway's only NHL player Mats Zucarello from the New York Rangers, who has collected 77 points in 59 games in the regular season and has four points in the ten playoff games played so far, will not be taking part. The Rangers are down 1-2 in their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

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This is Norway, Italy's first World Cup opponent in Minsk

On Saturday, May 10th, the Blue Team's mission to stay in the league at the Ice Hockey World Championships in Belarus begins. SportNews takes a closer look at Norway, the opening opponent of the Italian national team.

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