Frederik Tiffels and Rasmus Bengtsson Reflect on World Juniors
Published on January 14, 2013 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Muskegon Lumberjacks News Release
MUSKEGON, Michigan (January 14th) - When you ask both Frederik Tiffels and Rasmus Bengtsson about participating in the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship, two words come to mind when describing their experiences during the tournament: passion and honor. It was a tale of two different stories for Tiffels and Bengtsson as both were selected to represent their respective countries in the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ufa, Russia.
As Tiffels and Germany were trying to stay alive for next year's tournament, Bengtsson and Sweden had their eyes set on gold for the second straight year. The trip ended up being a successful one for both parties as Germany qualified for next year's championship in the top division and Sweden received the Silver Medal after falling short in the Gold Medal Game against the United States. Ultimately, the experience is what mattered to these two Muskegon Lumberjacks.
Tiffels, the 17-year old prodigy out of Cologne, Germany, was selected for play for the Under-20 German National Team and played in all six games. Even though he did not register a point in the tournament, Tiffels says that the experience of competing against some of the best players in the world motivated him to play at the highest of levels.
"As a forward, you want to try and score every time you are on the ice. Even though I didn't get a point (in the tournament), I put my best foot forward to try and help the team as much as I could," said Tiffels. "I competed against some of the best players in the world and learned a lot from playing against them. I will take what I have learned in the tournament and utilize what I need to work on in practice in order to make myself into a better player for the rest of the season."
Germany came into this year's championship as one of the youngest teams in the tournament. The tournament was a struggle for a junior national program that is in the process building their talent level for the future, but there was one game that meant the world to Germany and that was the final relegation game against Latvia. Tiffels says that the win against Latvia to keep them in the top division for next year meant a lot to the team after going through so many frustrating moments beforehand.
"Through the first five games, everyone was frustrated and tired from all the tough loses," said Tiffels. "We found a way to really focus on the last game (against Latvia), and it was a great feeling to win that game to end the tournament on a high note knowing that we will be competing in Sweden next year."
Tiffels was no stranger to playing with his teammates on Germany as he recalls playing with them during previous IIHF tournaments and calls them his "brothers." Tiffels also had the opportunity to catch up with his family and friends during training camp in Germany.
"It was nice to go home for a few days to see my parents and my brother before the tournament started to catch up on things," said Tiffels. "It was also good to play with my former teammates again from past years and compete with them on the highest of stages. Those guys are like brothers to me."
Overall, Tiffels says that being selected to play for Germany and wearing the country's colors are the two things he will always remember from this year's tournament. Tiffels explains that while they may not have won many games, just being a part of the tournament and playing with old friends were the things he will take away the most.
"It was a great feeling to wear my country's colors and represent Germany proudly," said Tiffels. "Even though we lost the majority of our games, I am really proud of my teammates for battling through the tough times, and we gained a lot of valuable experience to take with us to make ourselves better hockey players in the near future."
Bengtsson, the 19-year old Florida Panthers prospect from Landskrona, Sweden, was selected to play for the Under-20 Swedish National Team and played in four games. Bengtsson tallied one assist in the tournament, which came in their 3-2 victory over Russia in the semifinals. Sweden came into this year's tournament the defending Gold Medalists from last year's World Junior Championship as they defeated Russia, 2-1, in overtime to capture the ultimate prize. Sweden made it all the way back to the Gold Medal Game this year, but fell to the United States by a 3-1 decision. Even though the taste was bitter to Rasmus and his Swedish teammates, the honor of earning a medal and representing their country proudly was all that mattered to the team.
"When you lose a game of that magnitude, of course you're going to feel terrible that you lost in a final," said Bengtsson. "Everyone was quiet in the locker room after the game, but after a few hours, we talked and realized that we played a good tournament and made everyone back home (in Sweden) proud of our efforts."
You would think that losing a game of magnitude in front of millions of viewers across the world would upset anyone, but not Rasmus Bengtsson. He explains that while it was disappointing not to get the Gold Medal, it was an honor to be a part of that Gold Medal Game and compete for a championship.
"When you get to the final, it's always a disappointment when you lose in that game," said Bengtsson. "It's a 50-50 chance of you either winning the gold or silver, but looking at the bigger picture of things you realize that it's a pretty good deal to earn the Silver Medal."
The game of hockey in Sweden continues to grow at a rapid pace, and the fans are very passionate about their hometown teams and cheer them on win or lose. Bengtsson explains that whenever Sweden participates in any tournament at any level, it's always a big deal in the community and in the media.
"It's always a great honor to wear my country's colors every time I put on that sweater," said Bengtsson. "Sweden is a pretty big hockey country that continues to grow especially on the World Juniors side with a lot of media and television people coming to Russia to cover us in the tournament, and it was a lot fun to get that exposure."
Like Tiffels, Bengtsson is also no stranger to participate with old teammates in previous junior tournaments and also got to see his family for a few days during training camp. Bengtsson explains that he had participated with the other players on Team Sweden since they were all 16 years old. He was also elated when he got the call from Head Coach Roger Rönnberg to participate in the tournament.
"I had been talking to Coach Rönnberg throughout the year and when he finally gave me the call to be on the team, I was very happy to represent my country," said Bengtsson. "This was my teammates and I's last journey together, and even though we didn't get the gold, we had a lot of fun together."
Overall, Bengtsson enjoyed his last ride through the junior ranks with his teammates and says that he wouldn't trade in the Silver Medal after all the hard work his team put into the tournament. Bengtsson also says that it's always a fun challenge to compete against some of the best talent in the world that hockey has to offer.
"This tournament is always bigger in the sense that it always brings out the best junior hockey talent in the world, and it's a fun challenge," said Bengtsson. "Anytime you can earn a medal in a tournament, you know that your team played a great tournament because of the talent level that was present."
In late September and early October, Bengtsson got the chance to participate in the San Antonio Rampage training camp, which is the American Hockey League affiliate of the Florida Panthers. Between the two experiences, Bengtsson says that it was an honor to participate in both events and is proud of the way his young career is evolving.
"I was very proud and honored to be chosen to participate in both events, and I enjoyed my time at both places," said Bengtsson. "Hopefully I made a good impression for both Florida and Team Sweden down the road, and we will see where this takes me from here."
Having Frederik Tiffels and Rasmus Bengtsson be two current USHL players selected to participate in the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship is not only a great accolade for the Muskegon Lumberjacks organization, but for the league as an entire entity. As Lumberjacks Head Coach Jim McKenzie explains, it is always a great honor when the USHL has exceptional talent showcased on some of the biggest stages in the world like this one.
"I am personally excited and proud of Ramus and Frederik for representing the Muskegon Lumberjacks and USHL in a fine manner. It's great for the Lumberjacks and the league as a whole to see two players of this caliber compete well on the biggest of stages," said McKenzie. "It speaks volumes to this league and how it continues to evolve exceptional talent, and it is a nice shot in the arm for the USHL and Lumberjacks organization."
The USHL continues to develop premiere talent on a day-in, day-out basis, and seeing Rasmus Bengtsson and Frederik Tiffels compete on one of the biggest hockey stages is a positive reflection on the standards the USHL wants to install in their players every year. The future of the USHL will only continue to grow as the hockey talent gets bigger and better every season.
United States Hockey League Stories from January 14, 2013
- Frederik Tiffels and Rasmus Bengtsson Reflect on World Juniors - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- Schilkey Named USHL CCM Forward of the Week - Green Bay Gamblers
- Maller Named USHL Defenseman of the Week - Tri-City Storm
- Lindgren and Rothstein Named USHL Players of the Week - Sioux Falls Stampede
- Rothstein, Schilkey, Maller, and Lindgren Earn Weekly USHL Honors - USHL
- Ice Trek North For Weekend Trio - Indiana Ice
- Waterloo Black Hawks Name Players of the Week - Waterloo Black Hawks
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