Russia's victorious young ice hockey players flew into Moscow on Saturday where they were welcomed by a crowd of fans and journalists.
The national under-20 side capped a come-from-behind tournament with the most unlikely comeback win on Wednesday, beating Canada 5-3 after trailing 3-0 with two periods gone.
Even the journey home started badly, when the players' youthful exuberance may have seen their celebrations go a bit too far, prompting Delta Airlines staff to bar them from their scheduled flight on Thursday because of misconduct. As a result, some of the squad flew to Moscow via New York, the rest via Atlanta. The second group arrived home an hour after their teammates, who waited before going through to the arrivals hall.
A few dozen fans were waiting at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport to greet them, holding Russian flags, balloons and banners aloft and chanting "Russia, Russia" and "We Are the Champions." Parents and friends of the players also welcomed them home, along with Deputy Sport, Tourism and Youth Policy Minister Yury Nagornykh.
Head coach Valery Bragin told Sovetsky Sport newspaper after the team arrived that his players had had to dig deep to bring the trophy home.
"We showed real Russian character," Bragin said, going on to praise the team's preparation for the tournament.
"I want to thank everyone who helped us to prepare for it," he said. "As for the final, we were able to explore all the strengths and weaknesses of the Canadians."
"Our game plan worked perfectly," he added.
Next year's tournament will be held in the Canadian cities of Calgary and Edmonton. With the home crowd behind the Canadians, it might be better if the game plan doesn't involve giving them a three-goal start.
MOSCOW, January 8 (RIA Novosti)
