Both France’s 2019 exit from the top division and its 2022 return occurred in shocking ways, although completely different.
In 2019, the French were in full control with a 3-0 lead over Great Britain halfway through their final Group A game at Kosice’s Steel Arena. However, the British stormed back for a 4-3 win on Ben Davies’ overtime goal at 2:03, relegating first-time Worlds head coach Philippe Bozon’s squad to Division I.
Entering 2022, France naturally expected to vie for promotion at the Division I Group A World Championship in Ljubljana, Slovenia after that tournament had been cancelled two years running due to Covid-19. But because Russia and Belarus can’t participate, France instead finds itself back among the world’s top-16 hockey nations again, along with Austria.
The key for the French is to not be overwhelmed by the sudden change of scenery or the tragic circumstances that brought them to the 2022 Worlds. They need to take it game by game. They can take heart from the fact that they have defeated all of their Group A opponents at least once in Worlds history – with the exception of Denmark, whom they have never faced in the top-level Worlds.
In 2019, the French were in full control with a 3-0 lead over Great Britain halfway through their final Group A game at Kosice’s Steel Arena. However, the British stormed back for a 4-3 win on Ben Davies’ overtime goal at 2:03, relegating first-time Worlds head coach Philippe Bozon’s squad to Division I.
Entering 2022, France naturally expected to vie for promotion at the Division I Group A World Championship in Ljubljana, Slovenia after that tournament had been cancelled two years running due to Covid-19. But because Russia and Belarus can’t participate, France instead finds itself back among the world’s top-16 hockey nations again, along with Austria.
The key for the French is to not be overwhelmed by the sudden change of scenery or the tragic circumstances that brought them to the 2022 Worlds. They need to take it game by game. They can take heart from the fact that they have defeated all of their Group A opponents at least once in Worlds history – with the exception of Denmark, whom they have never faced in the top-level Worlds.
Goal
France’s goaltending situation today is different from the heyday of Cristobal Huet, who became the first Frenchman ever to win the Stanley Cup with the 2010 Chicago Blackhawks. Florian Hardy, 37, will always hold a big place in French hockey history as the key to upset wins over Russia (2-1 in 2013) and Finland (5-1 in 2017), but the Anglet netminder announced his retirement in March.So it’s time for others to step up. Veteran Henri-Corentin Busse has captured two French titles with Amiens. The 34-year-old did his part at last August’s Olympic qualification tournament in Riga – even though France didn’t make it to Beijing – with a 1.01 GAA and 95.9 save percentage. That included 22 saves in a 2-0 shutout versus Italy.
Befittingly for a tournament in Finland, there’s also a Ylonen on the roster. Sebastien Ylonen – the 30-year-old son of Petri Ylonen, who backstopped France at the 1992 and 1994 Olympics – won three straight domestic crowns with Rouen (2011-13). And Quentin Papillon, 25, who was named the French league’s best goalie in 2021, is coming off his first season with Norway’s Gruner, where he had a 4.07 GAA and 88.4 save percentage in 42 games.
Goal could be a challenging position for France. It’s safe to say no one is guaranteed all the big games.
Defence
On the back end, two-way veteran Yohann Auvitu remains a leader at age 32. Intelligent and hard-working, the former New Jersey Devil and Edmonton Oiler had a Liiga career high with 25 points in 46 games with HIFK Helsinki. (In 2016, when Auvitu was named Liiga’s Best Defenceman, he totalled 21 points in 48 games.)Auvitu isn’t the only Frenchman competing in the top Finnish league. Hugo Gallet – a towering figure at 192 cm and 95 kg – is coming off his first Liiga season with KalPa Kuopio after two years with IPK in Mestis. Gallet, 24, had a solid run with 14 points in 59 games.
Certainly, the Finland familiarity factor has to be a plus for both Auvitu and Gallet, as the entire French team will need to adjust rapidly versus A-class competition. Two other key blueliners bring size, good skating, and experience in Switzerland: Thomas Thiry (SC Bern) and Enzo Guebey (ZSC Lions Zurich).
Forward
Questions abound up front.Can 22-year-old penalty shot whiz Alexandre Texier of the Columbus Blue Jackets be a game-changer after getting a career-high 20 points despite a fractured finger that limited him to 36 games? How much will the absence of 30-something NHL veterans Antoine Roussel and Pierre Edouard-Bellemare hurt experience-wise? What about the unavailability of Stephane da Costa (Avtomoblist Yekaterinburg)?
Will 36-year-old Damien Fleury’s scoring touch carry over to the Worlds after he led the French league with 40 goals and 88 points and helped Grenoble win its record-setting eighth championship? After leading France with five goals in 2019, can Anthony Rech (Grizzlys Wolfsburg) regain his scoring touch internationally?
This is a tight-knit group. The effort is rarely in question. It’s truly a family affair, with brothers Tim Bozon (Lausanne) and Kevin Bozon (Winterthur) teaming up in IIHF competition under their father, head coach Philippe Bozon, for the first time. But at this level, generating offence won’t come easily, especially after three years away.
Coaching
Philippe Bozon retired as a player in 2006, but his stature as a French hockey pioneer remains unquestioned. The 55-year-old IIHF Hall of Famer, who tallied 41 points in 144 NHL games with the St. Louis Blues in the mid-1990s, is now looking to elevate his international coaching resume. It’s a chance for a do-over after the 2019 relegation, which followed France’s 11-year top-division run (2008-18) under Bozon’s predecessor, Dave Henderson.In line with his own scoring talent as a forward, Bozon will look to give his players just enough offensive freedom to be creative – and draw penalties. At the Olympic qualification tournament last year, four of France’s eight goals in three games came on the power play. However, Bozon will also emphasize taking care of France’s own end first. Without hard defensive work, Les Bleus are lost.
Projected Results
Talk about luck of the draw. Outside of Canada, France’s Group A competitors are not bona fide gold-medal contenders. The likes of Germany, Switzerland, and Slovakia are all beatable on the right day.Does this mean France is destined for a quarter-final berth? No, but it does mean that if the French don’t hand away easy points to, say, lower-echelon foes like Kazakhstan or Italy, they could steer clear of relegation before facing the Canadians in their last group game on 24 May. It’s all about what you do with the chances you’re given.
Finishing between 12th and 16th place would not be surprising for France, which currently sits 13th in the IIHF World Ranking.