Division I group B World Championships in Ljubljana, Slovenia: Great Britain - South Korea 2:1 (0:0, 1:1, 1:0), Hungary - Poland 6:0 (2:0, 0:0, 4:0), Slovenia - Croatia 10:1 (6:0, 1:1, 3:0).
Division III group B World Championships in Yerevan, Armenia - 1st place: Armenia - North Korea 2:5 (1:2, 1:2, 0:1), North Korea is moving up to division II. 3rd place: South Africa - Mongolia 8:3 (3:1, 1:2, 4:0).
Czech Extraliga play off final - 2nd game: Pardubice - Vitkovice 1:0, series 2:0.
Slovak Extraliga play off final - 3rd game: Kosice - Slovan Bratislava 1:2 shootout, series 2:1.
Under 18 World Championships in Belarus: Czech Republic "18" - Finland "18" 3:4 shootout (1:0, 2:1, 0:2 - 0:0). Goals: 2. Holik, 25. Jank, 34. Sekac - 23. Hälinen, 46. Mik. Granlund, 57. Partanen. USA "18" - Belarus "18" 7:1 (2:0, 3:1, 2:0). Goals: 18. Saad, 20. Watson, 25. Grimaldi, 28. Clendening, 35. Moffatt, 41. Rust, 45. Zucker - 36. Abmiotka.

More news from the Finnish national team. Minnesota goaltender Niklas Backstrom has declined the national team invite due to health reasons and his team mate forward Antti Miettinen has accepted and will be with the team next week.

Under 18 World Championship in Belarus: Russia - Slovakia 3:1 (3:1, 0:0, 0:0). Goals: 6. & 18. Gurkin, 1. Nesterov - 16. Matousek. Russia and Czech Republic are moving on to the play offs, Slovakia and Latvia are going to be playing in the relegation group.
Canada - Sweden 4:5 (0:2, 0:2, 4:1). Goals: 43. O'Connor, 45. Thomas, 55. Hamilton, 59. Howden - 40. & 47. Grandlund, 5. Rask, 11. Vestin, 30. Rensfeldt. Canada is going to play in the relegation group.

Belorussian team Dynamo Minsk, is starting rebuilding for the next KHL season already. Six of nine international players are leaving and the team has started signing new players. The first one is Finnish defenceman Hannu Pikkarainen, who played most recently in MODO in Sweden. He is also a part of the current Finnish national team that is preparing for the World Championships in Germany.

Even though he was considering a move to AIK Stockholm, Russian defenceman Darius Kasparaitis has decided to retire instead. The former Olympic champion from 1992 and Pittsburgh and New York Rangers defencemen played last in SKA Saint Petersburg, but had to skip this season due to a serious knee injury. Kasparaitis did receive an offer from SKA to remain with the team in a different capacity.

It still unsure what the status of of the ongoing attempt by Czech team Lev Hradec Kralove to join the Russian KHL. The league management has until the end of April to render its decision, however the KHL president Alexander Medvedev has stated that the league will be joined by Ukrainian team Budivjelnik Kiev, and Togliatti might be leaving the league. According to the website gazeta.ru Medvedev has stated that there are no plans to expand the league beyond Ukraine.

Czech forward Jiri Hudler is finished in Dynamo Moscow, according to the paper Sovietskiy Sport. The forward reached an agreement with the club regarding the cancellation of his contract. Hudler is reportedly returning to Detroit where he played until last year. Czech defenceman Karel Rachunek is also leaving Dynamo Moscow but no further details have been released regarding his status or future plans.

It's only a question of time before the official announcement is made regarding the merger of two KHL teams Dynamo Moscow and HK MVD Balashikha. The roster of the new team will consist mainly of Balashikha players, with Dynamo players that have current contracts with Dynamo rounding up the roster. The new team name might be Dynamo MVD. The team management will consist of current Balashikha management personnel.

Rouen Dragons are the French champions for the tenth time in history. Rouen won the play off final against Angers 3:2 on games. Angers won the first two games 2:1 and 4:2, Rouen won the next three games 4:2, 6:1 and 4:2 to clinch the French title.

During their training camp in China before the next season the New York Islanders will play an exhibition game against an unnamed KHL team in Peking. The Islanders will be in China in September as part of NHL promotion in Asian markets. They already have a confirmed game against the Chinese national team.

Saturday Results
- Finish SM-Liiga play off semifinals - 5th games: Jyväskylä - TPS Turku 1:2, series 2:3, KalPa Kuopio - Hämeenlinna 2:3 in OT, series 2:3.
- Swedish Elitserien play off final - 2nd game: HV 71 - Djurgaarden 4:3 in OT, series 1:1.
- Swiss league play off final - 4th game: Geneva - Bern 3:4 in OT, series 3:1.
- Swiss league relegation - 4th game: Lausanne - Biel 4:0, series 2:2.
- Division I group B World Championships in Ljubljana, Slovenia: South Korea - Hungary 2:4 (0:0, 1:3, 1:1), Croatia - Great Britain 1:4 (1:1, 0:2, 0:1), Poland - Slovenia 2:3 (1:3, 1:0, 0:0).
- Division III group A World Championships in Luxembourg: United Arab Emirates - Ireland 2:8 (0:2, 0:4, 2:2), Luxembourg - Greece 1:2 (0:0, 0:1, 1:1). Ireland is moving up to division II.
- Division III group B World Championships in Yerevan, Armenia: North Korea - South Africa 4:3 (1:0, 1:1, 2:2), Armenia - Mongolia 15:0 (6:0, 5:0, 4:0).
- Czech Extraliga play off final - 1st game: HC Eaton Pardubice - HC Vitkovice Steel 5:1 (2:1, 1:0, 2:0). Goals: 10. & 50. Sykora, 15. Somik, 30. Rakos, 54. Pisa - 18. Vrana.
- Exhibition: Germany - Norway 8:2 (3:2, 3:0, 2:0). Goals: 12. & 19. Braun, 5. Müller, 21. Barta, 24. Kreutzer, 33. Hager, 48. Osterloh, 58. Kink - 5. Dahlström, 9. Forsberg.

Under 18 World Championships in Belarus: Slovakia "18" - Latvia "18" 4:3 (1:0, 2:2, 1:1). Goals: 14. Simsak, 22. Matousek, 35. Toman, 60. Tvrdon - 40. Girgensons, 40. Kuzmenkovs, 52. Freibergs.
Switzerland "18" - Belarus "18" 3:2 (2:0, 0:1, 1:1). Goals: 11. Guerra, 20. Bärtschi, 59. Hachler - 24. & 43. Lopachuk.
As a result of this game team Canada will play in the relegation play offs.

The Czech national team will see some changes before the World Championship in Germany. The team will be leaving forwards Tomas Kurka, Michal Vondrka (both Slavia Prague), Lukas Kveton (Budejovice) and Peter Jansky (Litvinov). The team will be joined by goalie Ondrej Pavelec (Atlanta), defenceman Miroslav Blatak (Ufa, Russia), and forwards Jakub Voracek (Columbus) and Roman Cervenka (Slavia Prague).

Russian fans might be able to see NHL in action next season. According to the official SKA Saint Petersburg website the team and league president Alexander Medvedev has revealed that two yet unnamed NHL teams are going to be in Russia in the fall for exhibition games. One of the games is supposedly going to take place in Saint Petersburg.

The Iceland volcano eruption is causing more problems with some hockey games in Europe. According to news coming from Latvia their upcoming exhibition games against France are facing the possibility of getting canceled. The games are scheduled for April 21 & 22. The cloud of ashes is traveling east and as a result the Latvian airspace is closed. The French team does not have a way to get to Riga where the games are supposed to be played.

The speculations regarding the new head coach of SKA Saint Petersburg will hopefully quiet down. According to the website allhockey.ru the new head coach will be Italian coach Ivano Zanatta, who most recently worked in Switzerland. It was revealed that the SKA boss Alexander Medvedev recently approached Ralph Krüger and Arno Del Curto, but both turned him down. Zanatta will replace American Barry Smith, and his assistant could possibly be Vladimir Yurzinov jr.

Czech defenceman Michal Jordan signed a three-year entry-level contract with Carolina Huricanes. The 19-year old defender, who's been playing for Plymouth Whalers of the OHL, will make $550 thousand if he makes the team. If he ends up on the farm team in Albany he will make $60 thousand. He also received a $170 thousand signing bonus.

One of the best forwards in Swedish Elitserien this season, Norwegian Mats Zuccarello Aasen, signed a contract with New York Rangers, according to the paper Toronto Star. Amongst the teams that expressed interest in the most productive player of the Elitserien were Toronto, Detroit, Edmonton and Chicago.

Dynamo Moscow is having financial difficulties after this season and in Russia it's being speculated that the club might merge with HK MVD Balashikha during the summer. Balashikha is supported by the Interior Ministry of the Russian Federation and the same ministry has heavy influence on Dynamo. The merger would contribute to a creation of a very strong club with the highest ambitions in the KHL.

Nashville Predators had their defenceman Denis Grebeshkov available for the first game against Chicago Blackhawks however he did not play. The expectation is that he will dress for game two. The Russian defenceman has been out of action since March 7 due to groin problems problémům s třísly. Grebeshkov was traded to Nashville from Edmonton at the trading deadline in the first week of March.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman Jordan Leopold didn't finish last night's game against Ottawa after a hit into the boards by Andy Sutton in the first period. There was no penalty on the play, however it's possible that it will be submitted by Pittsburgh for review to the NHL disciplinary commission. Leopold is expected to go through further medical examination however according to coach Dan Bylsma he should be all right.

It's still unclear whether Czech coach Vladimir Vujtek sr. will accept an offer from Sibir Novosibirsk to return to the KHL. According to the Russian sources the negotiations should progress after Vujtek's return from vacation in Asia, which was delayed due to the air travel complications in Europe. Another source has stated that the coach, who previously coached Yaroslavl, Kazan and Dynamo Moscow, has also received another offer from an unnamed KHL club.

After weeks of speculation it was announced that the new head coach of Dynamo Minsk is going to be Czech Marek Sykora. The coach was most recently the head coach of Yekaterinburg in the KHL.

The Czech national team will have a few different goaltenders playing with the team. Next week Jaroslav Hübl and Jakub Sedlacek, who were on the roster for the last two exhibition games against Switzerland and Slovakia, will be part of the training camp in Prague. Then the team will be joined by Ondrej Pavelec (Atlanta). Depending on the Czech Extraliga relegation outcome the head coach Vladimir Ruzicka might also invite Marek Schwarz from Mlada Boleslav. Tomas Vokoun (Florida) will join the team the following week for the LG Hockey Games in Sweden.

Swiss national team forward Andres Ambühl is finished after one season in the New York Rangers organization. The forward signed a three-year contract with SC Zurych. Ambühl was trying get on the Rangers' main roster however has not played in a single NHL game. He spent the entire season with the farm team in Hartford in the AHL.

Estonia will be back in the World Championship Division I in 2011 after a two-year absence. The Estonians won the Division II Group B on home ice in Narva.

The Iceland volcano eruption and the resulting cloud of ash above Europe have affected the World Championships Division I in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Saturday's scheduled game had Croatia and the Great Britain playing however it had to be switched to South Korea against Hungary. The Croatia - Great Britain had to be postponed for three hours as the British team didn't arrive in time for the early game.

Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky feels that NHL players should play in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. The former player reacted to commissioner Gary Bettman's reluctance to interrupt the NHL schedule for three weeks to accommodate the olympics.

NHL Stanley Cup conference quarterfinals: Ottawa - Pittsburgh 1:2, series 1:1, Philadelphia - New Jersey 3:5, series 1:1, Nashville - Chicago 4:1, series 1:0, Detroit - Phoenix 7:4, series 1:1, Colorado - San Jose 5:6 1st OT, series 1:1

Exhibition results: Switzerland - Sweden 0:4 (0:1, 0:2, 0:1). Goals: 17. Pettersson, 24. Nylander, 40. Viklund, 42. Andersson. Germany - Norway 3:0 (0:0, 3:0, 0:0). Goals: 23. Wolf, 25. Rankel, 27. Gawlik. Austria - France 3:3 (1:1, 2:0, 0:2). Goals: 2. Hager, 36. Setzinger, 38. T. Raffl - 11. Gras, 42. Mille, 51. Da Costa.
KHL play off final result - 2nd game: Balashikha - Kazan 1:4, series 0:2.
German DEL play off semifinal result - 4th game: Augsburg - Wolfsburg 3:2, final series score 3:1. Final matchup: Augsburg - Hannover.

Another Czech player has declined national team invitation for the world championships. Forward Josef Vasicek of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl has excused himself due to back problems according to the national team coach Vladimir Ruzicka. They player was scheduled to join the team on Tuesday in Prague.

Under 18 World Championships in Minsk, Belarus - Group A: USA - Canada 5:0 (3:0, 1:0, 1:0). Goals: 6. Zucker, 7. Rust, 18. Zucker, 38. Watson, 47. Rust.
Group B: Russia - Finland 4:5 (1:1, 0:2, 3:2). Goals: 8. Galimov, 51. Kuznetsov, 53. Namestnikov, 60. Barbashov - 2. Hakanpää, 23. Pulkkinen, 27. Pulkkinen, 54. Mäkinen, 58. Asten.

Exhibition hockey: Czech Republic - Slovakia 6:2 (3:1, 2:1, 1:0). Goals: 11. Caslava, 15. Kaspar, 19. M. Ruzicka, 31. Kurka, 38. Kaspar, 45. Klepis - 16. Zaborsky 27. Zaborsky.

Under 18 World Championships in Belarus - Group B: Czech Republic - Latvia 5:4 (1:0, 2:1, 2:3). Goals: 16. Holik, 23. Holik, 33. Holik, 42. Sekac, 55. Hantak - 26. Pelss, 46. Dilevka, 53. Dilevka, 58. Straupe.
Group A: Switzerland - Sweden 2:10 (0:2, 1:4, 1:4). Goals: 23. Lammer, 45. Martschini - 11. Vestin, 14. J. Larsson, 24. Friberg, 30. Vestin, 31. Rensfeldt, 36. Rask, 45. J. Larsson, 49. Thorell, 54. Thorell, 55. Snall.

Boston Bruins assistant coach Craig Ramsay was hospitalized on Thursday in Buffalo. This happened about an hour before the start of the game against the Sabres when Ramsay felt sudden nausea. According to the head coach Claude Julien, Ramsay felt better and there is a good chance that he will rejoin the team on Friday or Saturday.

New Slovak national team coach Glen Hanlon will not have more players available to him for the World Championships in Germany. Forwards Jozef Stümpel from Astana Barys, Branko Radivojevic and Martin Cibak of Spartak Moscow have declined invites. Questionable are also defenceman Ivan Baranka(Spartak Moscow) and especially the top scorer of the KHL regular season Marcel Hossa of Dynamo Riga.

German team Straubing Tigers have finished this regular season in 13th place in the DEL, did not make the play offs, however team management has expressed their confidence in their current coaching duo Jürgen Rumrich and Jason Dunham. Both coaches signed a contract extension for one more season.

WHL play offs second round series results: Calgary - Medicine Hat 4:2, Brandon - Saskatoon 4:2, Tri-City - Kelowna 4:1, Vancouver - Portland 4:2.
OHL play offs second round series results: Barrie - Brampton 4:0, Ottawa - Mississauga 3:4, Windsor - Plymouth 4:0, London - Kitchener 3:4.

German forward Jochen Hecht will be out for at least 2-3 weeks after having a surgery on his broken finger. Theoretically he could rejoin his team Buffalo Sabres if they manage to make it all the way to the Stanley Cup final, however it is highly unlikely that he will play again this season. The 32-year old center resumed practice however further examination revealed that his finger required a surgery. Before his injury Hecht didn't miss a single game of the regular season netting 21 goals and 42 points in 79 games.

Swedish goaltender Jonas Gustavsson signed a new two-year $2.7 million contract with Toronto Maple Leafs. In 42 games this season he recorded 16 wins, and goals against average 2.87 and save percentage .902.

Nashville Predators signed two players, whom they drafted in 2009, on Thursday. The newest members of the team are a defenceman Charles-Olivier Roussel, and forward Gabriel Bourque. Roussel will join the farm team in Milwaukee, Bourque is with Moncton Wildcats in the QMJHL play off semifinals.