INNSBRUCK/SAPPORO – Six best player awards were handed out in the World Championship Division I in Innsbruck, Austria, and Sapporo, Japan. Players from five different teams earned honours.

Sergey Ogureshnikov of silver medal winner Kazakhstan was selected Best Goalkeeper in the Group A by the tournament directorate. He had the most ice time of all goalies and an 88.89 save percentage. His team-mate Artyom Argokov was voted Best Defenceman.

Austria’s Dieter Kalt was named Best Forward of the tournament. The veteran winger had 5 goals and 6 assists in 5 games including three points in the deciding game for promotion against Poland.

Click here for statistics and award sheets of Group A.

Croatia’s Vanja Belic was selected Best Goalkeeper of the World Championship Division I Group B in Sapporo, Japan. He helped the promoted team to remain at this level and faced more shots (193) than any other goalie in this tournament. He had a 92.23 save percentage.

The Canada-born Japan player Aaron Keller was voted Best Defenceman. He was leading the defencemen scoring with 1+5=6 points and was also the best Japanese in the plus-minus stats (+5).

Krisztian Palkovics of the gold-medal-winning Hungarians was chosen Best Forward of the tournament. He helped Hungary to qualify for its first World Championship for 70 years as the best goal scorer (6) of the tournament and the second-best scorer with 6+2=8 points behind his team-mate Balazs Ladanyi (2+7=9).

Click here for statistics and award sheets of Group B.