HELSINKI – There are some names on the Kazakh national team that stand out. One is Alexander Achziger, the assistant coach who was born in a German family in what is today known as Astana, Kazakhstan.

When Achziger was born in 1953, the city was called Akmola. It was renamed to Tselinograd by the Soviets, then back to Akmola when Kazakhstan declared independence and, in 1998, Astana, when it was named the new Kazakh capital.

During and after World War II, many Germans were resettled to the area, including Achziger’s family.

“When I grew up I only spoke Russian because after World War II it was forbidden to speak German, I just heard my parents speak it sometimes,” Achziger said.

“I only learned German when I came to Germany in 1990,” he added.

Winters can be cold and long in the northern part of Kazakhstan and hockey became popular during the Soviet era. Achziger played for the local team, Lokomotiv, and was coaching in Kazakhstan before moving to Germany where he received the German passport as a repatriate. Famous Kazakh-born repatriates include goalkeepers Dimitri Kotschnew and Dimitri Pätzold, who moved to Germany and represent the country of their ancestors here at the World Championship.

Achziger moved more than 4,000 kilometres to the west, too, when the Soviet Union was collapsing, to work as a coach.

“I left for Germany in 1990. It was a time that was not great for Kazakhstan,” Achziger remembered his journey. “Everything was in a hole. There was not much for sports. We can see the consequences now. There wasn't much player development for many years.”

Achziger went to the country of his ancestors, learned the language, and coached Pforzheim and Esslingen in minor leagues. But sometimes the paths of life go different ways than expected.

While many repatriates started a new life in Germany, Achziger went back to the place he calls home, now under the name Astana, which means “capital” in the Kazakh language.

“When the KHL was founded in Russia [in 2008] and Barys Astana joined it, I was invited to come back to Astana and work with the team,” Achziger said. “It’s a great pleasure to work with the club. You always learn something new. I have worked together with great coaches in Kazakhstan.”

Achziger travelled back to a city and country that has drastically changed, in and outside hockey.

“The city is completely different. Basically, a new city has emerged next to the old district, which is very different,” he described Astana. “People say it’s like a second Dubai. There are many new buildings for the government, which does a lot for sports.”

Hockey has become bigger, too, and  that's important because soon the country cannot rely on players developed in the Soviet era.

“The status of hockey has been revived since Askar Mamin took over as President of the Ice Hockey Federation of Kazakhstan. He played ice hockey himself as a kid,” Achziger said about Mamin, the Mayor of Astana, chairman of the national railway company and a former minister.

“Now player development works well. There are more hockey schools for kids and more coaches. We’re at the beginning, but it takes time.”

But what changed most for Achziger’s career was that the country could afford having a KHL team when the Russian league was founded and became open to foreign teams.

“It’s important that Barys Astana plays in the KHL. It’s like a ray of hope,” Achziger said. “These players are great role models for junior players and give them a perspective of playing at that level.”

In 2010, when the Kazakh national team was back in the top division – coincidentally, the tournament was hosted in Germany – head coach Andrei Shayanov invited Achziger to also join him in the national team’s coaching staff.

The team finished in last place, but earned promotion in 2011 to earn the ticket to Helsinki.

“This year we have difficulties because we're missing six players due to injuries or illness. They’re good players, so it hurts us,” Achziger said. “We took with us some new players, who haven’t had experience at this level yet, but we try to give our best.”

But in the standings it looks like the Kazakhs are destined to go back to Division I again.

The team began by losing key games against Switzerland (5-1), France (6-3), Belarus (3-2) and Slovakia (4-2) before surprisingly stealing a point from the United States in a 3-2 overtime loss.

After yesterday’s 8-0 defeat to Canada, the Kazakhs remain in last place in the Helsinki group with one point from six games.

Unless they upset host Finland with a regulation-time win in the last game and Belarus gets zero points against France and Canada, the Kazakhs will have to plan for the second tier of international ice hockey next year.

MARTIN MERK