Estonian Ice Hockey Team Returns Defeated, Drunk
The Estonian ice hockey team lost all of its games at the Ice Hockey World Championships, falling back to Division II as a result, but that's not why they have been called a national embarrassment. Upon arrival at Tallinn Airport on Sunday, some of the team members were so intoxicated after a week of drinking that they could not stand up.
Estonia competed in the Division I, Group B tournament (with Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Ukraine) in Donetsk, Ukraine from April 14-20, reported Delfi. The final game, with Lithuania, which had also lost all of its previous games, was decisive, because the losing team would be sent back to division II. Estonia suffered a crushing 3-12 defeat (1-1, 2-3, 0-8).
One reason Estonia wasn't on top of its game was that part of the team was busy partying. A number of men were benched as a result, including 33-year-old Maksim Ivanov, from Estonia's top club, Viking Sport, who especially angered the Estonian Ice Hockey Association.
The head of the association, Jaan Mölder, said a disciplinary committee would be called together and "serious decisions" would need to be taken.
Head coach Dmitri Medvedev said that if he is kept on, there would be no place for Ivanov on the team. He said he was not yet sure about the others.
A number of foreign club players did preserve their dignities, officials said, with Robert Rooba of Finland's Espoo Blues saying he would not play for the team again if matters continue the same way.