Swedish dissatisfaction with the burst JVM bubble: "Deeply surprised"

The corona virus found its way into the JVM bubble and forced, after several confirmed cases, the decision to cancel the championship.

The Swedish junior national team believes that they have followed the restrictions as best they can at the hotel in Red Deer, Canada.

But some question marks are raised.

- We have worn mouth guards and tried not to take the elevator with anyone other than the team.

It is clear that one can have opinions about why people are in the hotel as we are.

I am deeply amazed at how easily accessible it has been to enter the hotel as we have been.

Disappointment that the event was not accurate enough, says team captain Emil Andrae at a press conference.

- We were all damn disappointed looking at how we started the tournament.

We are a good group, of course it's boring.

Feels like they're taking it away from us a little bit.

We are disappointed and sad.

"Not as strict"

The junior crowns already knew in advance that the hotel would not be specific to JVM guests.

- We have had dedicated floors and dining rooms, but on the way there we have encountered people from outside.

But we have been super careful to keep our distance, wash our hands and take the elevator with people from our team, says the national team's communications manager Linus Hugosson.

However, he notes some difference from the previous JVM.

- But of course it has not been as strict a bubble as last year, when the whole JVM was in one and the same hotel.

"Decisions we stand behind"

Olof Östblom, competition manager at the Swedish Ice Hockey Association (SIF), has not been present, but believes that the decision to cancel the championship is reasonable.

- What we have done throughout the pandemic and what we will continue to do is that we will listen to the doctors and medical expertise.

When their assessment is to cancel then we see it as a reasonable decision that we stand behind, he says.

The IIHF and the Canadian Ice Hockey Federation held a press conference during the night towards Thursday.

There they avoided the word "bubble" and talked instead about "protective environment".

- It is not the same environment as during last year's event, but we are happy with the protective environment we had and how we were able to house the team, says Dean McIntosh, vice president of events at the Canadian Ice Hockey Association.