Thanks to hard work, determination and desire, France has remained among the group of sixteen in the elite level of this competition. Head coach Dave Henderson and his plucky group comes to Minsk with the intention of persevering and avoiding relegation, and maybe cause another surprise.

Goal

Cristobal Huet and Florian Hardy have been the recently active goaltenders for France in international competition. Last year Huet saw the bulk of the action with a win and a 3.66 goals against average in five games. Hardy was more impressive last year. He made 28 saves as he backstopped his team to the upset victory over Russia. In the two games he saw action, Hardy had a 1.66 goals against average and a 93.75 save percentage.

Defence

Nicolas Besch was a standout performer last year. In seven games he registered a +3, one of only five plus players on the team. Baptiste Amar returns to the national team after a one-year absence. He’s done well for his side in the past and his contributions would certainly help a defensive squad that needs it.

France surrendered 222 shots on goal in seven games in the 2013 tournament, giving opponents an average of 31 shorts per game. Obvious improvements are needed for an effective run through the Preliminary Round.

Forward

All of France’s leading scorers from 2013 return. Damien Fleury and Julien Desrosiers scored three goals apiece and led France in that category. They also tied for the team lead in scoring with four points along with Pierre-Edouard Bellemare.