Russia Kicks Off European Youth Hockey Tournament by Obliterating Turkey 42-0

This article originally appeared on VICE Sports Canada.

Whether it's superstar Alex Ovechkin torching NHL goaltenders on the regular, or a youth national team destroying a lesser opponent in an international tournament, it's clear that Russian hockey players show no mercy.

In the opening ice hockey game at the 2017 European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF), held in the northeastern Turkish city of Erzurum, Team Russia obliterated the hosts from Turkey by a final score of 42-0 on Monday.

The first period ended with Russia holding a 15-0 lead, a sign of what was still to come in the remaining two periods. After potting 12 in the second and another 15 in the third frame, the shellacking did not stop as Russia continued to pour it on while the poor Turkish team held on for dear life, merely trying to survive the onslaught.

Hockey is a fairly new sport for the Turks, as the Turkish Ice Hockey Federation was established and became a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation in 1991. The Turkish men's national ice hockey program currently ranks 42nd out of 50 nations, according to the IIHF, sitting one spot ahead of Luxembourg and two spots behind North Korea.

Team Russia, a powerhouse youth hockey program, is expected to walk through the tournament with minimal challenge, while its men's program is currently ranked second (behind Canada) in the world, according to the IIHF. The youth squad faces another weak opponent in France on Tuesday as it looks to improve to 2-0.

If you have two-and-a-half hours to spare and feel like watching 42 goals, enjoy the video at the top.