Hockey's Surprise Present

John Lebow
Dec 16, 2001

Christmas time is coming, and now is the time to watch the best hockey you'll get to see before we have (hopefully) another Edmonton vs. Dallas, and Toronto vs. New Jersey series. What hockey is this, you might ask? The Olympics, perhaps? Nope. The All-Star Game? Come on, I said good hockey, not a goalie drill gone terribly wrong. The International Ice Hockey Federation's World Junior Hockey Championships. Every December, the best kids in the world (with the few exceptions that are deemed "too valuable" for their NHL teams to allow them to go) battle it out in an Olympic style format.

If you can't remember what happened four years ago at Nagano, take a look at this year's World Juniors, which will not have a centre red line and will be played on the larger, international ice surface. Last year, hot Russian prospect, Ilya Kovalchuk scored two goals against the Canadians, the second on a breakaway into an empty net. I still remember Jason Spezza trying to chase him down. Both kids are really going to be something in two or three years, and this was my best preview.

Generally, as with almost every international hockey tournament Canada still comes in as the team to beat. Despite the fact that the Czechs have won gold the past two years, Canada continues to ice the best team -on paper- year after year. I first watched the games in 1993, and, from that tournament until 1997, Canada won five straight gold medals. Nearly every elite player in the NHL on the Canadian and Russian sides has played in the tournament at least once. Next time you see him, ask Sergei Federov what it was like to centre a line with Pavel Bure and Alex Mogilny as teenagers. Ask Kris Draper (if you can find him): what it was like to be the Captain of the Canadian team, and have Eric Lindros as the assistant captain.

If you look back at this tournament in ten years, you might be surprised at how many players make it to the NHL. Sure there are Kris Drapers and Alexander Daigles everywhere, but guys like Alyn McCauley, Mike Johnson, Sergei Berezin, Roberto Loungo, and hundreds of others, played in the tourney, and are having at least some degree of quick success in the NHL. Jay Bouwmeester, who became the youngest player ever to play for Canada at 15, plays in his third tournament this year, and he may not even be the top defenseman on the team. Mark Popovich, a defenseman for the St. Mike's Majors, is moving along at a point per game rate since witching to the new Synergy stick (but that's another story). Rick Nash, who many expect to go very high in the draft, is on the team as well. If you want to find out about another high draft pick, Jason Spezza should be returning to the team this year, seeing as how he's not with the Senators. The Leafs' top picks in each of the past two years, Carlo Colaiacovo and Brad Boyes are on the Canadian team. Boyes was on the team last year, as well.

For big hockey fans, this is the best way to see players that will be on your favourite team before long. Look at a list of draftees for the past three years, and, if the top players aren't on the big team, then odds are they may show up on their national team. Think of it as a glimpse into the future of your team for a week and a half. Last year, the tournament was played in Moscow, and the attendance was poor, at best, either because it was not promoted, or because the Russians finished seventh in an eight-team tournament. This year's edition will be carried to North America from the Czech Republic, the team that has won gold the past two years. Aside from finishing out of medal standings in 1998 and 1992, Canada has won two bronzes, one silver, and seven gold medals since 1989. Canada is also the only team to get a medal each of the past three years, last year winning the bronze against Sweden when Raffi Torres scored in overtime.

The tournament has been around since 1974, and when it started, the Soviet Union was unbeatable, winning seven straight gold medals. There has only been one year both Canada and the Soviet Union/Russia left the tournament without a medal. That was 1987, when both were disqualified for fighting each other in a bench-clearing brawl that took place in Czechoslovakia. It was so bad, that the arena attendants turned off the lights, in an attempt to calm the violence. Wendel Clark, Shayne Corson and Mike Keane were some of the players on that team. Allegedly the Russians had been using their skates to kick at the Canadians, because they were either unwilling or unable to play the rough, tough Canadian style of play.

This year's tournament features ten returning players for Team Canada, which is a very high number. Stephen Weiss, the fourth pick in last year's draft missed the tournament with a groin injury last year, but will be in the Czech Republic this time around.

This year's goaltending is questionable, if only because neither goalie have played a minute in the World Juniors. Pascal Leclaire, who was the backup last year for Roberto Loungo will start the bulk of the games, and will have Olivier Michaud backing him up, continuing the tradition of having great French-Canadian goaltenders between the pipes (Loungo, Felix Potvin, and Jocelyn Thibault, to name a few). The first game for Team Canada will be on Christmas day, live at 9 in the morning (forget presents...hockey's on) against France, who generally ice a team that is a lot better as a whole unit then their worth as individual players.

The World Junior Championships are where a lot of reputations are made, and this year, Team Canada wants to add to the Great White lore surrounding our hockey programs. Another gold should do that very nicely.

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