Subj : World Juniors: The Evolution of a National Obsession
To : All
From : The Hockey Writers - Main
Date : Sun Dec 27 2020 04:40 am
The voice in the promotional spot for the upcoming International Ice Hockey
Federation (IIHF) World Junior Championship (WJC) says in a deep matter-of-fact
voice that "before the spotlight, before they are legends, they played in the
World Juniors." Using images of Wayne Gretzky and Sidney Crosby to get the
point across, the commercial is intent on building excitement around the 2020
edition of the tournament to be played in the Czech Republic from Dec. 26 to
Jan. 5.
The tournament�has now become a holiday-period television tradition in
hockey-loving families across Canada. Every year, it showcases the best players
under 20 years old. For many of these players, the tournament is the opening
chapter of their hockey stories.
In a book entitled Road to Gold - The Untold Story of Canada at the World
Juniors (published by Simon & Schuster), Mark Spector, a journalist for
Sportsnet, traces the evolution of how a once modest junior-level hockey
tournament became the significant multi-million dollar sports property that it
is today.
The book offers some interesting historical elements�about how the tournament
emerged and grew. Spector also uses a number of compelling personal narratives
and stories from players who�have worn�the Team Canada jersey during the
Christmastime tournament. The reader will discover insightful contrasts between
very different hockey journeys.
There are players for whom the tournament was the launchpad to famed careers.
For others,�whose images are not seen in the commercial, the tournament was the
pinnacle of a career spent struggling on the margins of professional hockey.
Many hockey fans around the world are getting ready to celebrate the holiday
period with family by decorating their homes, trimming Christmas trees and
wrapping gifts. But for�a group comprised of the best young hockey players in
the world, their priority is the intense�preparation required�to proudly
represent their respective countries with the hope of bringing back home a gold
medal.
As we eagerly anticipate the drop of the puck to start the 2020 edition of the
tournament, here are some of the highlights from Road to Gold that provide us
with the back story, history and context that led to the games we are anxiously
going to enjoy.We Have to Do Something
Spector opens the book with Murray Costello, then-president of the Canadian
Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA), waiting in a lobby at the Skyline Hotel in
Ottawa in 1981. He wanted to meet with the powerbrokers of Canadian junior
hockey who were gathered for their annual general meeting. He had an idea to
address Canada's performance at a yearly tournament originally started in
1974�that matched the best under 20-year-old hockey players from the Soviet
Union, Czechoslovakia, Sweden, Finland and the United States.
Since its inception, the tournament had been dominated by the Soviet Union.
Canada's entry in the competition was the Memorial Cup winner from the previous
season complemented with additional last-minute picks. The catalyst for
Costello's angst was sparked by Canada's 7-6 loss to West Germany in the
Consolation Round leading to a seventh-place finish in 1981.
When Germany beat Canada with Dale Hawerchuk on the team, I thought, that';s
just not fair to him, and it';s not fair to Canada. We have to do
something.Comment from Murray Costello, then-president of the CAHA in Road to
Gold, p. 5.
As head of the regulatory body that was the precursor to Hockey Canada,
Costello wanted to set up an all-star team of the best Canadian junior players
and borrow them for the Christmastime tournament. That was his pitch to the
reluctant owners of the junior teams who were less than receptive at the idea
of losing their best players during a critical part of the season.
Costello was persistent and, especially, well prepared. He had previously
secured seed funding from Sport Canada (an entity of the Federal Government)
with a well-thought-out plan to develop the best young Canadian players at the
under-18, under-20 and Olympic levels. Part of his overall plan was a more
strategic approach to selecting and preparing a true national junior team to
play and successfully perform at the international level. He successfully
overcame the reluctance of the team owners and executives and his efforts
ultimately took shape as the Program of Excellence.Breaking the Soviet
Stranglehold
The benefits of the new program would be put to the test in the 1982 tournament
being held jointly in Canada (Winnipeg and Kenora) and the United States
(Bloomington, Minneapolis and Duluth). The inaugural head coaching duties were
assigned to Dave King. He would have the responsibility to prove the worth of a
national approach to selecting young hockey talent for competition against the
best junior players from around the world.
The Soviet Union had won seven of the first eight tournaments (from 1974 to
1980). They were the dominant force. The team practiced, played and
lived�together all year long. For Team Canada, their game against�the
Soviets�in Winnipeg was going to be a significant test of the infant Program of
Excellence. The stakes were high as the game was also broadcast on television
to the entire country.Soviet dominance and the famous KLM Line -�Vladimir
Krutov (#9) and�Igor Larionov (center) played in the 1979 and 1980 WJC.�Sergei
Makarov (#24) played in the 1978 WJC. (THW Archives)
Unexpectedly, Canada beat the Soviets 7-0 in front of a jubilant home crowd.
Spector writes that the win "blew wind into the sails of the whole Program of
Excellence concept" (p. 33, Road to Gold). Canada also won their first gold
medal at the WJC in 1982. The foundation was now set, the model established.
Spector goes on, "It was on the shoulders of this team that the future of the
Program of Excellence would rest, and if this much could be accomplished on the
first try, who knew what this program could accomplish in the next decade" (p.
39, Road to Gold).Changing Perception�of the Game
One of the most interesting elements in Spector's book is how he parallels the
evolution and growth of the WJC with changes to how the game was being
perceived in Canada. The new approach to player selection and development was
clearly paying dividends on the ice. In the decade following the 1982 gold
medal and the maiden test of the Program of Excellence, Canada was on the
podium six times, including being on the highest step on four occasions (1985,
1988, 1990 and 1991).Team Canada 1983-19921983: Bronze�(Gold: Soviet Union) -
Host: Leningrad, Soviet Union1984: Forth (Gold: Soviet Union) - Norrköping and
Nyköping, Sweden1985: Gold - Helsinki and Turku, Finland1986: Silver�(Gold:
Soviet Union) - Hamilton, Ontario1987: disqualified�(Gold: Finland) - Piestany,
Czechoslovakia1988: Gold - Moscow, Soviet Union1989: Fourth�(Gold: Soviet
Union) - Anchorage, Alaska1990: Gold - Helsinki and Turku, Finland1991: Gold -
Saskatoon and Regina, Saskatchewan1992: Sixth�(Gold: Commonwealth of
Independent States - former Soviet Union) - Füssen and Kaufbeuren, Germany
However, this period of time is also remembered for a more violent incident
that occurred during the 1987 tournament in a game between Canada and the
Soviet Union. The bench-clearing brawl that occurred is notoriously known as
the "Punch-up in Piestany". Much has been written about the incident. It has
been the topic of a book and numerous television documentaries.
Spector dedicates an entire chapter to the incident. It is a justified approach
considering the impact it had on how Canadians were perceiving the game. The
incident became a catalyst for reactions within and outside of the hockey
community.
This had become a seminal moment. An important intersection in Canadian hockey
culture, where "old-time hockey" ran smack into a populace that had finally
decided to question why our young men were being thrown out of a tournament for
bare-knuckle brawling. A growing number of people were no longer comfortable
with our favorite sport playing out as if it were in some swinging-doors bar in
an old Western movie, especially when it was our youngest who were being
exploited.On the impact of Piestany, excerpt from Road to Gold, p. 58.
Following the proverbial black eye suffered by Canada's disqualification from
the 1987 tournament, the Program of Excellence continued to propel the
country's team to success. Team Canada rebound with gold medals in 1988 and
1990. There was a growing interest in the high caliber of junior hockey being
played during this festive time of the year.The TSN Turning Point
This heightened level of awareness was also occurring at a time when
specialized television channels were now offering viewers content tailored to
their specific likes and preferences. The Sports Network (TSN) was growing in
popularity but was still a fringe channel with little compelling content,
meagre ratings and a tight budget. Following a change in policy by the federal
broadcasting regulator, TSN was allowed to move to basic cable which
instantaneously increased its potential audience fivefold. The network now
needed good content to fill its airwaves.Bob McKenzie is part of the extensive
coverage of the WJC offered by TSN. (THW Archives)
As the rights to the WJC were becoming available, the timing was right for TSN
to acquire an affordable sports property. It signed a five-year deal with the
CAHA. The�big reveal�would be the 1991 tournament held in Saskatchewan. In
terms of exposure, it was a win-win for both TSN and Canadian hockey.
From an exposure perspective, everything changed with that 1991 tournament in
Saskatoon. Suddenly, the tournament was truly a sensation coast to coast, and,
coupled with the fact that most every province has a tie to at least one
player, newspapers across Canada had sent reporters not only to cover the
tournament, but to report on the exploits of "their guy" on Team Canada.On the
impact of the TSN deal, excerpt from Road to Gold, p. 105.
The good fortune was not limited to the boardroom. On the ice, Team Canada won
its first tournament on home soil. TSN quickly discovered that viewers across
Canada were identifying with the maple leaf on the jerseys of their national
junior team. The WJC was now becoming a prime sports property that could
command significant advertising dollars and revenues from broadcasting
rights.Building a Business
Team Canada's success on the ice was the perfect ingredient to keep building
exposure and excitement about the tournament. With a string of five consecutive
gold medals from 1993 to 1997, the WJC was becoming synonymous with Canadian
success. Dominance - Team Canada Championship Banners (THW Archives)Team Canada
1993-20021993: Gold - Host: Gävle, Uppsala and Falun, Sweden1994: Gold -
Ostrava and Frýdek-Místek, Czech Republic1995: Gold - Red Deer, Edmonton and
Calgary, Alberta1996: Gold - Boston, Amherst and Marlborough
Massachussetts1997: Gold - Geneva and Morges,�Switzerland1998:�Eight�(Gold:
Finland) - Helsinki and Hämeenlinna, Finland1999: Silver�(Gold: Russia) -
Winnipeg, Brandon and Selkirk, Manitoba2000: Bronze (Gold: Czech Republic) -
Skellefteå and Umeå, Sweden2001: Bronze�(Gold: Czech Republic) - Moscow and
Podolsk, Russia2002: Silver�(Gold: Russia) - Pardubice and Hradec Králové,
Czech Republic
A merchandising deal (with Nike in 1999) and a move away from the
round-robin-only format to a playoff-style tournament (in 1996) brought both
more money and added drama to an increasingly popular and successful
enterprise.
The promotional spots one sees today on television eliminate any illusion that
the WJC is now, in fact, big business. In 2014, TSN and Hockey Canada (CAHA and
Hockey Canada merged in 1998) signed a new television deal estimated at $20
million annually (Road to Gold, p. 106). Journeys to Different Destinations
Another interesting contrast in the book is the different paths taken by
players who played in the WJC. The composition of the 2005 team is considered
to be the best Canadian entry ever. With names such as Sidney Crosby, Patrice
Bergeron, Ryan Getzlaf, Jeff Carter and Shea Weber, it is of little surprise
that the team dominated the tournament going undefeated and winning the gold
medal.
While the tournament was a preview of the talent many of these players would
bring to long and successful careers in the NHL, for others the WJC was the
summit of careers spent on the margins of hockey glory. Spector outlines the
path of Jeff Glass, the goalie on the gold medal team of the famed 2005 edition
of Team Canada and Justin Pogge, the goalie for the gold medal winning team in
2006. Following their respective success at the WJC, their careers were spent
moving between minor league teams.
Spector accurately captures the reality faced by such players. "It's always
going to be a journey, but what we never know is where that journey will lead.
For some, the World Juniors is a stepping stone; for others, it's the peak. But
for all of them, it's a memory that never gets old" (Road to Gold, p. 181).
The Perversion of Pressure
Over the years, Canada has won 17 gold medals�at the WJC. This has led to an
incredibly high level of expectations placed every year on a new group of
teenagers who have the privilege of representing Canada on the world hockey
stage. The advertising money and the NHL-size rinks filled to capacity create a
backdrop where there is a very high level of pressure to win. This is
significantly compounded by what Spector describes as: "The gold or bust
expectation that Hockey Canada itself once thought was too much, but today is
resigned to" (Road to Gold, p. 195).
It is therefore of little surprise that the high expectations of success showed
its ugly side when Team Canada captain and Anaheim Ducks prospect Maxime
Comtois missed a penalty shot in overtime during the quarterfinals against
Finland in 2019. Canada ultimately lost the game and finished the tournament in
sixth position. Social media was vicious in its critique of Comtois.Team
Canada';s Maxime Comtois was the target of vicious attacks on social media
following the 2019 WJC.�(THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito)
Notwithstanding the ugliness of the treatment suffered by Comtois in the
aftermath of Canada failing to win gold in 2019, there is a polarized debate
within the hockey community itself about the enormous pressure placed on these
young players. Spector quotes former NHL goalie Roberto Luongo who played in
the WJC in 1999 when Canada lost the gold medal in overtime.
In referring to Comtois, Luongo says: "Sometimes, everybody has got to just
take a little bit of a step back. It's hockey, it's a tournament that we all
want to win, but we've just got to realize that these are kids, and they're
trying the best that they can to represent their country well. I'm sure that
the kid was more heartbroken than anyone else was." (Road to Gold, p.
191).Roberto Luongo played in the 1999 World Juniors (THW Archives)
The alternate view contrasts significantly with Luongo's perception. Spector
writes that, among Team Canada alumni, there is "unilateral agreement that the
pressure we put on Canadian kids is not too much." He adds that, "You simply
cannot find a successful hockey person who would shield our elite teenagers
from that spotlight" (Road to Gold, p. 198).
The debate might well be unresolvable. Luckily for Comtois he has made the most
out of the situation and has become a passionate advocate for an online
anti-bullying campaign in partnership with one of the main corporate sponsors
of the WJC.Team Canada 2003-20192003: Silver (Gold: Russia) - Host: Halifax and
Sydney, Nova Scotia2004: Silver (Gold: United States) - Helsinki and
Hämeenlinna, Finland2005: Gold - Grand Forks and Thief River Falls, North
Dakota2006: Gold - Vancouver, Kelowna and Kamloops,�British Columbia2007: Gold
- Leksand and Mora, Sweden2008: Gold - Pardubice and Liberec, Czech
Republic2009: Gold - Ottawa, Ontario2010: Silver (Gold: United States) -
Saskatoon and Regina, Saskatchewan2011: Silver (Gold: Russia) - Buffalo and
Lewiston, New York2012: Bronze (Gold: Sweden) - Calgary and Edmonton,
Alberta2013: Fourth (Gold: United States) - Ufa, Russia2014: Fourth (Gold:
Finland) - Malmö, Sweden2015: Gold - Toronto and Montreal2016: Sixth (Gold:
Finland) - Helsinki, Finland2017: Silver (Gold: United States) - Montreal and
Toronto2018: Gold - Buffalo and Orchard Park, New York2019: Sixth (Gold:
Finland) - Vancouver and Victoria, British ColumbiaTeam Canada poses after
beating Sweden in the Gold medal game of the IIHF World Junior Championship at
KeyBank Center on Jan. 5, 2018. (Photo by Kevin Hoffman/Getty Images)
Some of the players we will see in the 2020 edition of the WJC will go on to
have successful careers in the NHL. Some might, one day, be inducted to the
Hockey Hall of Fame and forever be considered as a legend of the game.
As fans, we get to watch the opening chapter of hockey careers that will take
very different directions. We are watching hockey history unfold. That is maybe
one of the main reasons why this tournament has become the significant and
successful hockey event that it is today. In that regard, Spector's book is a
great�primer on how we got here.
The post World Juniors: The Evolution of a National Obsession appeared first on
The Hockey Writers.
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