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WORLD JUNIOR HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP
When?
Annually from December to January.
Future Locations:
2009—Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
2010—Regina/Saskatoon, Saskatchewan,
Canada
2011—Buffalo, New York
2012—Calgary/Edmonton, Alberta, Can-
ada
Significance:
The World Junior Hockey Championship (WJHC), known also by its formal yet cumbersome moniker of the International Ice Hockey Federation World Under 20 Championship, is where under-20 ice hockey teams from around the world compete. From late December to early January, the main “Top Division” tournament features the Top 10-ranked hockey nations worldwide as they play for the world championship. Division I, II, and III teams play in separate tournaments to determine who moves up in the pool and who moves down.
The fact that Canada has been a perennial host for this event is apropos. Hockey is a way of life with five million Canadians involved in the sport at all levels from volunteers to high-level administrators. 1.5 million games are played and another two million practices are held in any one of the 3,000 hockey arenas in Canada. To date, Canada’s National Junior Team has won a gold (3), silver (3), or bronze (1) medal at every World Junior Championship held in Canada.
Who attends?
Hardcore hockey fans get to see the professional stars of tomorrow while they are still pups.
History
The first official World Junior Hockey Championship was held in 1977 without much fanfare. At that time, the tournament existed in relative obscurity. Today, it is the premier event on the hockey calendar. Canada, along with the former Soviet Union, have dominated the tournament with the Russians taking the first four titles followed by the Canadians winning five consecutive tournaments from 1993 to 1997 and 2004 to 2008.
The WJHC allows budding hockey players to not only shine, but also increase their value for the NHL Entry Drafts. The tournament serves as a stage with a bright spotlight, featuring the superstars of tomorrow. Names such as Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux cut their teeth on the ice of the WJHC and now reside in the NHL Hall of Fame.
There are moments that the WJHC would like you to forget. One of those infamous historical occasions occurred in 1987 when Canada and the Soviet Union, the two teams that dominated the tournaments, engaged in a massive, bench-clearing brawl. It started when Pavel Kostichkin took a two-handed slash at Theoren Fleury. One player after another left his seat to engage in battle.
For twenty minutes, the fight continued. Even shutting off the arena lights could not stop the violence. When the dust (or steam from the ice) cleared, the International Ice Hockey Federation declared the game null and void and the delegates called an emergency meeting. They voted 7-1 to disqualify both teams from the tournament and the player’s banquet following the competition. Canada’s Dennis McDonald was the dissenter.
Notable Athletes:
Sidney Crosby, Canada, 2004 and 2005
Joe Thornton, Canada, 1997
Dominik Hasek, Czechoslovakia, 1984
Sergei Fedorov, Soviet Union, 1988 and 1989
Doug Gilmour, Canada, 1983
Steve Yzerman, Canada, 1983
Jarome Iginla, Canada, 1996
Roberto Luongo, Canada, 1999
Alexander Ovechkin, Russia, 2005
Most Decorated Countries (to date):
Canada: 24 medals, including 14 Gold, 6 Silver, and 4 Bronze
Soviet Union: 13 medals, including 8 Gold, 3 Silver, and 2 Bronze
Russia: 13 medals, including 3 Gold, 6 Silver, and 4 Bronze
Finland: 12 medals, including 2 Gold, 4 Silver, and 6 Bronze
Sweden: 12 medals, including 1 Gold, 7 Silver, and 4 Bronze
Czechoslovakia: 11 medals, including 5 Silver and 6 Bronze
Records:
Most goals scored by a team in a game: Czechoslovakia, 21, 1981
Most goals in one year - player: Markus Naslund, 13, Sweden, 1993
All-time goal scoring leader: Pavel Bure, 27, Soviet Union, 1989 to 1991
All-time assist leader: Peter Forsberg, 32, Sweden, 1992 to 1993
Things to know before you go:
Assist: Awarded to a player that set up a goal and is the last to handle the puck immediately preceding the goal.
Boarding: A violent and illegal check to an opponent into the boards from behind. Considered a penalty.
Changing on the Fly: A player from the bench substitutes for a player on the ice while the clock is running.
Icing: When a player shoots the puck from his side of the red line across the opponent’s goal line. Play is stopped when an opponent other than the goalie touches the puck. An infraction unless a team is shorthanded.
Face-Off: Held at the offending team’s end of the ice. A team that is shorthanded can ice the puck without being penalized.
Power Play: When one team has more players on the ice than their opponent due to one or more penalties from the opposing team.
Tickets:
Primary ticket access information differs depending upon the country hosting the event.
For secondary ticket access, consider:
GoTickets, Inc.
2345 Waukegan Road, Suite 140
Bannockburn, IL 60015-1552
Toll-Free: 1-800-775-1617
Fax: (919) 481-9101
E-mail: sales@gotickets.com
www.gotickets.comTravel Packages:
If you are going to travel to this event, I would recommend using a reliable company to work with you on making the necessary arrangements. The suppliers listed in this book have solid references and are by far the most trusted in the business. Below are some of the organizations to try for this Top 100 Must See Sporting Event.
Premiere Corporate Events
14 Penn Plaza, Suite 925
New York, NY 10122
Phone: (212) 695-9480
Fax: (212) 564-8098
Toll-Free: 1-877-621-5243
E-mail: requests@tseworld.com
www.tseworld.comwww.pcevents.comPremiere Sports Travel
201 Shannon Oaks Circle, Suite 205
Cary, NC 27511
Phone: (919) 481-9511
Fax: (919) 481-1337
Toll-Free: 1-800-924-9993
E-mail: sales@sportstravel.com
www.sportstravel.com
Notable Quotes:
“We worked so hard from Day 1. The scars I will have with me, and this is something I will remember the rest of my life.”—JONATHAN TOEWS, Chicago Blackhawks and former Team Canada player
“I’ve always enjoyed my Hockey Canada experiences and it’s the chance of a lifetime to coach a world junior team, especially with it in our back yard in Canada.”—PETER DEBOER, Florida Panthers head coach
“People back home might not understand how hard it is to win over here. At the same time, it’s been very rewarding. You’d have to win a Stanley Cup to feel like this.”—CRAIG HARTSBURG, Team Canada head coach
Relevant Websites: