Finland are
IIHF World Junior (Under 20) Hockey Champions, beating arch-rivals Sweden 3-2
in Malmo, Sweden, in what was only the third all-European final since 2001. In most
of the last twelve years, either – or both – the United States and Canada have
featured in the Gold Medal game. Last year, Team USA played a perfect
tournament en route to a gold medal. How good this is for the game of hockey
can scarcely be quantified.
There will be
a National Day of Mourning in Canada, for the tournament’s most successful
nation not only didn’t make it to the Gold Medal Game, they didn’t even take
home the consolation prize, losing to Russia in a playoff for bronze. Such a
result in an international competition that has, for so long, been dominated by
the Maple Leaf brigade, will doubtless bring about calls for the complete
overhaul of the Canadian team in time for next year’s tournament, back on
Canadian soil, where the pressure will really be heaped on.
Yet, Canada
not winning a medal is good news for international hockey – scratch that, it’s
great news. Canadians, of course, will not agree, but we’ll excuse them their
bias. A few years ago, I was worried that the game on an international stage had
stalled. More than that, I feared it was in regression.
Canada
turned up to every World Junior tournament with a team stacked full of guys who
had NHL superstar written all over them, and basically weren’t troubled by anyone
en route to a stretch of five consecutive gold medals between 2004 and 2009. A
magical run for fans of the guys in red, white and maple leaf, but potentially
a back-breaker for the IIHF.
By 2009,
international hockey was at a definite crossroads. Crowds were down, and
interest was down. It seemed that the Canadian dominance could not be stopped.
Other competing nations looked as though they turned up to tournaments like the
World Juniors mostly resigned to the fact that their best shot was a silver
medal, as bridesmaid to a rampant Canadian team. The World Championships,
scheduled during the Stanley Cup playoffs each year, were sparsely attended by
the best players in the world, which affected the skill on the ice and, of
course, butts in seats.
The way the
World Juniors were going back then, you couldn’t see any nation getting close
to the Canadians. Their junior development program was head and shoulders above
every other nation’s. The flow-on affect from international domination at
under-20 and under-17 level is, of course, those same players growing up,
getting even better, and winning gold medals at the Olympic Games and World
Championships.
To a point,
that’s happened, with the Canadians winning a memorable gold medal at Vancouver
in 2010, but the gap, at the top, has certainly closed. Let’s not forget that
the Canadians were convincingly beaten by Team USA in the round robin part of
the tournament, barely escaped what would have been an embarrassing shootout
loss to the lowly Swiss, and were under the gun in the semi-final game against
Slovakia before eventually proceeding to the Gold Medal Game. In that epic
contest, their handy two-goal lead was flittered away, when Team USA scored two
late goals to go to overtime. It wasn’t a dominating gold, but one which took some
Sidney Crosby-Jarome Iginla brilliance to send the Canucks to the top step of
the Olympic podium at Canada Hockey Place.
In 2010,
also, Team USA won the World Junior Championship – three of the players on that
team will represent their country at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics: Derek
Stepan, Cam Fowler and the man who scored the overtime winner to beat Canada,
John Carlson – and a year later, the Canadians gave up a big lead to the flying
Russians who came home with the wettest of sails, scoring an avalanche of goals
to shock the legions of Canadians who had travelled across the border to
Buffalo, New York.
2012 was
again the year of the Russians, this time in a tense contest against the
Swedes, which, required overtime for a decision. Last year, it was Team USA on
top, winning on Russian soil after soundly defeating Canada in a semi-final,
marking four years in a row where the heavy tournament favourites had not won
gold.
Throw in
Finland’s victory this year, and there’s a clear pattern emerging. Make no
mistake, we’re witnessing a shift in international hockey. No longer is Canada
by far the most talented team on the ice. Russia, Sweden and America (thanks to
their continuing and excellent National Development program headquartered in
Ann Arbor, Michigan) have caught up. The Fins have, too, as demonstrated by
their triumph this year. Others are knocking on the proverbial door, wanting
in, wanting a seat at the table.
Once more,
the international game has been rejuvenated., for the betterment of hockey everywhere,
The standard of play at IIHF tournaments has increased markedly, and excitement
for the World Juniors outside of Canada is growing year after year. People are
genuinely looking forward to the traditional Christmas/New Year tournament. Why?
Because it’s been proven that other countries can go in there and win gold.
Most
importantly at the top level of IIHF competition, those talented kids winning
medals at the Under-20 and Under-17 level are maturing, making a name for
themselves in the National Hockey League, and going on to represent their
country at Olympic level. That’s how it should be, too. It shows that the
development systems in place are working as they are designed.
As much as
Canada think winning World Junior gold is a birthright, the fact is it’s not,
and the fact that they haven’t skated onto the top step of the podium since
2009 is directly tied to the re-emergence of international hockey. We are now in the midst of a golden run for the
sport on a global level – as the NHL is enjoying a charmed run of late.
Even the
women’s game is expanding, to the point where Canada are no longer the dominant
force they once were, to the point where they were recently defeated, on home
ice, by Team USA. It used to be Canada first, daylight second, third and
fourth, but no longer. The women’s tournament in Sochi might be the most
competitive ever. Yes, Canada may win gold, but the standard of play will be
vastly improved, which is a vital stepping stone.
For the
men, the upcoming Sochi 2014 Olympic tournament is wide-open. In fact, it might
be the most competitive one we’ve ever seen, and that’s saying something after
the epic hockey we saw in Vancouver four years ago. Yes, the Canadians, with
their legion of superstars, will be tough to beat, but the Russians, Swedes and
even the Americans are more than capable of putting talented teams on the ice
to run with the big Canadian dog.
Of course,
the Russians have no shortage of offensive firepower, not with the likes of
Pavel Datsyuk, Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin on their team; the Swedes
rely on talented forwards like Henrik Zetterburg and star goaltender Henrik
Lundqvist; and the Americans have Patrick Kane and Phil Kessel up forward, a
solid defensive corps and are fortune to – if sanity prevails – have Stanley
Cup hero Jonathan Quick in net.
It’s no
certainty that Canada wins Gold in Sochi. In fact, I’ve got them ranked as the
third best team coming in, behind the hometown Russians, on whose shoulders is
the most intense pressure ever on a team from Russia, and the Swedes, whose
ability to win big games should never be underestimated. They have all the
tools to repeat their 2006 run. The Americans can surprise again. The Russians
are not bereft of talent. If they get some solid goaltending, they will prove
tough to contain. The stage is set for an epic few weeks of hockey.
Hopefully,
the World Championships can benefit from the popularity of the World Juniors
and the upcoming focus that the Olympics will bring to international hockey,
but it may take the IIHF swallowing their pride and shifting the tournament
outside the Stanley Cup playoff window in the hope of attracting more talented
players. There is work to be done with this tournament, but a few minor tweaks
can change it’s face almost immediately. Having players like, say, Ovechkin,
Crosby, Kane and Zetterberg in this tournament is a good way to start.
Realistically
speaking, the National Hockey League will never be overshadowed by
international play outside of the Olympics, but the international game is back
on the radar, and seems poised for further growth as we head into 2014.
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