Recounting some of the top moments of the competition
Canada ends medal drought
After a two year no-medal drought, and five years without the gold, Canada capped off the 2015 tournament as gold-medal champions on home ice. Having placed fourth in both the 2013 and 2014 World Championships, Canadians were eager to get back on top. With a nail biting victory over Russia, Canada captured their first gold medal since 2009, having only placed three times in the past five tournament showings.
…Canada captured their first gold medal since 2009…
Russia, Canada rivalry reignited
Canada and Russia have a long, heated history within the world of hockey. Having lost to the Russians in three of the last five showings (two for Bronze, and one for Gold), Canada faced their old enemies looking for blood, prompting Russia to pull their all-star goalie after two goals on three shots. With tempers rising on both sides, Canada was ahead 5-1 before the end of the middle frame. However, as history has shown, the Russians are never down and out, as they brought the game within one by the end of the second. Canada ultimately held out the Russian onslaught and secured the victory.
Denis Godla: The Slovakian Prodigy
Team Slovakia was not slated to make headlines, however, as the tournament progressed, goaltender Denis Godla was absolutely impeccable, keeping his team in the running for a medal. Godla was voted tournament MVP by the media for his performance, and sparked a “Goalie! Goalie!” chant from the Canadian crowd when he was not chosen as Player of the Game in the semi-final loss to Canada. Canadians continued their support of the netminder when they captured the bronze, giving Godla a loud and deserving standing ovation.
Denmark Strikes
In a shootout victory against Switzerland, Denmark seizes their first ever victory in the World Juniors, having been defeated in their last 15 tournament appearances. Denmark participated in the 2008 and 2012 World Junior Championships but failed to gain a point in both appearances. This Danish team won the heart of Canadians, earning a standing ovation of their own following Denmark’s loss to Canada in the quarterfinals. Following the loss, Team Canada allowed for Denmark to salute the crowd first, thanking Canadians for the support.
Slovakia topples Sweden
Despite their loss to Canada in the semi-final game, Slovakia upset the Swedes as the underdogs in the bronze medal match with a 4-2 victory, capturing their second ever medal at the World Junior Championships. Slovakia
won their first medal in 1999, taking bronze at the tournament in Winnipeg.
Max Domi
Before the start of the tournament, Canada had high expectations for Max Domi, son of former Maple Leafs player, Tie Domi. The only way to describe Domi’s performance throughout the tournament is electrifying. Whenever he got the puck, there was always a sense of anticipation. Domi finished the tournament with five goals and five assists in seven games. For his performance, the Arizona Coyotes prospect was named Best Forward by the Directorate, and was selected by the media as a forward for the tournament All-Star team.
Crowd
One of the biggest moments of the World Juniors tournament was the Canadian crowd. Lit up with black, red, and white, the crowd was an experience within itself. The Air Canada Centre and the Bell Centre both filled with patriotic fans watching their respective nations battle on the ice. In the semi-final and gold medal final, the ACC crowd erupted whenever Canada stepped onto the ice. When Canada battled the Godly Godla, the crowd was roaring “Goalie! Goalie! Goalie!” to salute the Slovak goalie’s outstanding performance. And finally, in the gold medal game, the 19,000 fans in the ACC erupted, creating one of the most memorable games for Team Canada in the World Juniors tournament history.
Canada and U.S showdown
Even though these two rivals only met in the group stages of the tournament, it easily felt like a gold-medal game. The hyped matchup between Canada and the U.S made headlines across the nation. Team Canada played with great energy and dictated the pace of the game- which proved to be too high for the U.S. With great performances by Sam Reinhart and Captain Curtis Lazar, Canada took the game with a 5-3 victory.