Why a junior hockey tournament means so much to us
When December rolls around, I find myself getting as excited as, if not more excited than, everybody else for the holidays. I’m all about that Christmas music, those Christmas lights, and the cheesiness of holiday cheer. I love the excuse to spend time with family and friends, to eat good food, and to dress up in clothes I can’t wear any other time of year.
Perhaps my favourite part of the Christmas season is what comes right after. Yes, I’m talking about Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve — but maybe not for the reasons you think. Nevermind shopping, or champagne-popping, I’m thinking World Junior Hockey.The tournament’s history
Every holiday season, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Ice Hockey World Junior Championships — known as the World Junior Championship (WJC) for short — runs from Dec. 26 through to the first week of January. The tournament is played in different locations across North America, Europe, and Russia, and consists of the top 10 national junior teams from around the world.
Canada has won the WJC sixteen times since it began in 1977, making them the country to have the most gold medals from the tournament. Given Canada’s rich hockey history, it’s no surprise that Canadians are obsessed. No matter where the tournament is played, it can be counted upon that there will be a sea of red and white in the stands.
Notable past members of Team Canada at the WJC include:
- Wayne Gretzky
- Doug Gilmour
- Steve Yzerman
- Sidney Crosby
- Jordan Eberle
- Ryan Ellis
- Taylor Hall
An emotional Canadian pastime
In Canada and the United States in particular, the WJC has become somewhat of a phenomenon. Over the years, the rivalry between the neighbouring countries has grown exponentially. The New Year’s Eve traditional game that ends the round robin is often between these two countries, and is one of the most watched games of the tournament outside of the finals. Finally, towards the end of the championship, the U.S. and Canada are often found battling it out for the top spot.The tournament takes on an emotional meaning for Canadians because of the amount of fierce national pride that goes along with it.“Having the whole nation behind you, it’s going to be pretty cool,” Anthony Cirelli told the CBC in 2016, when the tournament was held in Toronto and Montreal.
The red and white jersey is a source of pride and confidence for the players and for Hockey Canada.
“Whenever we get 22 Canadians together with that Canadian jersey,” said VP of hockey operations Scott Salmond in an interview with the CBC, “I like our chances.”
However, it’s not just pride for our country that makes the tournament so great. I would argue that the hockey played by the national junior teams in this tournament can rival, perhaps even beat, that of the NHL. For the Canadian team, coming in second is not an option.“We go into tournaments with only gold on our minds,” said Jordan Eberle in an interview with Hockey Canada. “Second isn’t good enough.”I must admit that I have, more than once, found myself on the verge of tears because of either pride or disappointment. I’ve watched games in my grandparents’ living rooms in Newfoundland, in my best friend’s basement, at a bar, and on a ferry in the middle of the ocean. I listened in my friend’s car with my heart breaking in 2012 as Team Canada, led by Jaden Schwartz, lost the game that would have taken them to the final. I screamed my head off in my friend’s basement in 2015 when Team Canada, led by Curtis Lazar, won in front of a sold-out crowd in Toronto, effectively breaking a five-year gold medal slump.
The disappointment that you can see on these teenage boys’ faces when they lose is heartbreaking. But it’s all worth it when they win.
Let’s go, Canada!
Photo Courtesy of Hockey Canada via CC0