Every year, Hockey Canada’s under-20 squad looks to ice the country’s top young talent at the annual World Junior Hockey Championship. Often the team must do without some of those gifted youngsters because they have successfully cracked an NHL roster. In 2004-05, however, Hockey Canada’s brass had a wealth of players at its disposal thanks to the NHL lockout, and took advantage to begin a dominant run in international junior hockey.
Heading into the 2005 tournament, Team Canada’s junior team had gone nearly a decade without winning world junior hockey gold. Though it had won silver and bronze medals in between, the title of No. 1 had eluded the country’s young hockey players. In the end, the abundance of fans that had crossed the border to Grand Forks, North Dakota to cheer on their team weren’t disappointed.
Canada Goes Unbeaten, Wins Every Game
It began on December 25, 2004 when Canada took on Slovakia in the first game of the preliminary round. It wasn’t a very merry Christmas for the Slovaks, whom Team Canada easily handled, 7-3. However, while Slovakia was on the short end of the score, they were the lone team to net more than one goal against Canada.
Head coach Brent Sutter had his team gliding through the competition. After downing Slovakia, Team Canada’s under-20 hockey players went on to easily dispatch every foe that crossed their path. In the end Canada was a perfect 6-0 through the tournament, outscoring the opposition by a 41-7 margin. Six or more goals were the norm in every contest but one; the Czech squad held Canada to a mere three goals in the latter’s 3-1 win.
Canada-Russia Gold Medal Game
After Canada’s victory against the Czechs and Russia’s dominating triumph over Team USA, the stage was set for the two powerhouses to square off in the 2005 World Junior Hockey Championship Final.
The Canadians and Russians were meeting in the gold medal game for the 10th time since the tournament became official in 1977. The two nations had last faced off for top honors in 2002 and 2003, with Russia taking the title both times. It was also Canada’s fourth straight appearance in the championship tilt.
With no gold medals to show since 1997, Team Canada’s players wasted little time in ending that drought. Less than a minute into the game, Anaheim Mighty Ducks prospect Ryan Getzlaf scored the first goal of the night. Canada would double its lead before Russia’s Alexei Emelin, a Montreal Canadiens draft pick, put his team on the board with a shade over 30 seconds remaining in the first period.
The second period was all about Canada. Future NHL stars Jeff Carter (Philadelphia Flyers), Patrice Bergeron (Boston Bruins) and Dion Phaneuf (Calgary Flames), as well as Anthony Stewart (Florida Panthers draftee) authored a four-goal outburst and it turned out that was all Sutter’s crew needed.
When the final buzzer sounded, Team Canada had defeated Team Russia by a 6-1 score. Russian stars Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin were held without a point in the contest and limited to just one and three shots, respectively. It was Canada’s first victory over the Russia in the title game and its 11th gold medal at the World Junior Hockey Championship.
Canada and Russia 2005 World Junior Hockey Championship Rosters
The NHL lockout was in full swing when the 2005 edition of the tournament took place, from December 25, 2004 through January 4, 2005. That allowed both teams to count on several players they might not have otherwise been able to.
Team Canada notables:
- Cam Barker
- Patrice Bergeron
- Jeff Carter
- Braydon Coburn
- Sidney Crosby
- Nigel Dawes
- Ryan Getzlaf
- Andrew Ladd
- Clarke MacArthur
- Corey Perry
- Dion Phaneuf
- Mike Richards
- Brent Seabrook
- Shea Weber
Team Russia notables:
- Alexei Emelin
- Enver Lisin
- Evgeni Malkin
- Alex Ovechkin
- Alexander Radulov
The Canada-Russia rivalry would grow in the years that followed as the two met yet again in the final in 2006 and 2007, with Canada repeating as champions.
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Emily Crawford - Emily Crawford is an experienced print journalist and broadcast producer whose career has seen her cover several topical domains.
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