ONE BIG STAGE FOR THE BIG RIVALRY
Whether they’re in the Olympics or outside on a football field, Canada-U.S. is a must-see
Twelve months later, Dominique Ducharme still hasn’t been able to re-watch the gold medal game. Well, that’s not entirely true. “I watched part of it,” the Team Canada head coach said. “I just pause it and stop it when I get to the shootout.”
Most Canadians probably feel the same way. Depending on your country of origin, last year’s 5-4 overtime shootout win by the U.S. against Canada in the world junior hockey championship final was either heartbreaking or heartwarming.
For the first three periods, the teams traded goals and chances in a fast-paced, hard-checking game that featured everything we love about junior hockey: highlight-reel goals, bonusfootage bloopers and plenty of momentum swings.
Canada jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, only to have the U.S. tie it with two straight goals in the second. Canada once again took a twogoal lead in the third period. Again, the U.S. struck back with two goals. Overtime settled nothing, so a game that probably could have — and should have — gone on forever went to a deciding shootout, where American forward Troy Terry scored twice for a dramatic win.
“I hate to be that guy, but I probably watched that in a lot of my classes,” said American captain Joey Anderson, a University of Minnesota Duluth forward and one of seven returning players from last year’s team. “I’d just throw it on YouTube and sit there and watch it on my computer. It’s pretty fun to look back on that. Hopefully we can do it again.”
We will have to wait to see whether Canada and the U.S., who have played for gold in four previous tournaments, will meet again in this year’s final. Until then, today’s outdoor game at New Era Field — the home of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, in suburban Orchard Park, N.Y. — is a pretty good warm-up.
The stakes are obviously not quite as high this time around. Still, with first place in Group A likely on the line, don’t expect anyone to take it easy.
“This is different,” Team U.S.A. head coach Bob Motzko said. “Usually it’s a regular-season game (in the NHL for an outdoor game), but this is one that could have major implications in seeding. So this means something big. But if you look at the history of these games, they’re low-scoring. So you have got to get ready to play hard and play heavy and not make a lot of mistakes in a game like that. I think the excitement will get over quickly, and then it’s survival.”
Then again, whether it’s played indoors or outdoors or with miniature figures underneath a bubbled tabletop, Canada versus the U.S. has become appointment viewing. Every game matters.
It’s a clash that comes with a backstory. There might not be hatred between the two countries, but there is a history that has made it hockey’s biggest rivalry. Think back to Jonathan Toews going three for three in the semifinal shootout of the 2007 world juniors or Sidney Crosby’s golden goal at the 2010 Olympics or Marie-Philip Poulin scoring twice in a comeback win in the 2014 Olympics.
The days when Russia was Canada’s main hockey rival appear to be stuck in the Cold War era. Sweden and Finland? With all due respect, they might as well be Team Europe. When it comes to bragging rights, it’s all about Canada versus the United States, period.
“We know we’re rivals and that rivalry is right there and intense, so we know every time it’s going to be a tight game,” said Ducharme, who has seven returning players from last year’s team. “So we expect the same. Last year was a tight game, a shootout game, so we’re going to keep going at it again.”
Part of the reason Canada’s games against the U.S. have become so intense is familiarity. While Canada has played Russia in eight of the last 19 world junior finals, the Canadians usually have to go through the U.S. to get there.
Whether it’s under-18, under-17 or a Five Nations tournament, Canada and the U.S. are well-acquainted dance partners. The players on either team have grown up playing against each other, but also with each other, either in major junior leagues in Canada or in the NCAA in the United States.
“Obviously, you’re always battling with Canada,” said American forward Max Jones, a forward with the London Knights. “They’re right over the border. But it’s a playful rivalry. We’re all hockey players and I play with a couple of guys on that team and am good buddies with some of them. But it’s completely different now. We’re obviously trying to win the game, so there’s no friends out there, but at the end of the day we’re still teammates. It’s going to be a competitive game.”
“It’s probably the biggest (rivalry) in hockey,” said Canadian defenceman Victor Mete, who was Jones’ teammate last year in London.
“I think it’s kind of every level,” Mete added. “The rivalry between the two is just crazy. Canada wants to beat U.S.A. and U.S.A. wants to beat Canada, so every age group — U-17, U-18, U-20, Olympics — is pretty crazy.”
Mete, who was one of the final cuts from last year’s team, watched the 2017 final at Jones’ house. It was a bit awkward. As a team, they were all cheering for Knights goalie Tyler Parsons, who was playing for the U.S., to have a strong tournament. But as the game went on, national allegiances came out.
“It was kind of a team thing, because we had Parsons playing for Team U.S.A., so we were kind of just watching the game,” Mete said. “It was crazy. They were cheering for the U.S. and we were cheering for Canada, so it was a little battle going on.”
“Obviously Parsons was there, so we were cheering him on,” Jones said. “It kind of worked out against them (Canada). Parsons played well, but he was also the reason (the U.S.) won.
“Now we’re all a part of it.”