1991 CANADA VS. USSR

‘SLANEY’S SEEING-EYE SHOT’

ICanada and even remotely follow F YOU LIVE IN ha ocmkeoyn, oyliothu ktnhoew Wwohraldt McJuoanmriocehr. ItCMhisaadmCnapenisoasdn, as’hasnipvdehrhsaiosocnkbeoey-f fans basically get two ChristamnadseCsa–nathdea’rseoapl oeneinogngDamece. 2o5f ftahlelstonurBnoaxminegnDt,awy.hich always waEyv?eWr ewllo,nthderwhoorwld ijtungiootrtshais aitSatshokedaat1yo9oe9ns1.tatbAolluimsrhnoeasdtmwitseenrktonootiwsn btharceke tdoecthadeefsacltaotersr, tyhoaut cloonktwshpheiraeWtdiJtCtowcmasnaakbneedtdhtiehre1c9gtlr9yo1wtretavhceenodtf ttaohnedthtaotgotolndue-rmgnaeamdmaelnint sipnhaorgwteicnduoelrwaarnl:, aTnSaNdahaadnpdurtchheasSeodbvieettwUeneinonC. the rights to the World Junior Championship earlier that year and televised five of Canada’s fgianmalesgaimne1. 9It91a,ttirnacltuedi ngeatrhlye erfos,r aa mcainbdleb1l.5owminigllionnumvbieewr mouotslet-tw, matackhiendg tietleocnaestosf aTtStNh’es teimede. HTohcekeoyrgCaannizaedras agumariannimum $1-million profit for the gstehveevraelnttimaensdovderl,iveesrtaebdlitshaint tournament as an enormous wpraosfiht-emldaikninCganmaadcah. ine when it hadOnErtihceLinCdanroasd,ianlresaidye,aysouumpeorst-ahryipnemd apjroorsjpuencitorinanadgtehneemroantitohns. IbtewforueldLbinedarnoosthweoruslidx Nb1e9o9rsd1eilqNeucHeteLsd,dfrtiharfestntboyvbetehrcaeolmlQieunebtthheeec atondreofnulsyeNto. r1epoicrkt itno htihsetfiorrsyt team that drafted him.

On the Russian side, there produced, and with a personalidtoymtoinmataetdche.acBhuroef thaedpalsrtetawdoy tournaments and been drafted bnyo gthuearVaanntceoeuwvehrenCahneuwckosulwdibthe able to join the wave of Soviets tboitpalabyouint thweoNoHthLe.r(AfusthuorertHtiadl-l of Famers in that tournament: MTearmtinCaBnraoddaeiunrfawvoars ofcuattabnydem of Trevor Kidd and Felix NPoietvdienr,maanydear 1w7a-yseatrh-eoldteSacmot’st sevLeikneth deevfernysemclans.s)ic game, though, there is as big a story itnhethgaemleaidts-uelpf. aTshitshweraes ibsacink iaenigrthohtuentdeda-armyobsw,inhaenendvethntheteiWncvJoCoulvnwitnraygs with the best record at the end othfethgeolpdromceeeddailn. gNs otoqoukahrtoemrse, semis or final, which often meant a team’s fortunes hung Tinhtahtewbaslacnecretawinitlyh tehve rcyasgeamthee. 2tph-r1evliCeoaundsaydoeivaenrrsi,nCzcFelicnhlgaoinsldgovwtaohkeiana, found out on their bench late in

THIS IS A WHOLE NEW DYNAMIC IN REGARDS TO THE PRESS AND BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE – Trevor Kidd, Team Canada

the game that the Swedes had thieadt itfhCeaSnoavdiaetcso,uwldhhicohldmoenantot btheethleeaidrs,.the gold medal would

One year later, the Canadians foofuhnedlpthfreomsethlveeisr Sagcanindinanveiaend firnieanldgsa.mTwe,oTneaigmhtsCabneafodraehtahde ltohset aCzsepcihriot-scloruvashksin,gwgatmcheintog ian5t-h4elfeiandaltfuirvne minitnouate6s-5oflothses oconnttheestn. iAghllttohfeJaSno.v3iewtsans etoedeedfweoatuFldinlbaendtahnedirsthebegfooldremtehdeayl aevgeaninsteCpapneadao.ut onto the ice

It was then that these young men began to feel the weight of tThhee wfaocrtldthoant stheveeirn sphloauyledresrs–. trKicided,BrKiesenbt oiMs,anMdiekrevLilnled,roPsa, Craig, Steven Rice and Kris Dthratpperec–isehsacdenabreieonintFhirnolaungdh the year before didn’t seem to count for much.

I got a little sample of it there TREVOR KIDD: (Team Canada goalie) Fwiintlhansodm, beuotf1t9h9e1awtteanstjiuosnt in andotIh’mersluevrelotthhaetrms,ywsietlhf the nexocoenpetiohnadofevEerricsLeienndbroesfo, rthe.at BThobe aMttceKnetnioznie, trhipep(iTnSgNy)opuaanel, nriebwlekgeaimsterafgoarinhsatvtihneg Cazheocrh-s. That was the first time I’d ever ibneefrnoncrtiotifctizhedconuntartyi,ornigahl tT?V So I’m like, “What’s going on?” Trehgiasridssatwo hthoelepnrewss daynndaamskicining afonrdtbheininggs.held accqouuenstiaobnlse

On the night of the RussiaFinland game, the Canadian team had a lounge at the hotel in Saskatoon. The game was being played in Regina, which is about a two-and-a-half-hour drive wsoaustnh’etabsetinogf tSealesvkiasteodo.nB,uatnCdani-t ada’s director of scouting, Dave Draper, had been dispatched to the game and was calling in updates on the telephone. Things looked dire for Canada with the Finns, having absolutely nothing to play for, trailing 5-4 late in the game. Then, just as Canada was saved by Patrik Englund of Sweden the year before, Finland’s Jarkko Varvio scores with 15 seconds left to tie the game.

YFoinun’rseasriettdinogwtnh,earned, aint’ds ltihke a KRIS DRAPER: (Team Canada center)

deanggtehreipnhtohneeguritn. gAsllaonfdawsued’r-e

like, “No, this can’t be,” and ysuorue’vengooutgthoitr’sy5to-5g.eStotonoswleep and focus.

There was a big roar, and eavnedrsycorneeamisijnugm. Lpikneg, a“Sro--u-,nwde KIDD: hpalavyefaorchgaonldc!eAtoremyoorurokwidtdoing mwe?w” eWre icnouthldisnsoittubaetiloienv.eI remember the jubilation. We pjhualsadtyntf’ot rgregatoltllhdyewaotophnpoaomnretyu…thnIijntuygs,ttobut wreamsetmoubgehrttohaslteneipg.ht, boy, it

That (Finland)

DARIUS KASPARAITIS: (Soviet

game killed us. Emotionally it

Union defenseman)

gjuosltdkmilleeddaul rsigbhect athueserewaenhdawdea agbotousctoPraevdeol (nB. uTrhee)faundnythtehing Fwianynsishhadnaatigoonoadl tgeaame, hageaailn-st wFionulaldndp.lOaylyFminpliacnsd, a, nhyetwimoeu,lwd e sthcoinrke hfievehgaodaflosubryinhitmheseglaf.mI e. cWheamwpiniotnhsa.t game, we’re the

Dick Todd, who was Canada’s coach one year after being an assistant, made a monumental decision the next morning. Bure had scored 12 goals and 15 points in the six previous games, and if Canada was going to have any success against the Soviets, it would have to stop Bure. That’s when Todd decided to pull one of his players aside for a chat.

At tKhreistiDmraep, Iewr, asndfaimnimliayrowpitnhion,

DICK TODD: (Team Canada coach)

wheaswans aoutrtsetmanenddinogupslsakyaetrewr. hHoe hgoaadlsa, lgoitveonf ttrhoeufbalcetshceorhiandg lots Hakea, winahysisbouwt nwmasin’dt ,awfiansiosfhbere. sgtortutaggslcinorgew, Iitghotthaebfaecat sthcoart,e“rI.” I“Ichaallveedahnimasassigidnem, aendt fIosrayido,u, raencdeivf eyoaulotat koef icteyotium’ree. Bgouitng you’ve got to dedicate yourself tohasthhaedodwoeinsng’tPagveet loBousre.”sSoo I sdaoidI ,lo“Doko fyooruswomanetotnheeejlosbe,?o” rHe said, “No, I’ll do the job.” Todd grabIbrinemg meme,baenrdDhicek

DRAPER:

gjmurseatbfgoboreedassm, e“Decorananpde.”wsH,ewesaktlaiknrdtweoidtfh tjwuhasisltktiisanlagkniundpgatahgbreoesuattahoiropswp. Aoernxtducinhtient’ysg a“Wnde ehvaevreytohisnhgu. tAdnodwhne Bgoueres,.” YtpaollaukyikinigngdawboiotfuhgteMittickrhiegilShlistllnjiunosgwte.rI’amnd Steven Rice in the tournament, and we had seen a lot of the other teams’ top lines. So I said, “You know what, coach? We got it. Myself, ‘Ricer’ and ‘Silly,’ we’re on board. We’re lhoeoskainidg, f“oHrew’sagrdoitnogito.” Aplnady a ton, and I want you out on the ticheeicve.r”yAsnidngtlheetnimI we hase’lsikoen, ya“mYoneudagnIh’o,m.”l.”iAklAineknd,ed,h“heCegosoaaceihsd,, “iItNuaong,daneionr,,-I

he goes, wherever stand. I’m basically going to be ginamhies heip’spooncktheet fiocre.”the entire

With that taken care of, it was Cupratigo aLninddProiesrraendSehviisgnliyn,etmoattaekse, mcaerent.ofLitnhderoosffweennset,instoomtehtehinfignal they had been doing all tournagame with six goals and 16 points in six games to lead Team Canada. There was a lot of focus on Lindros, but by that point, even as a 17-year-old, he was able to absorb the attention and lead the team, even if he wasn’t the captain.

We had a good KENT MANDERVILLE: (Team

DgtTorhrooao,uprwpneritotohofnrga.uSlAlytnetshdv, eeponlabatRyvteeiocrneustisoloilrykneS.EcAKroinrctidt,sy Canada center) Eburitchwearsearellayllaybasolirgbhetdnianlgortoodf, toheita. tStoenthtieonre, satnodfhues waesreused fine just kind of playing in the sfohcaudso. wB.uAt nhde Ewraisc swoaussseudchtoa fjduoesrathlikinming.dwSoitf,htbhtuhastaintdetyhsnsaatamistiucwsaaucsatul ally helped us. PeterboI rwoausghth, eancdoaOcshhoafw(aOwHLas) TODD:

our biggest rival. Eric came to mHe’dbebfeoerne othnetehveewntosrltda-rjtuendi.or team the previous year, and I’d been the assistant coach, and he felt for the first time in his career like he was a non-entity, a non-factor on that team. He wcocaefamnhstipem1r6h., WesaonahdsIeksnteahdihedew,fo“chEuaamrrtitcheI,-tylhoionouteuh’rgeeht Cthaentaodpa,juanidoIr’mhoecxkpeeycptilnaygeyroiun to perform and carry the team and be a huge factor.” Obviously that’s what he wanted to hear, but I said, “Now tell me about your experience last year,” and he started to tell me, “I didn’t know what to expect. Steven Rice really helped me, he was a major factor in helping me.” And I said, “Oh, that’s interesting…Eric, I’m not going to make you the captain, but tI’hme g(aolitnegrntoatmesa)k, aenydouStoenvenof oRficoeuirstgeoaimng.” tSoobIegtohteacroaputnadin thaStitbteinignginaptrhoebldermes.sing

room before the gold-medal game, the players could hear SaskatchaewddaendPlafocer , wthheichtohuardnahmadensteattos gbirnintgo tfihlel ucpa.pSaocmitye otof t1h1,e3p0a0r,ebnetshad gone to the local Husky gas station and purchased the biggest Canadian flag they could

LTinHdrEosBwIaGs th‘Ae’driving

force on Team Canada, but settled into the alternate captain’s role after some deft steerage from coach Todd.

find, and it was making its way through the crowd. The only team to ever win a World Junior Championship on home ice up to that point was the Soviets in Leningrad in 1983. Canada Gharedtzhkoys,teadndthine 1e9v8e6ntintwHicaemtiloton, that point, once in 1978 in Quebec, led by a 16-year-old Wayne but had failed to win. With

a huge television audience and a crowd bigger than most of these kids had ever seen, nerves were becoming a factor.

relievedWwe ewwenetreingteotthinegga me

TODD:

sEtaheviecenorlenyybdwfoocacdhsuyaasnhelcaodedt..IoaWdfjoeroanbwh’tt-eorbraedhlociete,avtrlhe-ke.y wseetrtehweierlml pinredpsatroeidt., and they

I mean, honestly, right now I’m just

MANDERVILLE:

mtalekginogosaebboumt iptsa.nItdwita’s gjuivsitng this deafening noise. You’re obviously aware of the consequences and what’s at stake. nYoeurv’roeuasl.rYeoaudygojaocuket dthueprea,nadnd I remember they had this big flag that they had hung down and they’re waving that and it walamsojsutsht apdantodepmulolnbiaucmk. You couldn’t be too amped up to epvlaeyryththeinggamb ei.nIgjumstargenmifieemd.ber Your senses are on overdrive. But once the puck drops, it was amazing how we all just settled in and just played the game.

Canada jumps out to a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Sevigny and Rice. Sergei Zholtok puts the Soviet Union on the board with a goal at 11:20 of hthaed sperceodnicdtepde,riBoudr.eJwusatsapslaTyoidndg a ton, and Draper was never far behind him.

out forAatsohnifet panoidnct,aBmuereovcearmteo

TODD:

our bench and said (to Draper), y“Cooum’deboentt,eIrjugost.”came out, so

We had some good

DRAPER: abfattetrletshtahtroonueg.hBouutttoumr ec,awreheerns cahlliorpf iansguodudrebnehnechst, aIrktiendd of had a smile on my face, thinkiwneg’,v“eYoguotkhniomw.”wHheawt?asI tmhionrke worried about me than he was abgouatl.gIo’viengacotutaallnydwsactocrhiendg that game a couple of times,

and I probably would have had g1a0moer 1is2cmalliendornsotwh,ewiathy athllethe hooking and the clutching and ltihkestlhaasth.iInwg asnidnehviesrfyatchei.nIg adosnh’ottthinintkhahtegeavmene. rAengyistiemred hjuestofulclh-oend athtteacpkucmko, idtew. Aasnd I tried to use that mentality all itthwroausgphloauytinmgyagcarinesetr,(wPehtetrh)er (FMoriskbee)rMgodra(nJ oe, )yoSuaknicamore it. tAhbastodluetfeinlyeditmwea.s something

The teams left the ice with Canada clinging to a 2-1 lead through two periods. They’re 20 minutes away from winning a gold medal when Lindros decides to do something to ease the pressure.

We had great players on tehamt t,eraimgh,tb?uTthtehigsuwyaksnEorwics’sit.

KIDD:

wtIneentrsheieohnsiegwchoa, nsandthdiinctthkee,rtrmhee’issnsaieboronvu,ettshe aEnridc cgroaensktso, athseloguhdetatsohbelacsatne,r TAinndaeTvuernyebro’sdy’s looking .

Simply the Best

tOahrKoisuhrneigdrehl?tikSneho, ow“Iu?sl”dthAwinsedObeKev?epArlayry-einwge lbeosdsyenteodokaalidttelepbibtroefathe, alonaddi,t wI tehnint ko,uotnthoeurres. houlders as we

But the pressure was quickly ramped up again as Sandis Ozolinsh scored to tie the game early in the third. The game became so tight it could’ve been hermetically sealed. Remember, all the Soviets needed to do was hold on for a tie and the gold medal was theirs. Canada needed to win the game outright in regulation time to win gold. The Canadians knew

KRIS DRAPER