Canadian Gold: Remembering the 1982 World Junior Championship
In the lead-up to the 2021 World Junior Championship, we're taking a look back at each of the 18 Canadian teams to capture the gold medal, culminating Dec. 25 with the start of the latest edition of the tournament.
The 1982 world junior tournament was a memorable one for Canada for several reasons, but it was headlined by the fact the country won its first-ever world junior gold medal.
It was also the first time the Canadian brain trust put together a true national junior team. Ultimately, the tourney was unforgettable because of what happened amid the gold-medal celebration.
This was the sixth edition of the event and it was held primarily in Minnesota, with several games taking place in Manitoba and Ontario.
The roster
| Player | Position | Age |
|---|---|---|
| Scott Arniel* | F | 19 |
| Paul Cyr* | F | 18 |
| Bruce Eakin | F | 19 |
| Marc Habscheid | F | 18 |
| Moe Lemay | F | 19 |
| Mike Moller | F | 19 |
| Dave Morrison | F | 19 |
| Mark Morrison | F | 18 |
| Troy Murray | F | 19 |
| Pierre Rioux | F | 19 |
| Todd Strueby | F | 18 |
| Carey Wilson | F | 19 |
| Paul Boutilier | D | 18 |
| Garth Butcher | D | 18 |
| Gord Kluzak | D | 17 |
| Randy Moller | D | 18 |
| Gary Nylund | D | 18 |
| James Patrick | D | 18 |
| Frank Caprice | G | 19 |
| Mike Moffatt | G | 19 |
*Denotes returning player
All ages are from the start of the tournament
The tournament
Canada won its first six games in the round-robin tourney, outscoring opponents 42-11 while dealing the Soviet Union its worst-ever loss in a 7-0 rout.
However, not all of Canada's victories were blowouts, as the team narrowly prevailed over Sweden (3-2) and the United States (5-4) before thumping West Germany 11-3 and dominating Switzerland 11-1.
Canada only needed to tie Czechoslovakia in its final game to guarantee the gold, and that's exactly what happened, as the two sides played to a 3-3 draw.
The stars
Habscheid - who'd eventually become a fixture behind Canada's bench on the international stage - led the team and ranked third among all skaters with six goals in the tourney. Mike Moller led all Canadian players with 14 points, posting the third-highest total in the tournament.
Moffatt was named goaltender of the tourney after posting a .935 save percentage across four games.
Kluzak earned top defenseman honors while joining Moffatt and the aforementioned Moller on the tournament All-Star team.
The key moment
Canada was hemmed in its defensive zone for the final minute of play in the gold-medal game, needing to win a faceoff in its own end in the dying seconds to secure the tie. The Canadian squad won the draw, and the victorious players spilled onto the ice to celebrate as the buzzer sounded.
After the Canadian players received their gold medals, they realized the small arena in Rochester, Minnesota, didn't have a proper audio setup and couldn't play "O Canada." The Canadians began singing the anthem in unison while lined up on the ice, unknowingly starting a tradition that still endures to this day.
The fallout
The 1982 team didn't boast any future NHL megastars, but several players on the Canadian team ultimately had solid pro careers, including Patrick, Murray, Arniel, and Butcher. Habscheid, Patrick, and Arniel later entered the coaching ranks, while Randy Moller became a longtime broadcaster with the Florida Panthers - a role he continues to occupy - following his playing career.
Canada struggled to match its success in the tourney in the two years that followed, settling for bronze in 1983 and placing fourth in 1984 before claiming gold again in 1985.