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 20th world juniors was held in Massachusetts. Canada entered the 1996 event looking for its fourth consecutive gold medal and ninth overall to tie Russia/ the Soviet Union, which held both records.
The tournament marked the first time teams were split into two groups and a knockout stage to determine each medalist followed round-robin play.
The roster
| Player | Position | Age |
|---|---|---|
| Jarome Iginla | F | 18 |
| Christian Dube | F | 18 |
| Daymond Langkow | F | 19 |
| Hnat Domenichelli | F | 19 |
| Alyn McCauley | F | 18 |
| Jason Podollan | F | 19 |
| Jason Botterill* | F | 19 |
| Robb Gordon | F | 19 |
| Mike Watt | F | 19 |
| Jamie Wright | F | 19 |
| Brad Larsen | F | 18 |
| Curtis Brown | F | 19 |
| Craig Mills | F | 19 |
| Jason Holland | D | 19 |
| Nolan Baumgartner* | D | 19 |
| Denis Gauthier | D | 19 |
| Wade Redden* | D | 18 |
| Chad Allen* | D | 19 |
| Chris Phillips | D | 17 |
| Rhett Warrener | D | 19 |
| Jose Theodore | G | 19 |
| Marc Denis | G | 18 |
*Denotes returning player
All ages are as of the start of the tournament
The tournament
Canada faced little adversity while absolutely dominating. The team kicked things off with a 6-1 drubbing of the United States before beating Switzerland, Finland, and Ukraine to finish a perfect 4-0 in round-robin play with a 19-4 goal differential. Canada advanced directly to the semifinals following its superior play.
With Russia carrying momentum after a 6-2 win over Finland in the quarterfinals, Canada faced a tough task. The team needed a hero while struggling to find its game, and Theodore was up to the challenge. The Quebec native bailed out his country with an incredible 43-save performance against a high-powered Russian squad, allowing the Canadians to squeeze out the 4-3 victory.
The final test for Canada came against Sweden, and the contest was never in question. Canada took an early 1-0 lead and never looked back during a convincing 4-1 victory to claim the gold medal.
The Canadians allowed just eight goals over six games, setting a tournament record at the time. The team's grit made up for its lack of firepower.
The stars
Canada's roster wasn't full of stars, but it featured some obvious standout talents.
Iginla was dominant from a young age, as the Alberta native was named the best forward of the tournament after leading the event in goals (five) and points (12) over six games. Langkow, Iginla's future teammate with the Calgary Flames, finished tied for second in team scoring with Dube. Three of Lankgow's six points - including two goals - came in the gold-medal game.
Baumgartner led one of Canada's most stifling blue lines ever. The 6-foot-1 rearguard was named to the tournament's All-Star team, along with Iginla and Theodore, after tallying one goal and an assist. Future NHL fixtures Redden and Phillips were the only defensemen under 19, but the youngsters made a strong impression.
In the crease, Theodore was simply outstanding. The future Hart Trophy winner posted a perfect 4-0 record while leading all netminders in save percentage (.960) and goals-against average (1.50) to earn best goalie of the tournament honors.
The key moment
It's only fitting that Canada's key moment came from Iginla. The team's tournament would have ended early if not for Theodore's brilliance and Iginla's clutch strike against Russia in the semis.
The game reached a pivotal point with the Canadians up 3-2 in the third period, and Russia's power play was getting another opportunity after scoring earlier. However, rather than netting the equalizer, Russia saw its deficit double when Iginla picked off a pass before breaking in for the shorthanded marker.
Russia would trim the lead back to one minutes later, but Iginla's goal held up as the winner in the 4-3 victory to push Canada through.
The fallout
Only a handful of players off the 1996 roster went on to produce lengthy NHL careers, with one talent ascending high above the rest.
Iginla now sits 34th in all-time scoring after amassing 1,300 points and 625 goals over his storied career. He also captured a pair of Rocket Richard trophies, one Art Ross Trophy, and one Lester B. Pearson Trophy (now the Ted Lindsay Award). The longtime Flames captain is the only player from Canada's 1996 world junior squad to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame (2020).
Langkow skated in 1,090 NHL games while racking up 672 points. The only other players from the team to record 100-plus career points were Domenichelli, McCauley, Brown, Redden, Warrener, and Phillips.
No players off Canada's '96 roster went on to win a Stanley Cup. Iginla, Langkow, Gauthier, and Warrener came close with the Flames in 2004, losing in the final to the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games.
Canada, meanwhile, went on to clinch a fifth straight gold medal at the 1997 world juniors before failing to medal in 1998 for the first time in six years. That forgettable performance was the start of an eight-year podium drought.
