photo: © International Ice Hockey Federation
The IIHF World Junior Championship will be celebrating its 50th edition this Christmas in Minneapolis, but the genesis of the event goes back even further, to 1974. Appropriately, Minneapolis was part of the pre-World Junior history that was so important to the invitational tournament becoming an official IIHF event in 1977.
It all started in Leningrad, Soviet Union, on December 27, 1973, when Czechoslovakia beat Sweden, 6-4. Six teams took part in a round-robin tournament that saw the Soviets, Finns, and Canadians finish 1-2-3. But there was so much more to this event. Leading up to the games, the Canadians and Americans played two exhibition matches to prepare, one in Minneapolis and one in Peterborough, Ontario. The Americans were coached by Murray Williamson, and Canada was represented by the OHL’s Peterborough Petes, coached by Roger Neilson. Incredibly, the Finns travelled to Canada and played eight games from coast to coast to prepare for the unofficial World Juniors halfway across the worlds in the Soviet Union, and the Soviets even sent scouts to Canada to watch the games and make notes.
Equally important in some respects, referee Rudy Bata also travelled to Canada at this time to work with referees and linesmen and better understand the one ref-two-linesmen system used in North American hockey. Bata had worked the Summit Series in 1972 and understood the two-referee system was on its way out, and this 1974 World Juniors used the three-man system for the first time (with uneven results).
The 1975 World Juniors was played mostly in Winnipeg and Brandon, Manitoba, but three games were played in Minneapolis and one in Fargo, North Dakota. Top spot came down to the final day, a game between Canada and the Soviet Union, the visitors winning, 4-3. They were ahead 4-1 after two periods and a thrilling Canadian rally in front of more than 10,000 fans in Winnipeg fell just short.
Viktor Khatulev was named tournament MVP. The Canadians were coached by Jackie McLeod, who had plenty of experience both as a player and coach in international hockey. Two notable stars on the team were Brian Sutter and Bryan Trottier. McLeod’s team was composed of players from the Western Canadian Hockey League.
The final pre-IIHF tournament of under-20 players took place in Finland in 1975-76. The Americans did not send a team, so the five nations which did participate played four games in a round robin, the Soviets coming out on top again, followed by Canada and Czechoslovakia. Canada, which had been represented by an OHL team in the first year and a Western team the following year, were represented by the Sherbrooke Beavers of the Quebec league this time and were coached by Ghislain Delage. Finland and Sweden finished in a tie for fourth place with 1-3 records.
Historical hockey context in the 1970s
Throughout these years the amount of interest in international hockey grew by leaps and bounds. Borje Salming and Inge Hammarstrom had joined the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1973, and European teams were coming to Canada to tour on a regular basis. In 1975-76, Soviet teams played NHL teams for the first time, including the famous New Year’s Eve game in Montreal and the infamous “They’re going home!” game in Philadelphia to conclude the eight-game tour.
As well, the WHA started in 1972 and was a ground-breaking league, looking to Europe for players, and in 1974 the WHA All-Stars played the Soviets in an eight-game series that tried to replicate the success of the historic 1972 Series. The success of these events continued in 1976 with the playing of the first truly professional international event, the Canada Cup.
In IIHF play, however, there was a major vacuum. Canada had pulled out of international hockey in 1970 to protest the Soviet use of professional players (“shamateurs” as they were called) and their own inability to use semi-pros to level the playing field. But in 1977, under negotiations with IIHF president Gunther Sabetzki, Canada returned and was allowed to use whatever players it wanted for the World Championship. With the air cleared, the Canada Cup a new event on the international schedule, and Europeans now flocking to the NHL and WHA, the opportunity to develop international hockey was never as great as the later part of the 1970s.
And it was in this atmosphere of optimism and prosperity that the IIHF took on the invitational World Juniors and made it an official international event, with teams in A Pool and lower pools playing for gold, silver, and bronze under the auspices of the IIHF.
In December 1976, the IIHF World Junior Championship was born. Every Tuesday, the IIHF will bring you a flashback to five specific World Juniors tournaments. In total, ten articles will revisit some of the greatest moments in IIHF World Junior Championship history.
It all started in Leningrad, Soviet Union, on December 27, 1973, when Czechoslovakia beat Sweden, 6-4. Six teams took part in a round-robin tournament that saw the Soviets, Finns, and Canadians finish 1-2-3. But there was so much more to this event. Leading up to the games, the Canadians and Americans played two exhibition matches to prepare, one in Minneapolis and one in Peterborough, Ontario. The Americans were coached by Murray Williamson, and Canada was represented by the OHL’s Peterborough Petes, coached by Roger Neilson. Incredibly, the Finns travelled to Canada and played eight games from coast to coast to prepare for the unofficial World Juniors halfway across the worlds in the Soviet Union, and the Soviets even sent scouts to Canada to watch the games and make notes.
Equally important in some respects, referee Rudy Bata also travelled to Canada at this time to work with referees and linesmen and better understand the one ref-two-linesmen system used in North American hockey. Bata had worked the Summit Series in 1972 and understood the two-referee system was on its way out, and this 1974 World Juniors used the three-man system for the first time (with uneven results).
The 1975 World Juniors was played mostly in Winnipeg and Brandon, Manitoba, but three games were played in Minneapolis and one in Fargo, North Dakota. Top spot came down to the final day, a game between Canada and the Soviet Union, the visitors winning, 4-3. They were ahead 4-1 after two periods and a thrilling Canadian rally in front of more than 10,000 fans in Winnipeg fell just short.
Viktor Khatulev was named tournament MVP. The Canadians were coached by Jackie McLeod, who had plenty of experience both as a player and coach in international hockey. Two notable stars on the team were Brian Sutter and Bryan Trottier. McLeod’s team was composed of players from the Western Canadian Hockey League.
The final pre-IIHF tournament of under-20 players took place in Finland in 1975-76. The Americans did not send a team, so the five nations which did participate played four games in a round robin, the Soviets coming out on top again, followed by Canada and Czechoslovakia. Canada, which had been represented by an OHL team in the first year and a Western team the following year, were represented by the Sherbrooke Beavers of the Quebec league this time and were coached by Ghislain Delage. Finland and Sweden finished in a tie for fourth place with 1-3 records.
Historical hockey context in the 1970s
Throughout these years the amount of interest in international hockey grew by leaps and bounds. Borje Salming and Inge Hammarstrom had joined the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1973, and European teams were coming to Canada to tour on a regular basis. In 1975-76, Soviet teams played NHL teams for the first time, including the famous New Year’s Eve game in Montreal and the infamous “They’re going home!” game in Philadelphia to conclude the eight-game tour.
As well, the WHA started in 1972 and was a ground-breaking league, looking to Europe for players, and in 1974 the WHA All-Stars played the Soviets in an eight-game series that tried to replicate the success of the historic 1972 Series. The success of these events continued in 1976 with the playing of the first truly professional international event, the Canada Cup.
In IIHF play, however, there was a major vacuum. Canada had pulled out of international hockey in 1970 to protest the Soviet use of professional players (“shamateurs” as they were called) and their own inability to use semi-pros to level the playing field. But in 1977, under negotiations with IIHF president Gunther Sabetzki, Canada returned and was allowed to use whatever players it wanted for the World Championship. With the air cleared, the Canada Cup a new event on the international schedule, and Europeans now flocking to the NHL and WHA, the opportunity to develop international hockey was never as great as the later part of the 1970s.
And it was in this atmosphere of optimism and prosperity that the IIHF took on the invitational World Juniors and made it an official international event, with teams in A Pool and lower pools playing for gold, silver, and bronze under the auspices of the IIHF.
In December 1976, the IIHF World Junior Championship was born. Every Tuesday, the IIHF will bring you a flashback to five specific World Juniors tournaments. In total, ten articles will revisit some of the greatest moments in IIHF World Junior Championship history.