1984 World Hockey Challenge

 Standings

The 1984 World Hockey Challenge took place at the new PhillyDome in Philadelphia. The tournament featured a new entry, Norway withdrew from the competition after a winless 1980 tournament and West Germany was added in their place. The Germans did not fare much better than the Norwegians, losing all three games including a horrific 13-0 loss to Canada. The Soviets proved to be the top team in the Round Robin, going a perfect 3-0 with Sergei Krayev and Alexei Yurlov leading the way. The Canadians hoped to finish first in the Round Robin heading into their final game against the United States, but had to settle for a tie. The Medal Round opened with a pair of routes, Canada defeated the British 8-0, while the Soviets beat West Germany 13-0. Finland defeated Czechoslovakia while the host Americans took down Sweden in a dramatic overtime showdown thanks to a big goal from Craig Bush. “Who would’ve thought I’d ever get a standing ovation in Philly” Said the Bulldogs forward.

The Semifinals began with one of the biggest upsets in the tournament’s history when Finland upset the Soviets 4-3. Adding to the excitement for the Philadelphia crowd, Redshirts goaltender Antero Parvainen turned in a heroic effort for the Fins, making 59 saves. In the other semifinal, Canada faced the United States. The home team got off to a quick start, jumping to an early 2-0 lead, before the Canadians tied the game up 2-2. After a wild third period that saw a pair of goals each from David Appelby and Craig Davidson, the teams entered overtime tied 4-4. Canadian goaltender John Gage made several spectacular saves for the Canadians as the Americans pressed hard early on. Finally, with only a minute to go in the extra frame, Stuart Burns scored on a breakaway, sending the Canadians to their third consecutive Final, where they would face the Fins.

The Championship game was much closer than expected, as the teams took a 3-3 tie into the third period. About six minutes into the third, David Appleby connected Danny Stevenson with a beautiful pass as Stevenson beat Parvainen to put Canada up 4-3. Finland pulled Parvainen in the dying moments of the game in an attempt to tie it but Brian Hunt managed to find the empty net with just under twelve seconds left to seal the victory for Canada. The Canadian players piled off the bench and David Appleby was presented with the World Challenge Cup. Appleby was also named tournament MVP with eight points, while Antero Parvainen was named top goaltender, much to the delight of the Philly crowd.

Medal Round