After over a decade of instability in Europe, the World
Hockey Challenge saw all the nations from the previous tournament return fully
intact for the first time since 1988. That 1988 tournament had also been the
last time Team Canada had come away with the Challenge Cup thanks to heroics
from a 20-year-old kid named Vincent Ducharme. Twelve years and three Lewis
Cups later, Ducharme was now among the greatest players in PHL history and had
been named the captain of the Canadian team in the summer of 1999.
Unfortunately, knee problems had sidelined Ducharme and he had announced just
prior to the tournament that he would be unable to play. Filling Ducharme’s massive
skates as the Canadian captain would be 22-year-old budding star Jared Baxter
of the Philadelphia Redshirts. Baxter would lead a young team all around whose
key players would include 22-year-old Joe Murdock, 24-year-old Randy McAllen,
and 19-year-old Brad McNair. Aaron Duplacy and Adam Lawless would be the only
remaining players from that 1988 team.
Despite the loss of Ducharme, Canada seemed to roll over the
competition during the round robin, going undefeated with their biggest victory
a 14-1 thumping of Germany with both Murdock and Jeremy Sutton scoring
hat-tricks. Their toughest game had been against Sweden, on the final day of
round-robin play, when they were forced to come back twice from a two-goal
deficit before Baxter won the game with only 19 seconds left. It would be
Sweden’s only loss in a tournament where they had brought the strongest team
they ever had, full of PHL talent led by LA’ Viktor Skogg, Miami’s Jonas
Andersson and Quebec’s Anders Hendriksson.
In Group A, Both the Americans and the Russians entered the
tournament with high expectations. Team USA boasted a strong mix of veterans
and youth, led by defensemen Kevin Hoyle and Scott Drayton, and forwards Jason
Crowley, Kyle Boone, and Scott Rose. Meanwhile, the Russians welcomed legend
Vladimir Gaganov back from retirement in addition to a strong squad featuring
PHL superstars such as Igor Kharitonov, Igor Zharkov, and Sergei Gulinov. In
Russia’s opening game against Finland, the Chicago crowd gave Gaganov a
standing ovation before the 40-year-old became the oldest player in tournament
history to score a hat-trick in a 6-2 Russian win. The Russians and Americans
were slated to meet on the last day of the round-robin in a rematch of the 1996
final, a game many felt would decide first place. After the Russians cruised
through their first three games, the Americans shockingly had to settle for a tie
against the Czech Republic. Team USA now needed a win in the final game to take
top spot, while the Russians needed only a tie. The game would be close, with
the teams deadlocked at 2-2 through two periods. Early in the third, a point
shot from Randy Fernandez gave the Americans the lead, but it was followed
seconds later by a Zharkov goal to tie the game. Needing a win, the Americans
pulled goaltender Matt Darwin in the final seconds of the game. Team USA made a
push for the winner, but Andrei Alexeev sealed the win for Russia with an empty
net goal as the Russians took first place.
It was expected that Russia’s reward for their first place
finish would be a date with Finland in the Quaterfinals. The Fins entered their
final game against Great Britain without a win, but confident going up against
a British squad featuring only a handful of PHL players. Despite their lack of
big names, however, the Brits were a confident team as well. “I think we’ll surprise
some people here” said captain Bruce Evans, a PHL star with the Long Island
Concordes. The British team certainly did surprise everyone, beginning with a
tie against the Czechs. Facing a struggling Finnish team, the British held the
Fins to a 2-1 lead through the third period, before pulling goaltender Brayden
Thomas in an attempt to tie the game. With only six seconds left, winger Jesse
Wallace beat goaltender Antti Paavola to tie the game. The time ran out and the
British players piled off the bench and celebrated. The tie meant that Great
Britain would advance to the medal round, while Finland would be going home. “Probably
the biggest upset in hockey history without anyone actually winning or losing”
said one analyst after the game.
The British team would continue their impressive tenacity in
the quarterfinal against their Commonwealth rivals, Team Canada. The Canadians
were largely expected to roll over the British, so naturally it was a shock
when Britain scored the opening goal, while Brayden Thomas was spectacular in
net. By the third period, the teams were tied 2-2. Both Thomas and Jake Borman
continued to shut the door through the third period. Finally, with just four
minutes left, Winnipeg Pioneers captain Dan Crow proved to be the hero, beating
Thomas for the winner to send Canada to the semifinal against Sweden, who had
defeated the Czechs 6-3.
In the Semifinals, the Russians and Americans faced off again
in what was quickly becoming the biggest rivalry in international hockey. Team
USA was coming off a 4-1 victory over Slovakia in the quarters, while the
Russians had just routed Germany 7-2. The Americans came out hitting early on
and the physical pressure seemed to work, as Scott Rose opened the scoring
midway through the first period. The Americans held the lead well through the
second period as elite defensemen Scott Drayton, Randy Fernandez, and Kevin
Hoyle allowed minimal Russian pressure on Matt Darwin. Halfway through the
third, Russia began to turn things around. Alexei Stepanov of the Cleveland
Cosmos suddenly tied the game. Seconds later, Stepanov’s Cleveland teammate,
Sergei Gulinov put Russia ahead 2-1. The Americans were suddenly on their
heels, trying desperately to tie a game they had led for over 50 minutes.
Despite some decent chances in the final minutes, they would fall short, as
Ilya Severov of the Long Island Concordes clinched the victory for the Russians
with an empty-net goal. Team Russia would have the opportunity to defend their
title against Canada, who had beaten Sweden earlier that afternoon.
Throughout the history of the World Hockey Challenge, no
other rivalry matched Canada vs Russia. While the Russia/USA rivalry had heated
up considerably over the course of the 2000 tournament, the Russians still came
to Chicago primarily prepared to face the Canadians, while the heartbreaking
semifinal loss to the Russians in 1996 still weighed heavily across Canada.
On the day of the championship game, the maple leaf was a
common sight as the Garfield Center was packed with fans who had made the trip
from all over Canada. Up north, living rooms, bars, and even some movie
theaters were packed with excited fans across the country. The game itself was
a tight contest, remaining scoreless until the third period while nervous fans
across both countries held their breath. Jake Borman and Alexei Rolonov were
both spectacular in net as both teams had several scoring chances. It was the
Russians who finally opened the scoring, with 1996 tournament MVP Igor Zharkov
beating Borman with a hard wrist shot. With nine minutes left in the game,
Canada needed a big goal. Joe Murdock nearly tied the game on a breakaway with
three minutes left, but Rolonov stopped him. The clock wound down to just 57
seconds left when the Canadians finally pulled Borman in an attempt to tie it.
After Rolonov turned away chance after chance, Milwaukee Choppers captain Brent
Zahorsky banged in a rebound to tie the game with just 8 seconds left. The roar
in Canada could be heard from Victoria to St. John’s. Team Canada was still
alive. Overtime solved nothing so for the first time in WHC history, the title
game would go to a shootout.
As the home team, Russia elected to shoot last. Zahorsky and
Brett Delaney both failed to score, as did Andrei Alexeev and Igor Kharitonov
for the Russians. After Brad McNair hit the post, Igor Zharkov finally broke
the deadlock, pressuring Jared Baxter to respond. Baxter deked Rolonov and put
the puck top corner and the shootout was tied once again. Alexei Stepanov would
shoot fourth for Russia. Stepanov went in fast and snapped the puck past Borman
to restore Russia’s lead. Canada’s hope of survival fell on the stick of Joe
Murdock, who attempted to deke Rolonov. Rolonov stuck out his left leg and got
just enough of the puck that it deflected over the net. The Russian players
poured over the bench and mobbed their goaltender, who took home MVP honours,
while the devastated Canadians consoled eachother. The loss only capped off a
decade full of heartbreak in which the country had lost two beloved PHL
franchises, and now three straight World Hockey Challenges. Meanwhile, Russia
had become the only team besides Canada to win multiple World Hockey Challenges
and to win two back-to-back. Vladimir Gaganov confirmed that this was the
extent of his comeback, he would not return to the PHL. But with young
superstars like Igor Zharkov and Sergei Gulinov leading the way, Russia had now
clearly taken over as the leading country in the hockey world.
