2000 World Hockey Challenge

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.