O Canada was never played that day nearly 20 years ago.
A proud group of teenagers with smiles on their faces and the Maple Leaf on their chests stood on the blueline, waiting to hear their national anthem after a 3-3 tie against Czechoslovakia gave Canada its first gold medal in world junior hockey on Jan. 2, 1982. But they waited and waited.
Depending on which story you believe, the problem was either that tournament organizers in Rochester, Minn., thought the Czechs were going to win and there was no Canadian anthem to be played, or the International Ice Hockey Federation doesn't play an anthem when there is a tie.
"The bottom line is they should have played it because we had won the gold medal," said Mike Moller, Canada's leading scorer that year with five goals and 14 points in seven games.
Instead, after the gold medals were handed out, the Canadian players sang O Canada a cappella.
"It wasn't planned, but finally a few guys at the end of the line said, 'Sing it ourselves, boys,' " Moller said. "So we stood there shoulder to shoulder and belted out what was probably the worst rendition of our national anthem."
The 1982 team hit all the right notes, however, in kick-starting a national junior program that has produced 10 gold, two silver and two bronze medals and an unmatched record of 94 wins, 25 losses and 19 ties at the worlds.
Canada has not struck gold, however, since 1997. This year's squad, which will begin play on Christmas Day against France, is attempt to end that drought.
For Marc Habscheid, the challenge of striking gold has come full circle. He was a forward on the 1982 team, scoring six goals and 12 points, and is an assistant coach with this year's squad.
"Winning 20 years ago has been on my mind," said Habscheid, who coaches the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League. "We were the first group assembled and we won. What I remember is the closeness of that team. Even today we remain close."
The boys of 1982 have no current plans for a reunion. However, defenceman Gary Nylund wants to bring the group together in five years for the silver anniversary. W ith the exception of the Wayne Gretzky-led junior all-star team in 1978 that captured the bronze medal, the Memorial Cup winner used to represent Canada at the world juniors.
In 1981, the star-studded Cornwall Royals took up the challenge. But despite having a roster that included standout juniors such as Dale Hawerchuk, Doug Gilmour, Marc Crawford, Eric Calder and Roy Russell, the Royals finished seventh.
"It was an embarrassment," said Murray Costello, the former Canadian Hockey Association president. "With all the good young players in this country, we had to look at alternatives."
Costello and his CHA sidekick at the time, Dennis MacDonald, felt the national team approach was the best. So Costello lobbied the federal government and received startup funding. The program was off to the races.
That summer, Costello contacted three coaches -- Dave King, Mike Keenan and Jacques Lemaire -- to run a summer camp in Kingston. The coaching trio built the foundation for a number of candidates who would make up the team in December.
King, who was then coaching at the University of Saskatchewan, was the only one of the three free to coach during the Christmas holidays. Along with co-general managers Sherry Bassin and Bob Strum, King sent 31 invitations for the final tryout camp that was held a week before the tournament. Only 21 showed up.
"The major junior clubs weren't gung ho about lending us their players," Costello said. "We didn't know if any guys would show up."
Among those who didn't show up were injured Tony Tanti of the Oshawa Generals, Defenceman Steve Smith, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and Brent Sutter of the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
"This tournament was in the middle of the season and some teams did not want to give up their stars," Moller said. "I played with Sutter in Lethbridge and he was not released. But my dad told Murray [Costello] 'If you want my [sons] they will be there.' "
Late invitations were extended to Mike's brother, Randy, Paul Cyr, Dave Morrison and Pierre Rioux, who all made the team.
The selection process was not without controversy. On the final day, it was determined that Kitchener Rangers forward Brian Bellows would not recover from a separated shoulder in time, so he was sent home. And the final cut was defenceman Al MacInnis.
Strum, the general manager of the Regina Pats at the time, had his standout blueliner Garth Butcher drive in from Regina as a last-minute replacement.
"I used to remind Al every time I would see him," Butcher said. "He's getting the last laugh now."
Two decades later, MacInnis isn't interested in discussing the matter publicly.
"It's between the people involved," the classy defenceman said. "The bottom line is they won the gold medal and I'm glad they did."
Canada had 19 players from major junior, Troy Murray and James Patrick from the University of North Dakota and Carey Wilson, who after a season with the Calgary Wranglers and two years at Dartmouth College, was playing in Finland with IFK Helsinki. E ven though the 1982 world junior tournament was put on by the United States and based in Minnesota, Canada opened the round-robin event with its first three games in Winnipeg. The curtain raiser saw King celebrate his 34th birthday with a 5-1 win against Finland.
In the second game, against defending champion Sweden, Canadian captain Murray tied the score 2-2 and hometown hero Wilson scored the winner with 5 minutes 19 seconds remaining.
The biggest test was on Boxing Day against the Soviet Union. Both teams were undefeated. The Winnipeg Arena was jammed and the game was broadcast coast to coast on CTV. It was no contest. Bruce Eakin, Mark Morrison (no relation to Dave), Habscheid, Moller, Scott Arniel, Cyr and Paul Boutilier scored in a 7-0 romp by Canada. Mike Moffat got the shutout.
The crowd went wild. The lobbies were so jammed with jubilation that the Canadian players had difficulty escaping the party. To this day, the result remains Canada's largest shutout victory over the powerful Soviets.
"At that time, we were still the underdogs," Wilson said. "But when we clobbered the [Soviets] it hit us that we were a darn good team. It sort of turned the tide for Canadian teams to come because now this country is expected to win gold every year."
The next night, Canada was to play the United States at the Met Centre in Bloomington, Minn., the home of the defunct North Stars of the National Hockey League. Rather than endure a nine-hour bus ride from Winnipeg, Bassin persuaded the CHA to spring for a chartered flight to combat a host team that included Chris Chelios, Phil Housley and John Vanbiesbrouck.
"There were 13,000 people in that arena and 12,980 of them were waving U.S. flags," Bassin said. "They outshot us 18-4 in the first period."
On the strength of Frank Caprice's netminding, Canada escaped the opening period down only 2-0. Trailing 4-3 in the second period, Rioux scored a power-play goal and Habscheid scored early in the third period to lift Canada to a 5-4 victory.
Easy-as-pie 11-3 and 11-1 victories against Germany and Switzerland, respectively, set up the final against Czechoslovakia, in which Canada, 6-0, needed a tie to win the gold medal because the Czechs carried a 5-1 record into the match. S uddenly, the country was in a frenzy over the thought of its first international gold medal since the Trail Smoke Eaters won the 1961 world championship.
However, there was no national television coverage of the final. No newspaper reporters had followed the Canadian team until the final, when representatives of The Globe and Mail, London Free Press and The Toronto Star scurried to Rochester for the game. The only broadcast for Canadians was on CBC Radio, as Fred Walker and Gerry Fogarty called the action from scaffolding erected inside the 3,000-seat arena.
Tournament organizers considered moving the game to the Met Centre, where organizers had the U.S.-Soviet match scheduled. But they decided not to strip Rochester of its day in the limelight.
It looked bleak for Canada as the Czechs held a 2-1 advantage after 40 minutes. Boutilier scored the Canadian goal.
During the second intermission, Bassin persuaded an organizer to lend him a gold medal. The emotionally charged general manager walked around in the dressing room, waving the prize.
"He told us we could touch it, but not hold it," said Moffat, who made 38 saves against the Czechoslovaks.
Bassin went on to ask how many players had won city and provincial championships. He then said, "Well, if you don't win this third period, you will only be able to tell people you were 20 minutes away from being world champions.' "
Canada busted out with goals from by Habscheid and Moller for a 3-2 lead. The Czechs scored the tying goal, but it wasn't enough to deny the Canadians their golden moment.
"The party lasted a long time in Rochester," Bassin said. "We realized we had to get back to Minneapolis for the official ceremony. Then this rink rat, the guy who drove the Zamboni, hands me a piece of paper with a 613 phone number on it and says, 'Some guy named [Pierre]Trudeau has been trying to get a hold of you guys.' We tried to phone the Prime Minister, but no one answered.
"I wish I would have kept that piece of paper as a souvenir."
Every member of the team went on to play in the NHL, a fact that can be said only of the 1982, 1985, 1990 and 1991 national junior teams. Patrick is still playing, with the Buffalo Sabres, while Mark Morrison plays for the Fife Flyers in Scotland.
Murray went on to win a National Collegiate Athletic Association championship with North Dakota and a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996.
"When you win something together, there is always a bond you have with your teammates," Murray said. "It doesn't matter how much time goes by." The class of 1982
NHL
Current
Player
games
residence
Current job
Scott Arniel 730 Winnipeg Assistant coach with
Manitoba Moose of AHL
Paul Boutilier 288 Halifax Vice-president,
World Curling Tour
Garth Butcher 897 Bellingham, Wash Coaches and helps run
local minor hockey program
Frank Caprice 102 Hamilton Works for Ontario Lottery
and Gaming Corporation
Paul Cyr 470 Port Alberni, B.C Part-owner of a
construction company
Bruce Eakin 13 Orlando, Fla Owner of an ice cream shop
Marc Habscheid 345 Kelowna, B.C Coach of the Kelowna
Rockets of WHL
Gord Kluzak 299 Boston Financial manager and
Bruins' TV analyst
Moe Lemay 317 Germany Building houses
in Dortmund, Germany
Mike Moffat 19 Unionville, Ont District salesman for
building supply company
Mike Moller 134 Red Deer, Alta Rebels radio analyst and
in insurance business
Randy Moller 815 Boca Raton, Fla Florida Panthers radio analyst
Dave Morrison 39 Port Franks, Ont Scout with the Vancouver Canucks
Mark Morrison 10 Scotland Still playing with the
Fife Flyers in British League
Troy Murray 915 Chicago Commodities trader and
Blackhawks studio analyst
Gary Nylund 608 Delta, B.C In his seventh year
as a firefighter
James Patrick 1,125+ Buffalo In his 18th NHL season
with Buffalo
Pierre Rioux 14 Saint-Georges, Que Coach of the Saint-Georges
Garaga of QSPHL
Todd Strueby 5 Regina Police officer
Carey Wilson 552 Winnipeg Operates his own
kids hockey program
Management
Bob Strum (co-general manager) Columbus Blue Jackets'
pro scout director
Sherry Bassin (co-GM/assistant coach) Governor/GM of the
Erie Ottots of the OHL
Dave King (head coach) Coach of the
Columbus Blue Jackets
Research: TIM WHARNSBY