If you’re a Canadian hockey fan, you’re probably feeling pretty good right now. 

Canada has absolutely steamrolled its way to the World Junior Championship game with a dominance unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. The kids from up North have yet to allow a regulation goal, and have outscored their opponents 37-3 through their first six games played. 

On the surface level, it seems like this Canadian team is too good to even make these games interesting. How could anyone beat this team of genuine all-stars that are almost all first-round NHL draft picks? Listen, weirder things have happened, and even though the teams are different every year and it might be hard to believe, Canada hasn’t beat the USA in a Gold Medal game since 1997. 

That’s right, people. While you might have more recent memories of Canada beating the USA in Gold Medal games in other tournaments, Canada hasn’t beaten the USA in the Gold medal game of the World Juniors since the pre-cell phone era. Let that sink in. 

The 1997 World Junior team that last beat the USA featured names like Joe Thornton and Trevor Letowski. Yeah, it was THAT long ago. 

As you probably know, though, that wasn’t the last time that Canada and the USA have met in the World Juniors gold medal game. They’ve met three times since then in 2004, 2010, and 2017: the USA won all three of those contests. The last two are probably the most painful for Canadian fans to remember, as 2017 ended in a shootout that made Troy Terry an American hero, and John Carlson will be remembered in the same way as a result of his OT winner in 2010. 

In case you needed a reminder, here’s both of the goals that sent many Canadian remote controls flying. 

 

 

 

Will Canada end the drought tonight to win two Gold Medals in a row? We’re on the edge of our seats to find out.