Team Canada/2012 CANADA-RUSSIA CHALLENGE

2012 CANADA-RUSSIA CHALLENGE

The Canada-Russia Challenge is the first step in identifying players for Canada’s National Junior Team for the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship, which will be held from Dec. 26, 2012 to Jan. 5, 2013 in Ufa, Russia. It will pay tribute to the 40th anniversary of the 1972 Summit Series.

So now we return to the continuation of this set.

#33

All even

Now at 1-1-1

#34

Yuri Blinov

"Against the Canadians our players had to play over their heads, otherwise they were over-matched. Some did not play to their potential. One was Yuri Blinov."

#35

Jocelyn Guevremont

The Vancouver Canucks selected Guevremont third overall behind none other than hockey legends Guy Lafleur and Marcel Dionne.

#36

Vic Hadfield

Hadfield now owns the Vic Hadfield Driving Range and instructional centre in Oakville.

#37

Yuri Lebedev

 He scored a hat trick against the Netherlands during the 1980 Winter Olympic games

#38

Vyacheslav Starshinov/Yevgeny Poladiev

Starshinov was inducted into the Russian and Soviet Hockey Hall of Fame in 1963 and the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame in 2007.

 "Some of our players looked out of place with the Canadian professionals. Paladiev was one of them and that is why he didn't see much action in the series."

#39

Disaster

Alan Eagleson honestly admitted "We stunk the joint out."

A crowd of 15,570 Vancouver fans echoed the rest of Canada's sentiments as they routinely booed Team Canada. At the conclusion of the game, Team Canada was booed right off the ice.

#40

Address to the Nation

Phil Esposito's famous emotional outburst on national television.

"To the people across Canada, we tried, we gave it our best, and to the people that boo us, geez, I'm really, all of us guys are really disheartened and we're disillusioned, and we're disappointed at some of the people. We cannot believe the bad press we've got, the booing we've gotten in our own buildings. If the Russians boo their players, the fans... Russians boo their players... Some of the Canadian fans—I'm not saying all of them, some of them booed us, then I'll come back and I'll apologize to each one of the Canadians, but I don't think they will. I'm really, really... I'm really disappointed. I am completely disappointed. I cannot believe it. Some of our guys are really, really down in the dumps, we know, we're trying like hell. I mean, we're doing the best we can, and they got a good team, and let's face facts. But it doesn't mean that we're not giving it our 150%, because we certainly are.

I mean, the more - everyone of us guys, 35 guys that came out and played for Team Canada. We did it because we love our country, and not for any other reason, no other reason. They can throw the money, uh, for the pension fund out the window. They can throw anything they want out the window. We came because we love Canada. And even though we play in the United States, and we earn money in the United States, Canada is still our home, and that's the only reason we come. And I don't think it's fair that we should be booed

Now on to Russia behind the proverbial eight ball.