Punch-up in Piestany
Encyclopedia
Bench-clearing brawl
A bench-clearing brawl, sometimes known as a basebrawl or a rhubarb, is a form of ritualistic fighting that occurs in sports, most notably baseball and ice hockey, in which every player on both teams leave their dugouts, bullpens, or benches and charge the playing area in order to fight one...
between Canada
Canada national junior hockey team
The Canadian men's national under 20 ice hockey team is the national under-20 ice hockey team in Canada. The team represents Canada at the International Ice Hockey Federation's World Junior Hockey Championship, held annually every December and January...
and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
during the final game of the 1987 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
1987 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1987 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 11th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Piešťany, Trenčín, Nitra, and Topoľčany, Czechoslovakia . Finland captured its first World Junior gold medal. Czechoslovakia captured the silver, and Sweden the bronze...
in Piešťany
Pieštany
Piešťany is a town in Slovakia. It is located in the western part of the country within the Trnava Region and is the seat of its own district. It is the biggest and best known spa town in Slovakia and has around 30,000 inhabitants.-History:...
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
(today Piešťany, Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
) on January 4, 1987. The incident resulted in the ejection of both nations, and while the Soviets had already been eliminated from medal contention, the disqualification cost Canada a certain medal – potentially the gold. The brawl is famous for officials having turned off the arena lights in a desperate attempt at ending the 20 minute melee. Much of the blame was placed on Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
referee Hans Rønning, who was selected for the game based on his perceived neutrality rather than experience.
Following the brawl, the International Ice Hockey Federation
International Ice Hockey Federation
The International Ice Hockey Federation is the worldwide governing body for ice hockey and in-line hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 70 members...
(IIHF) suspended the players involved for 18 months and the coaches for three years. The players' suspensions were later reduced to six months on appeal, allowing several players from both teams to return for the 1988 tournament
1988 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1988 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 12th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Moscow, Soviet Union. Canada and the Soviet Union won the gold and silver medals respectively as the two nations redeemed themselves following their mutual...
in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. Both nations won medals in 1988; Canada won the gold medal while the Soviets won silver.
The brawl dramatically raised the profile of the World Junior Hockey Championships in Canada, where it is now one of the top events on the annual sports calendar. The fervent patriotism displayed by Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
analyst Don Cherry in the aftermath led to a sharp rise in his own popularity with Canadian fans. Several players in that game went on to play in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
, including Brendan Shanahan
Brendan Shanahan
Brendan Frederick "Shanny" Shanahan is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey winger who currently serves as the National Hockey League's Vice President of Hockey and Business Development and head disciplinarian. Originally drafted by the New Jersey Devils second overall in the 1987 NHL Entry...
, Theoren Fleury
Theoren Fleury
Theoren Wallace "Theo" Fleury is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player for the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers, and Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League , Tappara of Finland's SM-liiga, and the Belfast Giants of the UK's Elite Ice Hockey League...
, Sergei Fedorov
Sergei Fedorov
Sergei Viktorovich Fedorov is a Russian professional ice hockey forward and occasional defenceman...
and Alexander Mogilny
Alexander Mogilny
Alexander Gennadevitch Mogilny is a former Russian professional ice hockey player, currently the team consultant of the KHL team Amur Khabarovsk. Mogilny was best known for his lightning quick speed and lethal wrist shot in his early years, which led to his career year of 76 goals in the 1992–93...
.
Hockey's "Cold War"
Canada and the Soviet Union had engaged in an increasingly intense rivalry since the Soviets first emerged on the international scene by winning the 19541954 in sports
1954 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* NFL Championship – Cleveland Browns win 56-10 over the Detroit Lions* Ohio State Buckeyes - college football champions.-Artistic gymnastics:* 1954 World Championships...
World Ice Hockey Championships. From 1963 until 1983, the Soviets captured 17 World Championship titles amidst repeated accusations from Canada that their teams were made up of professionals masquerading as amateurs. The accusations eventually led to Canada boycotting the 1972 Olympic hockey tournament
Ice hockey at the 1972 Winter Olympics
At the 1972 Winter Olympics held in Sapporo, Japan, one ice hockey event was held: men's ice hockey. Games were held at the Makomanai Ice Arena and at the Tsukisamu Indoor Skating Rink.-Team USA:...
. Finally, the 1972 Summit Series was organized, pitting the Soviet all-stars against Canada's NHL all-stars. The eight game series was won by Canada 4–3–1 as Paul Henderson
Paul Henderson
Paul Henderson is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. A left winger, Henderson played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs and Atlanta Flames...
scored the winning goal in the deciding contest. The Soviets handily won a second Summit Series
1974 Summit Series
The 1974 Summit Series was the second of two competitions between Soviet and Canadian professional ice hockey players. Canada was represented by World Hockey Association players instead of National Hockey League players, as it had been in the 1972 Summit Series. The Soviet team won the series 4-1-3...
against World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
all-stars in 1974. The series led to the creation of the Canada Cup
Canada Cup (ice hockey)
The Canada Cup was an invitational international ice hockey tournament held on five occasions between 1976 and 1991. The tournament was created to meet demand for a true world championship that allowed the best players from participating nations to compete regardless of their status as professional...
, a tournament held five times between 1976 and 1991. Canada won four titles, losing to the Soviet Union in 1981. Also from 1976 until 1991, top Soviet club teams toured the NHL in what became known as the Super Series
Super Series
The Super Series were exhibition games between Soviet teams and NHL teams that took place on each NHL opponents' home ice in North America from 1976 to 1991. The Soviet teams were usually club teams from the Soviet hockey league. The exception was in 1983, when the Soviet National Team represented...
.
The World Junior Championships were formally created in 1977, and to that point had been dominated by the Soviet Union with seven championships. Until 1982, Canada sent either their Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
champion or an all-star team. 1982 was the first time Canada sent a national junior team, under the auspices of Hockey Canada
Hockey Canada
Hockey Canada, formally known as the Canadian Hockey Association, is the national governing body of ice hockey in Canada and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. Hockey Canada controls a vast majority of ice hockey in Canada, with a few exceptions...
's Program of Excellence. The Canadians won that tournament, and again in 1985.
The "Cold War" culminated in 1987 with Rendez-vous '87
Rendez-vous '87
Rendez-vous '87 was an international ice hockey series of games between the Soviet national ice hockey team and a team of All-Stars from the National Hockey League, held in Quebec City. It replaced the NHL's All-Star festivities for the 1986–87 NHL season...
, as the Soviet national team played a two game series against the NHL all-stars in place of the NHL All-Star Game. The series was split, with the NHL winning the first game 4–3, and the Soviets the second, 5–3. The 1987 Canada Cup
1987 Canada Cup
The 1987 Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament held from August 28 to September 15, 1987. The finals took place in Montreal on September 11 and Hamilton, Ontario, on September 13 and September 15, and were won by Team Canada....
followed, and was won by Canada two-games-to-one, with the third game being described as the greatest in hockey history. The winning goal was scored by Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux, OC, CQ is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006...
on a pass from Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
.
Game summary
In 1987, the World Junior Hockey Championship was a round robinRound-robin tournament
A round-robin tournament is a competition "in which each contestant meets all other contestants in turn".-Terminology:...
tournament. The teams with the top three records won the gold, silver and bronze medals, with ties broken by goal differential. Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
had finished their schedule with a 5–1–1 record to lead the tournament. Canada entered the game with a 4–1–1 record, and had already been assured the bronze medal. A victory against the Soviets would have guaranteed Canada the silver, and a victory by more than four goals would have won the gold medal. The Soviet Union, entering the game with a 2–3–1 record, had already been eliminated from medal contention. The match-up between the two squads was deliberately scheduled to be the final game of the tournament as organizers expected at least one of the teams would be playing for the gold medal.
The IIHF assigned Norway's Hans Rønning as the referee for this game. The assignment was made based on his neutrality despite his inexperience officiating at the international level. Upon hearing of Rønning's assignment, Canadian representative Dennis McDonald sought out IIHF supervisor of officials, René Fasel
René Fasel
René Fasel DMD is a Swiss dentist and ice hockey official. He started his ice hockey career as a player for HC Fribourg-Gottéron, in 1960, and became a referee in 1972 and president of Switzerland's ice hockey federation in 1985. In 1994 he was elected president of the International Ice Hockey...
, hoping to convince him to select a different referee. Aside from the question of his competence to call a game of this magnitude, the Canadians were concerned about Rønning following an earlier game in the tournament he officiated between Canada and the United States
USA Hockey
USA Hockey is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic Committee as the governing body for amateur ice hockey in the United States and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. The organization is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and has...
. A wild brawl had broken out during the pre-game warm-ups against the Americans three days earlier. The officials were not on the ice when the melee occurred, however Rønning ejected one player from each team at random for starting the brawl. Canadian captain Steve Chiasson
Steve Chiasson
Steven Joseph Chiasson was a Canadian ice hockey defenceman with the NHL's Detroit Red Wings, Calgary Flames, Hartford Whalers and Carolina Hurricanes.-NHL career:...
was thus barred from the game against the Americans, as well as the following game after being assessed a match penalty. Unable to convince IIHF officials to change the assignment, McDonald was concerned about how the game would be played. Rønning's inexperience at that level was later identified as a significant cause of the brawl, as several stick infractions by both sides had gone uncalled, causing anger to rise between both teams.
Off the opening faceoff, Sergei Shesterikov elbowed Canadian Dave McLlwain
Dave McLlwain
David Allan McLlwain is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. McLlwain is best known for playing for a record four National Hockey League teams in one season during the 1991–92 season...
, who responded by cross-checking the Soviet player. Neither player was assessed a penalty. Five minutes in, Theoren Fleury
Theoren Fleury
Theoren Wallace "Theo" Fleury is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player for the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers, and Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League , Tappara of Finland's SM-liiga, and the Belfast Giants of the UK's Elite Ice Hockey League...
scored the opening goal for Canada. In celebrating the goal, Fleury slid across centre ice on his knees acting as if his stick was a machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
and pretended to "open fire" on the Soviet bench. Canadian Amateur Hockey Association
Canadian Amateur Hockey Association
The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association was the national governing body of amateur ice hockey play in Canada from 1914 until 1994 when it merged with the Canadian Hockey Association or Hockey Canada....
president Murray Costello
Murray Costello
Murray Costello was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2005 as a builder. He was president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association then Hockey Canada...
later called it an "inflammatory act, completely unnecessary, lacking any sort of respect." The first period continued in similar fashion with both teams repeatedly slashing their opponents and Canada emerging with a 3–1 lead. Interviewed by the CBC during the intermission, Fleury described the atmosphere on the ice: "The boys are up for the gold medal. Everybody is so tense. Tempers are flying. It's really tough out there... I can't believe it. It's so tense. It's so tense."
Early in the second period, the game was paused for a moment of silence in memory of four Swift Current Broncos
Swift Current Broncos
The Swift Current Broncos are a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League. Founded during 1967 in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, the Broncos played seven seasons before relocating to Lethbridge from 1974 to 1986 as the Lethbridge Broncos...
players who were killed when their team bus crashed in Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
five days previous. There was a drop in intensity in the five minutes of play that followed. However, just after the six-minute mark, following a minor scuffle that sent two players from each team to the penalty box, the teams resumed shoving and slashing at each other. Each team also scored a goal, giving Canada a 4–2 lead halfway through the game.
The brawl
Everett Sanipass
Everett Sanipass is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward.-Playing career:Sanipass started his National Hockey League career with the Chicago Blackhawks in 1987 after being drafted 14th overall in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft...
with 6:07 left in the second period, resulting in a fight between the two. Soviet player Pavel Kostichkin also leveled a two-handed slash at Fleury, leading to another fight. The battle quickly escalated into a line brawl involving all skaters on the ice for both teams. Returning from a commercial break, Canadian commentator Don Wittman
Don Wittman
Donald Rae Wittman was a Canadian sportscaster.Born in Herbert, Saskatchewan, Wittman attended the University of Saskatchewan and got his start in the field of broadcasting as a news reporter with CFQC radio in Saskatoon in 1955.As a sportscaster, Wittman covered many sports including athletics,...
understated the severity of the fighting by saying "well, we had a real skirmish just moments ago following a face-off." Evgeny Davydov
Evgeny Davydov
Evgeny Vitalievich Davydov is a Russian former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League for the Winnipeg Jets, Florida Panthers and the Ottawa Senators.-Playing career:...
was the first player from either team to leave his bench to join the melee, prompting all players from both teams to leave their benches.
The brawl was violent at times. Mike Keane
Mike Keane
Michael John Keane is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey winger. Undrafted, Keane played over 1100 games in the National Hockey League from 1988 until 2004, and then played five seasons for his hometown Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League until he retired in 2010...
paired off against Valeri Zelepukin
Valeri Zelepukin
Valeri Mikhailovich Zelepukin is a retired Russian ice hockey player who has played in the National Hockey League for the New Jersey Devils, Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers and the Chicago Blackhawks between 1991 and 2001. He is 6'1"", weighs 200 lbs and shoots left-handed...
, with the Canadian "fighting like it was for the world title" according to Fleury. In another fight, Vladimir Konstantinov
Vladimir Konstantinov
Vladimir Nikolaevich Konstantinov is a Russian retired professional ice hockey player who played his entire National Hockey League career with the Detroit Red Wings. Previously, he had played for Soviet club CSKA Moscow...
leveled a head-butt that broke Greg Hawgood
Greg Hawgood
Gregory William Hawgood is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, San Jose Sharks, Vancouver Canucks and Dallas Stars.-Playing...
's nose; Brendan Shanahan
Brendan Shanahan
Brendan Frederick "Shanny" Shanahan is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey winger who currently serves as the National Hockey League's Vice President of Hockey and Business Development and head disciplinarian. Originally drafted by the New Jersey Devils second overall in the 1987 NHL Entry...
later described it as "the greatest head-butt I've ever seen". Stephane Roy
Stephane Roy
Stephane Roy is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 12 games in the National Hockey League. He played with the Minnesota North Stars. He is the brother of Patrick Roy.- References :...
was pummeled by two Soviet players. The remaining players paired off as the officials attempted to break up the fighting. There were at least a dozen separate fights over the entire ice surface.
Unable to control the situation, Rønning and his linesmen eventually left the ice under the orders of Czechoslovakian officials. In a desperate attempt at ending the brawl, tournament officials had the arena lights turned off, leaving the players to fight in the dark as the fans whistled loudly in disapproval of the entire situation. By the time the fights had finally broken up, the IIHF declared the game null and void.
Aftermath
The IIHF held an emergency meeting in an arena office to decide how to handle the incident. Each team was represented by a delegate, and the meeting was chaired by IIHF President Günther SabetzkiGunther Sabetzki
Günther Sabetzki was an executive for several ice hockey leagues and organizations....
. The delegates voted 7–1 in favour of ejecting both teams from the tournament, the lone dissenting vote being that of Canada's Dennis McDonald. McDonald was incensed by the voting: Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
all stood to gain medal position by voting the two teams out, the Americans only promised support if other nations supported Canada, and Sabetzki could barely control his disdain for the Canadians.
After voting to eject the two teams, officials banned the Soviet team from the tournament banquet and medal ceremony, but they still invited Canada. McDonald stated the Canadians were not interested, which Sabetzki and Czechoslovak officials responded to by ordering the Canadian team out of the arena within half an hour. They were met by armed soldiers who escorted them across the border and out of Czechoslovakia. The IIHF voided the standing of both teams, including individual statistics. In the words of McDonald, "it was like we were never here." However, the other teams kept the points they gained in the matches against both teams.
Both teams attempted to blame the other for allowing the violence
Violence in ice hockey
Violence has been a part of ice hockey since at least the early 1900s. According to the book Hockey: A People's History, in 1904 alone, four players were killed during hockey games from the frequent brawls and violent stickwork....
to get out of hand. Soviet official Anatoly Kastriukov blamed a Canadian trainer for igniting hostilities by running over to the Soviet bench and punching one of their assistant coaches in the stomach. The Canadians, meanwhile, pointed to Davydov being the first off the bench as being the spark that led to the brawl. CBC commentator Don Cherry was one of the first to float a conspiracy theory that the Soviets had done so as a deliberate attempt to have Canada ejected, and therefore lose a medal. Alan Eagleson
Alan Eagleson
Robert Alan Eagleson is a disbarred Canadian lawyer, convicted felon in two countries, former politician, hockey agent and promoter...
suggested that the IIHF's decision would have been different had it been the Soviets in contention for a medal, and not the Canadians.
The IIHF voted to suspend all players involved from competing in international events for 18 months, and all coaches for three years. The player suspensions were later cut to six months, which allowed eligible players such as Fleury and Mogilny to participate in the 1988 tournament, and an 18-month ban would have also prevented any of the players from participating in the 1988 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 1988 Winter Olympics
At the 1988 Winter Olympics one ice hockey event was held, men's ice hockey. Games were played at the Olympic Saddledome, the Stampede Corral, and Father David Bauer Olympic Arena in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.Source:* Gold - * Silver -...
. The IIHF also considered either demoting both teams to the B pool or banning them from the 1988 tournament as further punishment, but backed off as the next year's tournament was set to be held in the Soviet Union, while Canada represented the only media revenue the tournament generated at the time.
Among the Canadians, only two players were not suspended: goalie Jimmy Waite
Jimmy Waite
James Dean Waite is a retired goaltender.-Career:Waite was one of the highest-rated goalies in the late 1980s and many scouts believed he had the potential to become a star...
and forward Pierre Turgeon
Pierre Turgeon
Pierre Turgeon is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League for the Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars and the Colorado Avalanche...
. Waite felt he could not risk being ejected for fighting under the belief that the game would resume, and that the Canadian backup goaltender, Shawn Simpson, was injured. Steve Nemeth
Steve Nemeth
Steve Nemeth is a retired Canadian ice hockey player. He played 12 NHL games for the New York Rangers. He was part of the Canadian team that was disqualified from the 1987 World Juniors for their involvement in the Punch-up in Piestany.Nemeth was singled out as one of the players who did not fight...
would later apply for early reinstatement arguing that he was not fighting, but trying to help break the players apart. Many of their teammates never forgave Waite and Turgeon for failing to defend their teammates. In the words of Everett Sanipass
Everett Sanipass
Everett Sanipass is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward.-Playing career:Sanipass started his National Hockey League career with the Chicago Blackhawks in 1987 after being drafted 14th overall in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft...
: "I'm looking for someone to help (Stephane) Roy out and I look over at the bench. There's this dog Turgeon, just sitting there, with his head down. He wouldn't get his ass off the bench ... just sitting there when everyone's off the Soviet bench and at least one of our guys is in real trouble getting double-teamed."
Legacy
At the 1988 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships1988 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1988 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 12th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Moscow, Soviet Union. Canada and the Soviet Union won the gold and silver medals respectively as the two nations redeemed themselves following their mutual...
in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Canada and the Soviet Union won the gold and silver medals, respectively, as both teams' rosters featured several players from the 1987 tournament. Since the 1987 tournament, the two nations have maintained their dominance of the tournament. Canada has won 13 gold medals between 1988 and 2011, while the Soviet Union, and its successor, Russia, has won six.
Hans Rønning's assignment to officiate the game was viewed by other on-ice officials as a nod to organizers from Lillehammer
Lillehammer
is a town and municipality in Oppland county, Norway, globally known for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. As of May 2011, the population of the town of Lillehammer was...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, who had just won the right to host the 1994 Winter Olympics
1994 Winter Olympics
The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat...
and were observing the game. At age 38, Rønning expected the 1987 tournament to be among his last international assignments. Rønning never officiated another international game, though he did referee two more seasons in Norway before retiring.
In Canada, public sentiment widely supported the players. Opinion polls taken in the aftermath of the brawl saw 87–92% of respondents supporting their actions. Don Cherry's passionate defence of the Canadian team led to a sharp increase in his popularity. Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
owner Harold Ballard
Harold Ballard
Harold E. Ballard was an owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League as well as their home arena, Maple Leaf Gardens. A member of the Leafs organization from 1940 and a senior executive from 1957, he became part-owner of the team in 1961 and was majority owner from February...
had special gold medals made up for the Canadian team. Ballard stated that "I believe the Canadian boys deserve the gold medal and I'm going to see to it that they get them. Imagine how these Russians engineered this whole thing over there just because they've got a lousy team and were scared to go home finishing in sixth place."
Canadian hockey officials criticized the players for the brawl. In 2005, the suggestion of a reunion for the 1987 team was met with uncomfortable silence and "I don't think so" from Hockey Canada
Hockey Canada
Hockey Canada, formally known as the Canadian Hockey Association, is the national governing body of ice hockey in Canada and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. Hockey Canada controls a vast majority of ice hockey in Canada, with a few exceptions...
officials. Immediately following the tournament, Canadian officials were seen as trying to distance themselves from the team: "The CAHA (Canadian Amateur Hockey Association) didn't do anything for these kids", reporter Jim Cressman said. "These kids were good enough to make this team. They gave up their holidays, did their best, risked getting hurt and ended up on the wrong end of a bad decision - and the CAHA basically handed them their tickets." Mike Smith
Mike Smith (ice hockey b. 1945)
Michael A. Smith is an American hockey executive who was best known for his stints as general manager of the Winnipeg Jets and Chicago Blackhawks teams in the National Hockey League...
was in the airport while the Canadian juniors were waiting for their flight, and took the opportunity to criticize them for their play at the tournament as well as the brawl.
Before Piešťany, the junior tournament had a small following in Canada. Only one Canadian reporter flew overseas to cover the 1987 tournament. That changed in 1988, as the major Canadian media outlets all sent reporters to Moscow. The tournament's prestige in Canada continued to grow. By the 2005 tournament, over 100 Canadian reporters covered the tournament in Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 52,838, while that of the city and surrounding metropolitan area was 98,461...
.
The brawl was seen as an embarrassment by Soviet officials who prided themselves on the discipline of their teams. A senior official, Anatoly Kostryukov, said that the "ice hockey department and the Ice Hockey Federation of the USSR will soon analyze the Soviet team's performance at the championship, and those guilty of the incident will be strictly punished". The Soviet media agency, Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union
Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union
The Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union , was the central agency for collection and distribution of internal and international news for all Soviet newspapers, radio and television stations...
, was highly critical of the coaching staff's inability to control the players. Head coach Vladimir Vasiliev was fired as the coach of the Soviet national junior team as a result of Piešťany.
Players
Of the 20 players who dressed for Canada in that game, 19 went on to play in the National Hockey League. In 1987, only one Soviet had ever played in the NHL, Victor NechayevVictor Nechayev
Victor Nechayev is a professional hockey player who played for the Los Angeles Kings in the National Hockey League..-External links:...
. The players for this Soviet team would be among the first wave of Eastern Bloc players to arrive in the NHL with the fall
Revolutions of 1989
The Revolutions of 1989 were the revolutions which overthrew the communist regimes in various Central and Eastern European countries.The events began in Poland in 1989, and continued in Hungary, East Germany, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and...
of the Iron Curtain
Iron Curtain
The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989...
. Five of them would ultimately win the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
.
Canada 1 – Shawn Simpson Shawn Simpson Shawn Simpson is a retired Canadian ice hockey player who, since then, has worked in the front office for both the Washington Capitals and the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was the top goaltender chosen in the 1986 NHL draft, taken 60th overall by the Washington Capitals... , G 2 – Greg Hawgood Greg Hawgood Gregory William Hawgood is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, San Jose Sharks, Vancouver Canucks and Dallas Stars.-Playing... , D 3 – Glen Wesley Glen Wesley Glen Edwin Wesley is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman who played 10 seasons for the Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League. He began his career with the Boston Bruins, and briefly played for the Toronto Maple Leafs... , D 4 – Steve Chiasson Steve Chiasson Steven Joseph Chiasson was a Canadian ice hockey defenceman with the NHL's Detroit Red Wings, Calgary Flames, Hartford Whalers and Carolina Hurricanes.-NHL career:... , D 5 – Chris Joseph, D 6 – Kerry Huffman Kerry Huffman Kerry Huffman is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Quebec Nordiques and Ottawa Senators in the National Hockey League .-Playing career:... , D 8 – Luke Richardson Luke Richardson Luke Glen Richardson is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former professional ice hockey player. Richardson played for 21 seasons in the National Hockey League... , D 9 – Yvon Corriveau Yvon Corriveau Yvon Rene Corriveau is a retired Canadian ice hockey left winger.Selected by the Washington Capitals in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft, Corriveau also played for the Hartford Whalers and San Jose Sharks. He retired from active professional play in 2005.-External links:***-References:... , F 10 – Theoren Fleury Theoren Fleury Theoren Wallace "Theo" Fleury is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player for the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers, and Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League , Tappara of Finland's SM-liiga, and the Belfast Giants of the UK's Elite Ice Hockey League... , F 11 – Mike Keane Mike Keane Michael John Keane is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey winger. Undrafted, Keane played over 1100 games in the National Hockey League from 1988 until 2004, and then played five seasons for his hometown Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League until he retired in 2010... , F 12 – Everett Sanipass Everett Sanipass Everett Sanipass is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward.-Playing career:Sanipass started his National Hockey League career with the Chicago Blackhawks in 1987 after being drafted 14th overall in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft... , F 14 – Dave McLlwain Dave McLlwain David Allan McLlwain is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. McLlwain is best known for playing for a record four National Hockey League teams in one season during the 1991–92 season... , F 15 – Pat Elynuik Pat Elynuik Patrick Gerald Elynuik is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player who played 506 games in the National Hockey League. After winning a Memorial Cup as a member of the Prince Albert Raiders in 1985, he was drafted in the first round of the 1986 NHL Entry Draft, 8th overall by the Winnipeg... , F 16 – Scott Metcalfe Scott Metcalfe Scott Metcalfe is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player.-Playing career:Scott Metcalfe began his junior career playing with the Kingston Canadians of the OHL from 1983–86, playing in 192 games, getting 213 points , and added on 9 points in 10 playoff games, before being traded to the... , F 18 – Brendan Shanahan Brendan Shanahan Brendan Frederick "Shanny" Shanahan is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey winger who currently serves as the National Hockey League's Vice President of Hockey and Business Development and head disciplinarian. Originally drafted by the New Jersey Devils second overall in the 1987 NHL Entry... , F 19 – Steve Nemeth Steve Nemeth Steve Nemeth is a retired Canadian ice hockey player. He played 12 NHL games for the New York Rangers. He was part of the Canadian team that was disqualified from the 1987 World Juniors for their involvement in the Punch-up in Piestany.Nemeth was singled out as one of the players who did not fight... , F 20 – Pierre Turgeon Pierre Turgeon Pierre Turgeon is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League for the Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars and the Colorado Avalanche... , F 21 – Stephane Roy Stephane Roy Stephane Roy is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 12 games in the National Hockey League. He played with the Minnesota North Stars. He is the brother of Patrick Roy.- References :... , F 22 – David Latta David Latta (ice hockey) David Latta is a former professional ice hockey left winger. He was drafted in the first round, 15th overall, by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft. He played thirty-six games in the National Hockey League, all with the Nordiques.-External links:... , F 30 – Jimmy Waite Jimmy Waite James Dean Waite is a retired goaltender.-Career:Waite was one of the highest-rated goalies in the late 1980s and many scouts believed he had the potential to become a star... , G |
Soviet Union 1 – Vadim Privalov, G 3 – Dmitri Tsygurov, D 4 – Andrei Smirnov Andrei Smirnov (ice hockey) Andrei Smirnov is a Russian professional ice hockey player who currently plays the 2010–11 season in the Kontinental Hockey League with Metallurg Novokuznetsk.-External links:... , D 8 – Alexander Mogilny Alexander Mogilny Alexander Gennadevitch Mogilny is a former Russian professional ice hockey player, currently the team consultant of the KHL team Amur Khabarovsk. Mogilny was best known for his lightning quick speed and lethal wrist shot in his early years, which led to his career year of 76 goals in the 1992–93... , F 10 – Valeri Zelepukin Valeri Zelepukin Valeri Mikhailovich Zelepukin is a retired Russian ice hockey player who has played in the National Hockey League for the New Jersey Devils, Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers and the Chicago Blackhawks between 1991 and 2001. He is 6'1"", weighs 200 lbs and shoots left-handed... , F 11 – Alexander Kerch, F 16 – Sergei Shesterikov, F 20 – Valeri Ivannikov, G 24 – Vladimir Konstantinov Vladimir Konstantinov Vladimir Nikolaevich Konstantinov is a Russian retired professional ice hockey player who played his entire National Hockey League career with the Detroit Red Wings. Previously, he had played for Soviet club CSKA Moscow... , D Evgeny Davydov Evgeny Davydov Evgeny Vitalievich Davydov is a Russian former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League for the Winnipeg Jets, Florida Panthers and the Ottawa Senators.-Playing career:... , F Sergei Fedorov Sergei Fedorov Sergei Viktorovich Fedorov is a Russian professional ice hockey forward and occasional defenceman... , F Alexander Galchenyuk Alexander Galchenyuk Alexander Galchenyuk is a former Belarusian professional ice hockey player who participated at the 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001 IIHF World Championships as a member of the Belarus men's national ice hockey team.... , F Pavel Kostichkin, F Vladimir Malakhov Vladimir Malakhov (ice hockey) Vladimir Igorevich Malakhov is a Russian retired professional ice hockey player currently under contract with the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League... , D Dmitri Medvedev, F Igor Monayenkov, D Igor Musatov Igor Musatov Igor Musatov is a Russian professional ice hockey winger who currently plays for HC Spartak Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League .-External links:... , D Sergei Osipov, F Valeri Popov, F Anton Zagorodny, F |