Memories of the World Junior Hockey Championship

By Kelly Sharp

The media attention is so much bigger than when he played for Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship, but the experience will never be diminished in the eyes of Stew Malgunas. It was late December 1989, Malgunas and roommate Scott Thornton awaited the dreaded phone call at the Canadian junior training camp in Calgary. The final cuts were being made to determine who would wear the maple leaf at the World Juniors in Finland. Malgunas, who came through the Prince George minor hockey system, was off to a strong start in his WHL season with Seattle. But being the only defenseman at camp not drafted in the NHL left the 19 year-old from Prince George with an outside chance of cracking the roster.

“Just by the camp I knew it was going to be close,” recalled Malgunas who had impressed during the try-out.

A restless night preceded the 7am call from the coaching staff.

“It was the largest phone ring you could ever imagine” laughed Malgunas.

Scott Thornton answered the call and was told to meet the coaches downstairs.

A few more anxious moments followed before the Prince George minor hockey product realized he would not be summoned for dismissal. Stewart Malgunas was on his way to a Finland, wearing Canadian colors at the world junior championship.

“It was the best feeling in my life,” he said.

A week of training in Vierumaki Finland prepared Malgunas and teammates for the large ice surface in Helsinki the host city of the 1989-90 World Junior Hockey Championship. The 8 team round robin tournament built to a dramatic finish. Entering the final day of the tournament Canada needed a victory and help to capture the gold medal .The Canadian juniors had to beat Czechoslovakia while Russia lost or tied against Sweden.

Malgunas can remember facing the future NHLers Jaromir Jagr, Robert Reichel and Bobby Holik.

“We were winning against the Czechs but were pretty disheartened when we heard Sweden was two goals down in the third against Russia.”

But just as gold seemed to be slipping away from the boys from Canada, word came Sweden was within a goal of Russia, then with 5 minutes left in the Czech game, Stew Malgunas and his Canadian teammates heard Sweden had scored the tying goal in the dying seconds against Russia.

“I got cold chills running down my spine realizing how close we were to winning a gold medal for Canada,” added the Prince George defenseman.

The celebration off the bench told the story as the Canadian juniors won the world championship.

 Thirty six year-old Stewart Malgunas reflects on his world junior experience as the launching pad to a professional hockey career which included 129 games in the National Hockey League.  The kid from Prince George cherished his time skating for Canada.

“It sure would be pretty special to have a reunion with that team,” Malgunas said.

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