The World Hockey Challenge has been bringing high level international hockey to fans across Canada since
1986. Based out of La Belle Province, the Quebec Esso Cup was considered the unofficial World Championship of
Midget Hockey. When the event was moved to Ontario the name was changed to the World Hockey Challenge.
The first Quebec Cup featured five teams from Canada with teams from Finland, Czechoslovakia, Sweden, The
United States and U.S.S.R. rounding out the ten team event. Some 20,000 fans packed arenas as Team Quebec won
gold. This event proved to everyone that on display were future N.H.L. stars. Team Quebec featured a young
player from Rouyn-Noranda who quickly became a household name. Pierre Turgeon went on to become a first
overall pick in the N.H.L. by the Buffalo Sabres. The USSR won silver with Sergei Fedorov and Alexander
Mogilny leading the way. Joe Sakic lead Team Pacific to bronze.
Two years later the Soviet Union came to Canada intent on improving their silver medal performance. That
is just what they did with a small forward exciting fans nightly. His name: Pavel Bure. Team Sweden took the
silver with future Toronto Maple Leaf Captain Mats Sundin showcasing his enormous potential. Team Quebec
managed to stay in the medals with the bronze.
In 1990 Team Finland was the team to beat. Again future National Hockey stars led the way. Selke Trophy
winner Jere Lehtinen and Carolina gunner Sami Kapanen showed the world that Finland could produce some
outstanding talent. Detroit Red Wing Martin Lapointe led Quebec to the silver and Phoenix goaltender Nikolai
Khabibulin backstopped the USSR to bronze.
Sudbury became the first city outside Quebec to host this event in 1991-92. This tournament showcased a
number of N.H.L. stars. Team Ontario featured Chris Gratton, Ethan Moreau, Todd Harvey and Jamie Storr who
led the team to gold. Team Quebec won silver with strong performances from Alexandre Daigle, Eric Daze and
goaltender Jocelyn Thibault. Radek Bonk led Czechoslovakia to bronze. Other stars to grace arenas across the
North, including New Liskeard and Timmins, included Victor Koslov with the USSR, Adam Deadmarsh and Darcy
Tucker with Team Pacific and Niklas Sundstrom of Sweden.
The World Hockey Challenge shifted back to Quebec in 1994 with Amos playing host. The gold medal winning
Quebec team was led by shifty forward Daniel Briere and strong goaltending from Jean-Sebastien Giguere. The
U.S.A. won its first medal at this event taking home the silver and future Calder Trophy winner Jerome Iginla
lead team Pacific to the bronze.
The '94 event also gave Kirkland Lake its first chance to play host to a W.H.C. game. The United States
led by Bryan Berard skated to a 1-1 tie against Team Ontario.
The World Hockey Challenge moved out east for the first time in 1995 to New Brunswick. S.S.M. Greyhounds
and future Boston Bruin's star Joe Thornton led Team Ontario to the gold. Finland won the silver followed by
Quebec with the bronze. Quebec goalie Roberto Luongo would later become the highest goalie ever drafted when
he would be taken fourth overall by the New York Islanders. Team West featured second overall pick Patrick
Marleau, and this years top Rookie of the Year candidate in the N.H.L. Scott Gomez played for Team U.S.A.
Red Deer, Alberta played host to this event in 1996-97. Fans got a chance to see the top two picks in the
'98 entry draft. Vincent Lecavalier led Quebec to a bronze medal. David Legwand played for the United States.
Ontario and Sweden won gold and silver respectively. In 1997-98 the World Hockey Challenge tried a new
format. Teams were split between Kitchener, Ontario and Swift Current, Saskatchewan. This plan proved
cumbersome and returned to the 10 team event in 2000.
Since that time the tournament has been held in 2002 in Manitoba (Selkirk and Stonewall), 2004 in St.
John's Newfoundland and will take place in Lethbridge in 2002.
