The Finns beat the Czechs on New Year's Eve in 2015 in a classic showdown to end the year.
photo: Andre Ringuette/HHOF-IIHF Images
New Year’s Eve is like haggis—you either love it or hate it.. At the World Junior Championship it is often the defining point of the preliminary round and the day that organizers traditionally schedule the most exciting games. As we say goodbye to 2020, a year that has not been kind to hockey, sports in general, and the world at large, we look back at the best games on December 31 over the 44 years of U20 play.
December 31, 1987, Moscow / Canada 5-United States 4
It was a tale of three distinct periods of hockey. The first ended 2-2 after the U.S. scored first, Canada took the lead, and the Americans tied it in the final minute on a Mike Modano goal. The second period was all Canada as it scored the only three goals and outshot their rivals, 13-2. The U.S., however, rallied in the final 20 minutes, scoring just 16 seconds in on a Kip Miller goal and midway through thanks to Ted Donato. They pulled Jason Glickman in the final minute, but Canada held on for the dramatic victory.
December 31, 1997, Hameenlinna / Russia 2-Canada 1 (OT)
As history would show a few days later, this was Canada’s worst U20 team ever, but on this night it produced a thrilling game against Russia in a rare quarter-finals game being played as early as New Year’s Eve. Dmitri Vlasenkov opened the scoring late in the first period, and Daniel Tkachuk tied it for Canada early in the third. The Canadians had a great chance to win the game with a late power play but couldn’t convert, thus forcing a sudden death, 10-minute overtime. In the final minute of that fourth period, Maxim Afinogenov scored for Russia, which ended up losing the gold to Finland. Canada, meanwhile, lost the 7th-place game to Kazakhstan.
December 31, 2008, Ottawa / Slovakia 3-Finland 2 (OT)
The stakes were high going into this game. Win and advance to the quarter-finals; lose and compete in the relegation round. Slovakia dominated the first, outshooting Finland, 11-2, but the Finns scored two of the three goals in the second. Adam Bezak tied the game in the third, and after five minutes of scoreless OT they went to a shootout. Tony Rajala scored for Finland, but Bezak and Tomas Tatar scored for Slovakia for the key win.
December 31, 2009, Saskatoon / Canada 5-United States 4 (OT)
It was one of the most thrilling New Year’s Eve games of a rivalry that is most famous for its games on this date, but Canada’s resilience, never questioned, came to the fore—only to see the Americans get the last laugh. Teams exchanged goals in the first, but a goal by Danny Kristo early in the third gave the U.S. a solid 4-2 lead. The never-say-die Canadians rallied, though. Jordan Eberle brought them close midway through, and then Alex Pietrangelo tied the game with 4:15 remaining. The entertaining shootout saw five goals on six shots, a Jake Allen save for Canada at the end the winning play. The U.S., however, exacted sweet revenge five days later, defeating Canada, 6-5, on an OT goal from John Carlson to win gold.
December 31, 2010, Buffalo / Sweden 6-Canada 5 (OT)
Rare are the times when a game goes like this: 1-0, 1-1, 2-1, 2-2, 3-2, 3-3, 4-3, 4-4, 5-4, 5-5, 6-5. But that’s what happened between these two teams a decade ago. And who had the leads? Canada, Sweden, Canada, Sweden, Canada. Incredible. The very definition of a back-and-forth game. In the end, Sweden scored the only two goals of the shootout and won, 6-5, Robin Lehner that little bit better than Olivier Roy in goal.
December 31, 2011, Calgary / Sweden 4-Russia 3 (OT)
This was a huge game in the standings. At the time, the top two teams in each group advanced directly to the semi-finals, and whoever won this game would have that advantage. The Russians built a 3-0 lead after one, preserved it through a scoreless second, and were in control in the third. But the Swedes fought back with three of their own in the final 20 minutes, and Joakim Nordstrom scored in OT. Sweden finished first, and went on to win gold against this same Russian team, thanks to another OT goal, a golden goal from Mika Zibanejad.
December 31, 2013, Malmo / Switzerland 4-Finland 3 (OT)
The Swiss started the 2014 U20 slowly, losing their first two games, but a crucial 3-2 win over Norway set up another big game to end the calendar year. The Swiss had already qualified for the quarter-finals, at Norway’s expense, and in this game they built a 3-1 lead only to see the Finns tie the game before the end of regulation. In one of the longest U20 shootouts, the Swiss prevailed by scoring the only goal of the 12 shots taken.
December 31, 2015, Helsinki / Finland 5-Czech Republic 4
This was Jesse Puljujarvi’s draft year, and he didn’t disappoint. Playing on a team with Sebastian Aho, Mikko Rantanen, and Patrik Laine, Puljujarvi scored twice and led Finland to a big win to end the preliminary round. After a scoreless first period, this game also went back and forth until Laine scored the winner with less than six minutes left in the third. Finland went on to win gold.
December 31, 2017, Buffalo / United States 5-Finland 4
The Americans were playing the U20 in Buffalo for the second time in seven years, and this game decided second place in the group. The U.S. built a solid 3-0 lead by the midway point of the game only to see Finland claw its way back. Two goals brought them to within one, but Joey Anderson made it 4-2. In the third, the Finns tied it, but Adam Fox scored the winner with just 1:37 remaining, capping a great game in which he had a goal and two assists.
December 31, 2017, Buffalo / Sweden 4-Russia 3 (OT)
The late game, and last of 2017, was a battle for first place. The winner would play the lower-ranked Slovaks in the quarter-finals; the losers would face the hosts and one of the medal contenders. Teams split four goals in the first and played a scoreless second. In the third, Sweden had the upper hand, but Alexei Polodyan tied the game with under four minutes left. In the shootout, Vitali Abramov scored with Russia’s second shot, and after misses both ways the Swedes were down to their final shot. Linus Lindstrom scored under pressure, and Oskar Steen followed with another goal. When Filip Gustavsson stoned Artur Kayumov, victory went to the Swedes.
December 31, 1987, Moscow / Canada 5-United States 4
It was a tale of three distinct periods of hockey. The first ended 2-2 after the U.S. scored first, Canada took the lead, and the Americans tied it in the final minute on a Mike Modano goal. The second period was all Canada as it scored the only three goals and outshot their rivals, 13-2. The U.S., however, rallied in the final 20 minutes, scoring just 16 seconds in on a Kip Miller goal and midway through thanks to Ted Donato. They pulled Jason Glickman in the final minute, but Canada held on for the dramatic victory.
December 31, 1997, Hameenlinna / Russia 2-Canada 1 (OT)
As history would show a few days later, this was Canada’s worst U20 team ever, but on this night it produced a thrilling game against Russia in a rare quarter-finals game being played as early as New Year’s Eve. Dmitri Vlasenkov opened the scoring late in the first period, and Daniel Tkachuk tied it for Canada early in the third. The Canadians had a great chance to win the game with a late power play but couldn’t convert, thus forcing a sudden death, 10-minute overtime. In the final minute of that fourth period, Maxim Afinogenov scored for Russia, which ended up losing the gold to Finland. Canada, meanwhile, lost the 7th-place game to Kazakhstan.
December 31, 2008, Ottawa / Slovakia 3-Finland 2 (OT)
The stakes were high going into this game. Win and advance to the quarter-finals; lose and compete in the relegation round. Slovakia dominated the first, outshooting Finland, 11-2, but the Finns scored two of the three goals in the second. Adam Bezak tied the game in the third, and after five minutes of scoreless OT they went to a shootout. Tony Rajala scored for Finland, but Bezak and Tomas Tatar scored for Slovakia for the key win.
December 31, 2009, Saskatoon / Canada 5-United States 4 (OT)
It was one of the most thrilling New Year’s Eve games of a rivalry that is most famous for its games on this date, but Canada’s resilience, never questioned, came to the fore—only to see the Americans get the last laugh. Teams exchanged goals in the first, but a goal by Danny Kristo early in the third gave the U.S. a solid 4-2 lead. The never-say-die Canadians rallied, though. Jordan Eberle brought them close midway through, and then Alex Pietrangelo tied the game with 4:15 remaining. The entertaining shootout saw five goals on six shots, a Jake Allen save for Canada at the end the winning play. The U.S., however, exacted sweet revenge five days later, defeating Canada, 6-5, on an OT goal from John Carlson to win gold.
December 31, 2010, Buffalo / Sweden 6-Canada 5 (OT)
Rare are the times when a game goes like this: 1-0, 1-1, 2-1, 2-2, 3-2, 3-3, 4-3, 4-4, 5-4, 5-5, 6-5. But that’s what happened between these two teams a decade ago. And who had the leads? Canada, Sweden, Canada, Sweden, Canada. Incredible. The very definition of a back-and-forth game. In the end, Sweden scored the only two goals of the shootout and won, 6-5, Robin Lehner that little bit better than Olivier Roy in goal.
December 31, 2011, Calgary / Sweden 4-Russia 3 (OT)
This was a huge game in the standings. At the time, the top two teams in each group advanced directly to the semi-finals, and whoever won this game would have that advantage. The Russians built a 3-0 lead after one, preserved it through a scoreless second, and were in control in the third. But the Swedes fought back with three of their own in the final 20 minutes, and Joakim Nordstrom scored in OT. Sweden finished first, and went on to win gold against this same Russian team, thanks to another OT goal, a golden goal from Mika Zibanejad.
December 31, 2013, Malmo / Switzerland 4-Finland 3 (OT)
The Swiss started the 2014 U20 slowly, losing their first two games, but a crucial 3-2 win over Norway set up another big game to end the calendar year. The Swiss had already qualified for the quarter-finals, at Norway’s expense, and in this game they built a 3-1 lead only to see the Finns tie the game before the end of regulation. In one of the longest U20 shootouts, the Swiss prevailed by scoring the only goal of the 12 shots taken.
December 31, 2015, Helsinki / Finland 5-Czech Republic 4
This was Jesse Puljujarvi’s draft year, and he didn’t disappoint. Playing on a team with Sebastian Aho, Mikko Rantanen, and Patrik Laine, Puljujarvi scored twice and led Finland to a big win to end the preliminary round. After a scoreless first period, this game also went back and forth until Laine scored the winner with less than six minutes left in the third. Finland went on to win gold.
December 31, 2017, Buffalo / United States 5-Finland 4
The Americans were playing the U20 in Buffalo for the second time in seven years, and this game decided second place in the group. The U.S. built a solid 3-0 lead by the midway point of the game only to see Finland claw its way back. Two goals brought them to within one, but Joey Anderson made it 4-2. In the third, the Finns tied it, but Adam Fox scored the winner with just 1:37 remaining, capping a great game in which he had a goal and two assists.
December 31, 2017, Buffalo / Sweden 4-Russia 3 (OT)
The late game, and last of 2017, was a battle for first place. The winner would play the lower-ranked Slovaks in the quarter-finals; the losers would face the hosts and one of the medal contenders. Teams split four goals in the first and played a scoreless second. In the third, Sweden had the upper hand, but Alexei Polodyan tied the game with under four minutes left. In the shootout, Vitali Abramov scored with Russia’s second shot, and after misses both ways the Swedes were down to their final shot. Linus Lindstrom scored under pressure, and Oskar Steen followed with another goal. When Filip Gustavsson stoned Artur Kayumov, victory went to the Swedes.