Every great hockey player since the ‘70s has come up through the World Junior tournament and that of course includes The Great One.
Wayne Gretzky played in the World Junior as a 16-year-old and while the team ended up losing the tournament, Gretzky was dominant. In the team’s six games, Gretzky put up 17 points. Russia eventually won the tournament after defeating Sweden and young Wayne ended up eating his words a little bit.
When asked about teams that might give Canada trouble, he mentions USA, Sweden and Czechoslovakia (Before the country’s dissolution). It seems especially relevant given this year’s semi-final games.
Part of the reason the growth of hockey has struggled over the years is there doesn't seem to be much room for other teams to compete. Looking back 40 years in this competition and it's all the same countries that are considered competitors. As soon as it becomes a more competitive tournament, more people around the world will start to get interested.
What might even be more interesting are the highlights from the tournament. A lot of Gretzky’s highlights are very flashy, because it was more about how he understood the game of hockey, but at this level it’s very clear how dominant he was.
