Holiday Tradition

First, I would like to wish my faithful readers (of which I know there is at least one) a very happy Boxing Day. May you find all the incredible deals you always wanted.

As all of the holiday traditions have gone forward, another is set to start today. That being the World Junior Hockey Championship. As sad as it is for me to say, I think this tradition is one I look forward to most. It's pretty amazing hockey. Canada starts it's quest for a sixth consecutive gold medal in the tournament in a little over five hours from now.

Ken Campbell recently wrote in the Hockey News that Canada has been so dominant that the tournament has almost become a joke. While it is true that Canada has owned this tournament during those five years, it hasn't been without drama. It seems that every year during this run there has been a grim moment met with another moment when one of these young men rises to the challenge and puts Canada over the top.

The performances of goaltenders Jeff Glass and Justin Pogge in the gold medal games in 2005 and 2006 respectively are certainly worthy of mention. Or the unforgettable goals scored on three consecutive shots in the shootout by Jonathan Toews in the 2007 semi-final against the US. How about Jordan Eberle tying the game wth seconds left and then scoring the overtime winner to eliminate the Russians in the semi-final last year? And Dustin Tokarski robbing an American forward who was alone all day in front of the net last year wasn't too shabby either.

Ken has a point. For the most part, the games in this tournament involving Canada are a joke. Canada is in a class of its own in this tournament and has been for more than a decade. But in a tournament like this, it's not about the 15-1 wins over Latvia or Kazakhstan; it's about the moments when it looks like Canada might actually fall and someone steps up to put Canada over the top. For me, that's what the World Junior Hockey Championship is all about.

I wonder who the hero will be this year.

-matt