When controversy strikes at the Worlds

Originally published on IHWC.NET in 2002

By Lucas Aykroyd

Hockey is an emotional game. In a sport played at high speed, where sticks and bodies clash and tempers run high, it’s only to be expected that controversy will flare up from time to time.

And sometimes, those controversial moments linger in our memories for years after the final scores in a series or tournament have been forgotten.

The IIHF World Championships are no exception. Here are three of the more controversial occurrences in tournament history:

1: Coming off a solid 80-point NHL season, legendary center Phil Esposito of the New York Rangers suited up for Team Canada at the 1977 IIHF World Championships in Vienna. It was the first time Canada had come to the tournament since 1969, after withdrawing in protest over the IIHF’s amateur eligibility requirements. Esposito was famed in the NHL for his big, bushy sideburns, which were always on display since he did not wear a helmet. However, IIHF regulations obliged players to put on protective headgear. Esposito’s annoyance about this was compounded by Canada’s disappointing performance at the tournament, as the hockey superpower finished fourth behind Czechoslovakia, Sweden and the Soviet Union. In Canada’s final game, Esposito could restrain himself no longer. He ripped off his helmet and skated by the IIHF Directors box to hurl it in there, shouting: “You can keep your #!?!# helmet!”

2: In 1989 at the World Championships in Stockholm, USA center Corey Millen tested positive for a banned substance, testosterone, after a 5-4 loss to Czechoslovakia and an 8-2 loss to Canada. Of course, testosterone is a normal male hormone, but Millen’s ratio of more than 6 to 1 testosterone to epistestosterone exceeded the IIHF limits. The USA argued that the 5-7, 170-pound center from HC Ambri-Piotta of the Swiss League was innocent of wrongdoing and said it would conduct further tests to see if there was a “naturally occurring imbalance.” However, the IIHF did not reverse its decision, and Millen had to leave the tournament. He received an 18-month suspension from international competition.

3: The 1982 IIHF World Championships saw Canada bring one of its best teams ever, with the likes of Darryl Sittler, Bobby Clarke and tournament all-stars Bill Barber and Wayne Gretzky. The final game of the championships pitted Czechoslovakia against the Soviet Union, and the two Eastern Bloc nations tied 0-0 in a remarkably dull affair. As a result, the Soviets got the gold and the Czechoslovaks edged Canada for the silver with a goal differential of 38-20, compared to Canada’s 46-30. The Canadians angrily alleged that their rivals had conspired to do them out of the silver, but the results stood.