Boxing Day has morphed into a day where mindless consumerism exceeds pre-Christmas sales. But to many in Canada, Boxing Day means only one thing - the start of the World Junior Hockey Championships!
The WJC has reached near Grey Cup levels here in Canada, thanks in large part to TSN's devoted coverage. The all sports channel should be nicely rewarded with viewership numbers today, as Team Canada kicks off the tournament against their eternal rivals from Russia.
This year's tournament is held in Buffalo. The Sabres have been in the NHL for 40 years now. Their international hockey history is not deep, but their is certainly one memorable international clash in the city.
Szymon Szemberg of IIHF.com remembers the night "When The Sabres Clipped The Wings."
"The most memorable international game which echoed around the hockey world was played in Buffalo at the old Memorial Auditorium – the Aud – on January 4, 1976, as part of what was called the “Super Series” when the Soviet Union’s two best club teams – CSKA and Krylia Sovietov from Moscow – battled eight of the NHL’s top teams."
Read the full story here. Also, be sure to read up on my history of the 1976 Super Series, including the game summary of the Sabres/Soviet Wings game.
Be sure to turn into TSN and The Globe and Mail for full WJC coverage. I especially enjoyed the Globe's photo trip down memory lane.
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