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WHL Portland Winterhawks

Coburn and Canadian National Team find Redemption is Golden

January 5, 2005 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Portland Winterhawks News Release


GRAND FORKS, N.D. - Team Canada claimed gold in the 2005 IIHF World Junior Championship tournament for the first time since 1997 with another dominating performance, this time against Team Russia and a pair of top 2004 NHL picks, Alexander Ovechkin (Washington Capitals) and Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh Penguins). Team Canada scored two goals in the first period and four in the second, and then let their hard-hitting defense take over on their way to a 6-1 thumping over Russia in the gold-medal game on Tuesday night. Team Canada won their first gold medal in eight years in decisive fashion, rolling through the opposition by outscoring opponents 41-7 in six games.

Portland Winter Hawks' team captain, Braydon Coburn, played the efficient stay-at-home defenseman role throughout the tourney, contributing to the Canadian physical play that complimented the offensively skilled roster. Coburn picked up a pair of assists in the six games, including an assist on Danny Syvret's power-play goal in the first period Tuesday night. The goal by London Knight's Danny Syvret proved to be the game winner.

It was appropriate that Coburn was involved in the game-winning tally after, the 2003 1st round draft choice of the Atlanta Thrashers, was on the wrong end of a lucky bounce in last year's tournament. Canada had won silver three years in a row, including a gut wrenching loss in 2004. Last year's team surrendered a two goal third period lead and gave up the winning goal on a wacky deflection. The United States' won the gold after the puck deflected off the back of Braydon Coburn as goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury attempted to clear the puck. Coburn and team Canada settled for the silver medal and the 4-3 loss to the United States, but did not forget. Last year's sour ending certainly made this year's gold medal victory that much sweeter.

The World Junior Championships provided some hockey excitement to a continent bleakly advancing through the NHL-less season. It was the first time Americans have had the opportunity to see some hockey during prime-time on a national network (excluding the replay of the 1994 New York Rangers Stanley Cup win on ESPN Classic), since the Tampa Bay Lightning and Calgary Flames faced off on June 7, 2004. The tournament drew well as many hockey fans flocked to North Dakota. Although no country was better represented than Canada as the Canadians came out in a red and white for the gold-medal game that drew a capacity crowd of 11,862.

Braydon Coburn returns to the Portland Winter Hawks after missing 9 games. He is expected to play in Portland's next game, Friday January 7th at the Saskatoon Blades (970-AM KUPL Airtime at 4:35 p.m., Game Time at 5:00 p.m., local PST). The Hawks are on the road for eight straight games until Sunday January 23rd at 5:00 p.m. when they host the Vancouver Giants in the Rose Garden.

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