The World Junior Championships began in 1974 as an almost insignificant six-team invitational tournament. The first games were played in the Soviet Union before sparse crowds, as the participating nations of Canada, Finland, Sweden, Czechoslovakia, Russia and the United States, fought for the world title. Presently the tournament features 10 teams in a highly structured event attracting over 2 million viewers in Canada alone.

The first team Canada sent to the World Junior Championships was a junior club, the Peterborough Petes. Considering the Petes were the only club team present at the tournament, a third place finish behind the Soviet Union and Finland was respectable. The other five teams at the tournament had put together teams with the top under 20 players in their country.

For the first eight years of the World Junior Championship, Canada was represented by various league champion club teams, such as the Peterborough Petes, Sherbrooke Beavers, New Westminster Bruins, and Cornwall Royals. As well, Canada was represented by a Western League all-star team and a more-or-less Canadian all-star team with players like Wayne Gretzky and Mike Gartner.

After finishing a respectable second in 1976 with his Sherbrooke Beavers, coach Ghislain Delage suggested a winter camp and scouting unit were required to assemble a National Junior team. This suggestion coincided with the CAHA realization that Canada needed a national junior program similar to the one Father Bauer proposed in the 60s. Currently, Canada's Program of Excellence ends with the National Junior team and begins with the regional under 17 teams and the National Under 18 team. The younger teams focus on skill, and team development, as well as introduce the players to the rigours of international hockey and travel.

In 1976, after three years of invitational play, it was clear the World Juniors was blossoming into a high-quality global tournament producing superb hockey. The 1972 Summit Series fueled great public interest in international hockey which had a direct impact on the growing popularity of the World Junior championship. The tournament structure changed in 1977 to two groups of four teams. It changed again in 1996 when the IIHF added another team to each group to represent the increased number of countries playing hockey. This brought the total number of competing teams to 10.

It was not until 1981-82 that a true Canadian National Team was born. Coached by Dave King, Canada gave the Soviets their worst ever defeat, 7-0, then tied the Czechs to wrap up their first world title. This was the beginning of a winning legacy capturing 10 gold, two silver and two bronze medals in the past 22 years, including five consecutive gold medals between 1993-97.

Both the Canadian team and the Soviet team were disqualified from the tournament in 1987 after a bench-clearing fight. Canada needed to win the game by five goals to secure a gold medal victory. However with the Canadians ahead 4-2 and in control of the game, a brawl erupted. Russian Kostichkin slashed Theo Fleury, and everyone on the ice joined the fight. Russian players were the first to leave the bench. After 10 minutes the officials left the ice and the building operator turned the stadium's lights on and off to stem the fighting. The players eventually dispersed and went into their dressing rooms, and the IIHF held an emergency meeting to decide the outcome of the game. The IIHF later suspended all players on both teams for 18 months and all coaches for three years. However, that fall the playersí suspensions were rescinded, but the coaches sentences remained.

On the second last day of the 1990 championship in Finland, the Swedes beat a stunned Canadian team 5-4. They scored three goals in a 96 second span. Since Russia had no losses and one tie, Canada's loss meant the Soviets had the inside track on gold. The next day a miracle occurred. To win gold, Canada had to beat the Czechs and Sweden had to beat the Russians. The Canadians had a 2-1 lead on the Czechs, but were losing control of the game with 2:46 left to play in the third period. When word arrived that Sweden had tied the Soviets with one second to play, the bench erupted and regained control of the game to win Canada's fourth gold medal.

During Canada's five back to back gold medal wins, the 1995 team shines as one of the most talented and successful to represent Canada internationally. To achieve their perfect 7-0 won-loss record, the team scored 49 goals, second to only the 54 goals scored by Canada in 1986, set two tournament records of scoring 23 power-play goals and had five players finish with 10 points or more. Lastly, four of the six first team all-star spots were taken by Canadians.

Canada's winning streak abruptly came to an end in 1998, with their worst placing ever at the World Junior Championship. After an eighth place finish, Hockey Canada appointed Tom Renney as head coach to lead Canada's 1999 team to recovery. Renney guided the team to a second place finish and the following year, Coach Claude Julien had hopes of recapturing the gold.

The success of the World Juniors is evident. Many Canadian National Team members have gone on to play in the NHL, Gretzky, Lindros, Kariya, Gilmour, Fleury, Lemieux, Malhotra and Iginla to name a few. For some players it is the beginning, for others the apotheosis, but for players and fans alike, it is a tournament which ignites passion, touches the senses and inspires dreams of greatness.