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<div data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324">John Tavares is one of the <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/john-tavares-power-game-hockey-intelligence-shows-flashes-of-his-prime">veteran leaders of the Toronto Maple Leafs</a>, but it wasn&#8217;t so long ago that we watched him as a teenage prodigy. Tavares entered the national imagination as a 15-year-old gaining exceptional status in the Ontario Hockey League, but he truly became a household name with an outstanding performance during the 2009 World Juniors, where he was named tournament MVP.</div>
<div data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324"></div>
<div data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324">It&#8217;s been 16 years since Tavares led Canada to its fifth consecutive gold medal — the second in a row for Tavares — and the passage of time naturally allows us to revisit his iconic performance.</div>
<div data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324"></div>
<div data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324">Tavares was a man on a mission, after previously recording four goals and five points in seven games at the previous tournament. He was widely expected to be one of the best players in the 2009 event, while trying to maintain his top prospect status over Sweden&#8217;s Victor Hedman for the upcoming 2009 NHL Draft. One of the most-discussed prospects of all-time, Tavares&#8217; time in the spotlight led scouts to look for apparent flaws, while many debated the inherent value of selecting a future All-Star defenceman over a top-line offensive threat when it came to the merits of roster construction.</div>
<div data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324"></div>
<div data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324">Before the tournament even started, Tavares scored a wondergoal against Slovakia in an 7-0 exhibition rout, collecting his own rebound at the side of the net, juggling the puck on his backhand, before batting it in.</div>
<div data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324"></div>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="SELECT HQ john  tavares amazing world juniors goal 2009" width="1333" height="1000" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/u-zmRP0e3kE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p>&#8220;Let’s face it, to be able to score a goal like that is a special skill and he has that skill,&#8221; Canada head coach Pat Quinn said post-game. &#8220;I hope he has got a couple more in there that are the important ones when we need to have them.&#8221;</p>
<p>Quinn&#8217;s assessment was a tidy bit of foreshadowing, as Tavares was constantly clutch throughout the ensuing weeks. Tavares hit the ground running, scoring Canada&#8217;s opening two goals against the Czech Republic, while adding a primary assist on Angelo Esposito&#8217;s marker, which gave his team a 3-0 lead. He built some solid chemistry with Jordan Eberle on the power play, a connection that would pay dividends at the most crucial point of the event.</p>
<p>Canada mauled an overmatched Kazakhstan to the tune of a 15-0 victory, then defeated Germany 5-1, setting up a titanic New Year&#8217;s Eve showdown against the United States. It exceeded the hype, and ended up as one of the most famous games in the history of the World Juniors. At the time, the top seed from each round robin pool received an automatic bye into the semifinals, while the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds from each group would square off in the quarterfinals, providing an additional incentive to the already heated rivalry.</p>
<p>It was a nightmare start for Canada. Kevin Shattenkirk, Jimmy Hayes and Jim O&#8217;Brien helped the United States race out to a 3-0 lead. Canada appeared to be doomed through the opening 15 minutes, but Tavares suddenly sprung to life, as P.K. Subban poked a rebound from Cody Hodgson onto Tavares&#8217; stick, cutting the lead to 3-1.</p>
<p>Tavares&#8217; second goal was truly spectacular. Ryan McDonagh&#8217;s stick shattered as he tried to make a centring pass and Tavares picked it off, then raced up the ice. While some scouts were critical of Tavares&#8217; straight line speed, he raced in on net, dangled around a panicked, outstretched McDonagh, and flipped the puck into the top corner on a gorgeous individual rush, and the game was on. Tavares registered both of these goals within a 48-second span.</p>
<p>Eberle added a power-play marker to end the first frame, and it was tied at 3 apiece. Tavares would later cap off one of the best games in tournament history with an empty-net goal to seal his hat-trick, dragging Jordan Schroeder to the net with him.</p>
<p>The below compilation put together by theScore&#8217;s Kyle Cushman displays the magic and aura of Tavares&#8217; hat-trick. TSN is celebrating 35 years of the World Juniors, and ranked Tavares&#8217; hat-trick against the United States as their <a href="https://www.tsn.ca/hockey-canada/video/~3035954">24th-greatest moment</a>, for what it&#8217;s worth.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dec 31, 2008. USA goes up 3-0 on Canada just 12 minutes into the game. Then comes the John Tavares show</p>
<p>Tavares scores twice in under a minute to bring Canada right back into the game. He would seal the game with an empty netter, tying the U20 Canadian goal record at the time <a href="https://t.co/4oG4McznnI">pic.twitter.com/4oG4McznnI</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Kyle Cushman (@Kyle_Cush) <a href="https://twitter.com/Kyle_Cush/status/1477025651416838147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<div data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324">&#8220;Johnny was unbelievable for us today,&#8221; Tavares&#8217; linemate Cody Hodgson <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/juniors/canada-usa-juniors/">said post-game</a>. &#8220;Those two back-to-back goals were what got us back in that game and turned the momentum for us.&#8221;</div>
<div data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324"></div>
<div data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324">As for the top of the 2009 NHL Draft, Tavares ended the debate.</div>
<p>&#8220;Based on this tournament, the two players are not equal. I think he has been a clear No. 1 and this debate about him and Hedman does not make sense to me,&#8221; then-Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke said to <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/tavares-has-set-himself-apart-at-world-juniors-1.795854">CBC Sports</a>.</p>
<p>Tavares&#8217; heroics were called upon once again against during Canada&#8217;s semifinal against Russia. Canada and Russia traded goals through the opening seven minutes, tied at 2-2, before Eberle scored his first of three goals to take the lead back entering the second intermission. Russia&#8217;s Evgeni Grachev tied the game 51 seconds into the third frame, then Angelo Esposito countered with a short-handed marker, restoring a 4-3 lead. The lead lasted less than a minute, as Russia&#8217;s Sergei Andronov equalized on the power play, setting up a dramatic thriller for the ages.</p>
<p>Russia&#8217;s Dmitri Klopov scored with two minutes and 20 seconds remaining, pushing Canada to the brink of elimination. It seemed like an unfathomable outcome, even against a top opponent, considering the talent level and experience Canada had compiled for this tournament. Tavares had put Canada on his back before, but it was Eberle&#8217;s time to emerge as the national hero.</p>
<p>In the dying seconds of the game, Canada fought frantically to secure the puck. Ryan Ellis stopped a clearing attempt and secured the puck at the line, then a five-man scrum ensued and eventually, Tavares fished the puck out with 8.6 seconds left, tossing a backhand towards the net that appeared to die out. The puck hit Dmitry Kulikov, as he fell to his knees, Eberle scooped up the loose puck and tucked it home, for one of the most famous goals in Canadian history. TSN&#8217;s Pierre McGuire ruined Gord Miller&#8217;s call by accident, and gave all credit to Tavares for setting up the game-tying goal:</p>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Jordan Eberle Team Canada Semi Final Tying Goal vs. Russia" width="1333" height="1000" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/R8v8C3scwvg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p>Eberle scored the shootout winner, seconding Canada into the gold medal game, but his game-tying goal lives in national lore.</p>
<p>&#8220;The way we’ve been responding to the adversity speaks a lot about our character,” Tavares said to <a href="https://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/canada-ekes-out-shootout-win/article_600acef7-9657-5e48-add5-43b9f8509011.html">Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star</a>. “It was amazing. We were five seconds from it being over.&#8221;</p>
<p>The gold medal game against Sweden ended up being rather anti-climactic. Canada defeated Sweden 5-1, and Tavares finished the tournament with eight goals, 15 points, MVP honours and another gold medal. If that isn&#8217;t iconic, we&#8217;re not sure what is!</p>
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<div data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324">John Tavares is one of the <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/john-tavares-power-game-hockey-intelligence-shows-flashes-of-his-prime">veteran leaders of the Toronto Maple Leafs</a>, but it wasn't so long ago that we watched him as a teenage prodigy. Tavares entered the national imagination as a 15-year-old gaining exceptional status in the Ontario Hockey League, but he truly became a household name with an outstanding performance during the 2009 World Juniors, where he was named tournament MVP.</div>
<div data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324"></div>
<div data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324">It's been 16 years since Tavares led Canada to its fifth consecutive gold medal — the second in a row for Tavares — and the passage of time naturally allows us to revisit his iconic performance.</div>
<div data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324"></div>
<div data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324">Tavares was a man on a mission, after previously recording four goals and five points in seven games at the previous tournament. He was widely expected to be one of the best players in the 2009 event, while trying to maintain his top prospect status over Sweden's Victor Hedman for the upcoming 2009 NHL Draft. One of the most-discussed prospects of all-time, Tavares' time in the spotlight led scouts to look for apparent flaws, while many debated the inherent value of selecting a future All-Star defenceman over a top-line offensive threat when it came to the merits of roster construction.</div>
<div data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324"></div>
<div data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324">Before the tournament even started, Tavares scored a wondergoal against Slovakia in an 7-0 exhibition rout, collecting his own rebound at the side of the net, juggling the puck on his backhand, before batting it in.</div>
<div data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324"></div>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-zmRP0e3kE

"Let’s face it, to be able to score a goal like that is a special skill and he has that skill," Canada head coach Pat Quinn said post-game. "I hope he has got a couple more in there that are the important ones when we need to have them."

Quinn's assessment was a tidy bit of foreshadowing, as Tavares was constantly clutch throughout the ensuing weeks. Tavares hit the ground running, scoring Canada's opening two goals against the Czech Republic, while adding a primary assist on Angelo Esposito's marker, which gave his team a 3-0 lead. He built some solid chemistry with Jordan Eberle on the power play, a connection that would pay dividends at the most crucial point of the event.

Canada mauled an overmatched Kazakhstan to the tune of a 15-0 victory, then defeated Germany 5-1, setting up a titanic New Year's Eve showdown against the United States. It exceeded the hype, and ended up as one of the most famous games in the history of the World Juniors. At the time, the top seed from each round robin pool received an automatic bye into the semifinals, while the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds from each group would square off in the quarterfinals, providing an additional incentive to the already heated rivalry.

It was a nightmare start for Canada. Kevin Shattenkirk, Jimmy Hayes and Jim O'Brien helped the United States race out to a 3-0 lead. Canada appeared to be doomed through the opening 15 minutes, but Tavares suddenly sprung to life, as P.K. Subban poked a rebound from Cody Hodgson onto Tavares' stick, cutting the lead to 3-1.

Tavares' second goal was truly spectacular. Ryan McDonagh's stick shattered as he tried to make a centring pass and Tavares picked it off, then raced up the ice. While some scouts were critical of Tavares' straight line speed, he raced in on net, dangled around a panicked, outstretched McDonagh, and flipped the puck into the top corner on a gorgeous individual rush, and the game was on. Tavares registered both of these goals within a 48-second span.

Eberle added a power-play marker to end the first frame, and it was tied at 3 apiece. Tavares would later cap off one of the best games in tournament history with an empty-net goal to seal his hat-trick, dragging Jordan Schroeder to the net with him.

The below compilation put together by theScore's Kyle Cushman displays the magic and aura of Tavares' hat-trick. TSN is celebrating 35 years of the World Juniors, and ranked Tavares' hat-trick against the United States as their <a href="https://www.tsn.ca/hockey-canada/video/~3035954">24th-greatest moment</a>, for what it's worth.

https://twitter.com/Kyle_Cush/status/1477025651416838147
<div data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324">"Johnny was unbelievable for us today," Tavares' linemate Cody Hodgson <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/juniors/canada-usa-juniors/">said post-game</a>. "Those two back-to-back goals were what got us back in that game and turned the momentum for us."</div>
<div data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324"></div>
<div data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324">As for the top of the 2009 NHL Draft, Tavares ended the debate.</div>
"Based on this tournament, the two players are not equal. I think he has been a clear No. 1 and this debate about him and Hedman does not make sense to me," then-Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke said to <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/tavares-has-set-himself-apart-at-world-juniors-1.795854">CBC Sports</a>.

Tavares' heroics were called upon once again against during Canada's semifinal against Russia. Canada and Russia traded goals through the opening seven minutes, tied at 2-2, before Eberle scored his first of three goals to take the lead back entering the second intermission. Russia's Evgeni Grachev tied the game 51 seconds into the third frame, then Angelo Esposito countered with a short-handed marker, restoring a 4-3 lead. The lead lasted less than a minute, as Russia's Sergei Andronov equalized on the power play, setting up a dramatic thriller for the ages.

Russia's Dmitri Klopov scored with two minutes and 20 seconds remaining, pushing Canada to the brink of elimination. It seemed like an unfathomable outcome, even against a top opponent, considering the talent level and experience Canada had compiled for this tournament. Tavares had put Canada on his back before, but it was Eberle's time to emerge as the national hero.

In the dying seconds of the game, Canada fought frantically to secure the puck. Ryan Ellis stopped a clearing attempt and secured the puck at the line, then a five-man scrum ensued and eventually, Tavares fished the puck out with 8.6 seconds left, tossing a backhand towards the net that appeared to die out. The puck hit Dmitry Kulikov, as he fell to his knees, Eberle scooped up the loose puck and tucked it home, for one of the most famous goals in Canadian history. TSN's Pierre McGuire ruined Gord Miller's call by accident, and gave all credit to Tavares for setting up the game-tying goal:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8v8C3scwvg

Eberle scored the shootout winner, seconding Canada into the gold medal game, but his game-tying goal lives in national lore.

"The way we’ve been responding to the adversity speaks a lot about our character,” Tavares said to <a href="https://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/canada-ekes-out-shootout-win/article_600acef7-9657-5e48-add5-43b9f8509011.html">Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star</a>. “It was amazing. We were five seconds from it being over."

The gold medal game against Sweden ended up being rather anti-climactic. Canada defeated Sweden 5-1, and Tavares finished the tournament with eight goals, 15 points, MVP honours and another gold medal. If that isn't iconic, we're not sure what is!
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Remembering John Tavares’ iconic performance at the 2009 World Juniors

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