Another Top 100 List

[Brush with Greatness 0]

The top world junior moment will be John Slaney's goal in 1991. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Punch up in Piestany on there as well.

 

Bertuzzi/McSorely incidents could be on there, as well as the McSorely illegal curve call in the 1993 finals.

 

Eric Lindros, first overall and refusing to go to the Nords could be one too.

 

And for sure '87 Canada Cup will be on there.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

 

I'd like to see Daniel Igali at Sydney, my number 6 all time favourite, and Saku Koivu's return game, my number 10, on the list as well.

[Red Baron 0]

Oh, how about these.

 

Roy going to the Avs

Lanny gets his ring

Jamacian Bobsled team (kinda out there really)

Moving of Winnipeg and Quebec

Maple Leafs choke to St. Louis (6 goals in the last period)

[treble 0]

Anson Carter's OT winner in the 2003 World Championships should be on there, too.

[treble 0]

93: Goodyear loses closest ever Indy 500

 

TSN.ca Staff

 

9/9/2004

 

Scott Goodyear wasn't supposed to be in the starting lineup for the 1992 Indianapolis 500. The Canadian was sitting on the bubble on the final day of qualifying for the race before being bumped from the field by a faster driver. Rather than go home the team elected to substitute Goodyear in for teammate Mike Groff, which meant starting at the back of the 33 car field.

 

In a way, starting at the back of the grid likely spared Goodyear from the chaos that enveloped most of the contenders on this day. On a cold, breezy 52-degree day, the carnage began even before the race started when pole-sitter Roberto Guerrero spun and crashed on the second parade lap while trying to warm up his tires.

 

Ten accidents and 3 1/2 hours later, it came down to Goodyear and Al Unser Jr., who had started 12th and was also battling history by trying to become the third generation Unser to win the 500 mile race.

 

With nine laps to go, Goodyear was threatening to become the biggest dark-horse winner in the event's history. Unser Jr. snaked his car from side to side, denying Goodyear a chance to get into his slipstream and attempt a slingshot pass. On the final lap of the race, Unser was forced to back off the throttle in Turn 4 to avoid a spin, opening the door for Goodyear to make his final run.

 

Unser Jr. moved several times to block Goodyear's pass attempt and with about 100 yards of race track left, Goodyear dipped low and came up alongside Unser Jr. as the two crossed the finish line of bricks. In the end, Goodyear needed another six feet as he finished .043 seconds behind Unser Jr. - the closest finish ever in Indy 500 history.

 

"Coming off Turn 2, I started to get a little bit emotional, but I looked in my mirrors, and Scott was there," recalled Unser Jr. "I went through Turn 3 flat-out. I went into 4 and (slowed down) just a bit, and came off of 4 and down for the checkered flag, and Scott was right under my exhaust. He gave me one heckuva scare that he was going to take it away then. I moved over a little bit but finally decided to move straight on, and that the best man was going to win."

[Red Baron 0]

Was it at Indy when Tracy "won" but didn't cause he passed some just as the caution came on.

[treble 0]

92: Gonzalez RBI gives D-Backs World Series

 

TSN.ca Staff

 

9/10/2004

 

In 96 previous World Series finals, no one had ever been in the situation Luis Gonzalez found himself on November 4, 2001.

 

Game 7, bottom of the ninth, bases loaded, tied game and one out.

 

Gonzalez stepped up to the plate to face Mariano Rivera, one of the premier closers in baseball who had chalked up 23 straight postseason saves and had never blown a save in the World Series.

 

But Rivera had already misplayed a bunt by throwing a ball into center field, gave up a run scoring double to Tony Womack to tie the game 2-2 and hit Craig Counsell to load the bases.

 

Up steps Gonzalez, who had hit 57 home runs in the regular season. Yet, his instinct is not to swing away at the ball but rather choke up on his bat. It would prove to be the right decision as Gonzalez swings at a pitch in on his hands, just below the trademark, cracking his bat and blooping a single over the head of a backpeddling Derek Jeter allowing Jay Bell to score the winning run.

 

The Diamondbacks win the World Series 3-2, denying the Yankees a fourth straight championship. It was the 34th time the World Series has gone seven games and Arizona became the first team in history to enter the bottom of the ninth inning trailing in a Game 7 and then rally to win before the game went into extra innings.

[treble 0]

91: Slaney scores '91 World Juniors winner

 

TSN.ca Staff

 

9/12/2004

 

The 1991 World Junior Hockey Championship came down once again to a showdown between Canada and the Soviet Union.

 

With Russia leading Canada by two points heading into the final game, all the Canadians needed to do was win to create a two-way tie for first place which would give them the gold medal.

 

Canada was led by Eric Lindros and Mike Craig while the Russian's were led by Pavel Bure and his tournament leading 12 goals as well as Sergei Berezin and Vyatcheslav Kozlov. But it would fall to an anonymous group of defensemen to pull this victory out of the fire.

 

With the scored tied 2-2 and the Russian's appearing content to play for the tie, the puck went back to defenseman John Slaney, who rifled a shot past the Russian netminder for the game winning goal, turning him into an improbable hero for Canadians coast-to-coast.

 

It was the second straight gold medal for Canada and started a run of seven championships in eight years.

 

Slaney was selected by the Washington Capitals with their first pick, ninth overall in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft. Since then his NHL journey has taken him to Colorado, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Nashville, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, where he has earned the AHL's top defenseman award with the Phantoms in 2001, 2002.

[treble 0]

90: Perdita Felicien falls at 2004 Olympics

 

TSN.ca Staff

 

9/14/2004

 

One of the most highly anticipated events for Canadians at the 2004 Summer Olympics was the women's 110 metre hurdles.

 

Perdita Felicien was the odds on favourite to win the gold medal heading into the event having won five straight races leading up to the Games in Athens. Felicien had also set the fastest time in the world to date, 12.46 seconds and spoke confidently of her performance to come.

 

"This past summer has been amazing, and my plan was to come here and cap it off right," she said.

 

Through the first two rounds of qualifying, Felicien appeared on track to fulfill he quest, coming within 3-100ths of a second of her best time to date. Along the way, some of her top rivals fell by the wayside. Gail Devers pulled up with a calf injury just six strides out of the blocks and Jamaican Brigitte Foster, sixth ranked in the world, pulled a calf muscle in the warmup and did not race, while teammate Delloreen Ennis-London, the fourth fastest in the world, finished fifth in her heat and did not advance.

 

As the number one ranked female hurdler in the world settled into the blocks for the final, it appeared the gold medal was her's to lose.

 

Starting in Lane 5, the 23-year-old world indoor and outdoor champion failed to clear the first hurdle, hitting it with her right leg and falling awkwardly into to the next lane, bumping Russian sprinter Irina Shevchenko as she fell.

 

Felicien's race was over. The gold medal gone.

 

"This is my worst nightmare come true,"she said immediately after the race. "It was my race to lose and I lost it."

 

Felicien will now have to wait four more years before attempting to become Canada's first female gold medalist in track and field in 80 years.

[CanadianChris 0]

Was it at Indy when Tracy "won" but didn't cause he passed some just as the caution came on.

If it's the one I'm thinking of, that was Scott Goodyear again, not Tracy. He passed the pace car with seven laps to go, and Jacques Villeneuve ended up winning.

[treble 0]

http://www.detnews.com/2002/motorsports/02...orts-506086.htm

 

It happened to Tracy in the 2002 Indy.

[CanadianChris 0]

http://www.detnews.com/2002/motorsports/02...orts-506086.htm

 

It happened to Tracy in the 2002 Indy.

Shows how in tune I've been with motorsports the last three or four years.

[treble 0]

Yeah, I just know what I'm told from highlight shows.

 

I hear that Michael Shumacher guy is pretty good.

[treble 0]

89:Coffey breaks Bobby Orr's record for goals by a defenceman

 

TSN.ca Staff

 

9/15/2004

 

After the career of Boston Bruins' legendary defenceman Bobby Orr came to an end, many believed no one would come close to his offensive production. Before Orr, no other defenceman had scored more than 100 points in a season. Maybe even more incredible was the 46 goals Orr scored in 1974-75, setting a standard that blue liners had not come close to until Paul Coffey arrived in the NHL.

 

Coffey, a young defeceman from the Toronto suburbs, had blinding speed and offensive skills that could challenge Orr in goal production. 

 

Coffey, the Oilers' first-round pick of the 1980 entry draft, had an unspectacular 32-point campaign in his first NHL campaign.

 

In the 1981-82 season, his second as an NHLer, Coffey showed hockey fans his offensive talent by registering 89 points. He won the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenceman in 1985, setting the stage for his best season ever in the NHL.

 

On April 2, 1986, Coffey scored his 47th and 48th goals of the year in an 8-4 win against the Vancouver Canucks, breaking Orr's NHL record for most goals by a defenseman.

 

Coffey also appeared set to eclipse Orr's record for points in one season but finished with 138 - one point shy of Orr's mark. Glen Sather had benched Coffey late in the season, claiming he focused too much on offence and not enough on defence.

 

The bitterness between the two festered throughout the 1987 season and after the Oilers captured their third Stanley Cup in four years, Coffey demanded a new contract. Following a two month holdout, Sather eventually traded Coffey to Pittsburgh, where he would go on to win a fourth Stanley Cup title in 1991. He would top the 100 point mark two more times with the Penguins but would not come close to the scoring levels he enjoyed with the Oilers.

[treble 0]

88: Scott Stevens levels Eric Lindros in 2000 playoffs

 

TSN.ca Staff

 

9/17/2004

 

Scott Stevens is a player of sound defencive principles. He is also a player who will make you pay the price should you dare to attempt a crossing of the middle of the ice. Nowhere was that skill and toughness evident than the 2000 Eastern Conference Finals.

 

That spring, the New Jersey Devils found themselves down 3-games-1 to the Philadelphia Flyers. After the Flyers failed to close out the series in Game 5, Eric Lindros - who was recovering from two concussions in the last three months - decided to suit up for Game 6. A storybook return was not in the cards as the Devils forced a seventh and deciding game in the series, setting the stage for "The Hit".

 

Eight minutes into the first period, Lindros collected the puck at center ice and side-stepped Scott Niedermayer at the blue line while skating into the Devils' zone. Lindros was looking at the puck and never saw Stevens lining him up. The Devils captain got into a crouch and checked Lindros, leading with his right arm for power. His tricep seemed to catch No. 88 square in the head.

 

Lindros immediately fell backward and the back of his helmet slammed off the ice. He appeared dazed before his head hit the ice.

 

The Devils won the game 2-1 - winning the last three games of the series - but Game 7 will forever be remembered for Stevens' hit on Lindros that many claim all but ended the career of the Flyers' former captain.

[Red Baron 0]

I don't care what people say, that was a clean hit on Lindros

[Lightning Flik 0]

Lindros looked down.

 

Sorry, but if you look down (meaning head goes down, not just glance downwards) for the puck instead of keeping your head up, you get those types of hits. Ugly, but still clean.

[Red Baron 0]

and people say Stevens plays dirty

[Lt. Al Giardello 0]

I think #1 should be Donovan Bailey getting gold and breaking the olympic record and at the time world record.

[treble 0]

87: Matt Dunigan shatters single game passing record

 

TSN.ca Staff

 

9/19/2004

 

Matt Dunigan joined the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as a free agent in 1992. With the rifle-armed quarterback at the helm, the Blue Bombers posted three of the most explosive seasons in club history, going 11-7, 14-4 and 13-5.

 

Dunigan guided the Blue Bombers to two Grey Cup appearances during his tenure. Winnipeg lost the 1992 game to Calgary 24-10 and in 1993, Dunigan was forced to miss the 33-23 loss Edmonton due to injury.

 

However, Dunigan's most memorable moment with Winnipeg came on July 14, 1994 against the Edmonton Eskimos when he threw for 713 yards in a 50-35 win. That broke the previous record of 601 yards passing set by B.C.'s Danny Barrett on August 12, 1993 against Toronto.

 

"We should have had 900 (yards) that night," said Dunigan. "I overthrew a couple of receivers."

 

In just three seasons with the Blue and Gold, the quarterback who played like a linebacker ranks among the leaders on the Bombers' all-time list for passing yards, completions and touchdowns. Recently, he was honoured by being inducted into the Blue Bomber Hall of Fame.

[Spaceman Spiff 0]

I don't care what people say, that was a clean hit on Lindros

He did push his arm out a bit to catch Lindros on the head with his upper arm.

 

Mostly clean

[Red Baron 0]

Maybe Lindros should have tighten up his helmet.

 

He would have 5 concussions instead of...um....a VERY high number

[Guest Staravenger]

I think Lindros confused hockey with baseball. Sure, you should pay attention to what your doing with the puck, but ignoring everything around him was what was wrong. If he was paying attention to Stevens, he could've braced himself or simply moved a bit out of the way so he wouldn't take a total impact shot.

[Red Baron 0]

Simple rules of hockey.

 

If your head is down, you are going to pay the consequences. Lindros shouldn't had his head down.

[Spaceman Spiff 0]

He would've gotten tagged either way, but I would have preferred Stevens to hit him w/ the body, rather than stick his arm out to get his head. Maybe a concussion could have been avoided (but probably not). That always left me w/ a bit of a bad taste in my mouth.

 

That's not to say Lindros shouldn't have had his head up & been aware of his surroundings.

[treble 0]

This is a lot lower than I thought it would be.

 

86: Forsberg scores to beat Canada for gold at 1994 Olympics

 

TSN.ca Staff

 

9/20/2004

 

At the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, Canada and Sweden faced each other for the gold medal in men's hockey.

 

The two teams had finished the round robin with identical 3-1-1 records. In the quarterfinals, Canada needed overtime to defeat the Czech Republic 2-1 while the Swedes shutout the Germans 3-0.

 

The semifinals saw Canada defeat Finland 5-3 while Sweden eliminated the defending Olympic champions Russia 4-3.

 

Canada, which had not won a gold medal in men's hockey since 1952, and Sweden, which was searching for its first ever gold medal, played to a 2-2 tie through regulation and overtime, setting the stage for a shootout to determine the Olympic champion.

 

Through four penalty shots, the game remained tied 2-2 when up steps Peter Forsberg of Sweden. Forsberg, who assisted on both Swedish goals in regulation, takes the puck at center and skates towards Canadian goaltender Corey Hirsch. He fakes to the left but goes to the right, and gingerly deposits the puck into the neck. Swedish netminder Tommy Salo makes a save on Canada's penalty shot attempt, giving Sweden the gold medal.

 

Forsberg's unforgettable goal would later be immortalized on a postage stamp, becoming the first Swedish ice hockey player to be so honoured.

[Red Baron 0]

I think this is low because of the non-NHLers so far, I mean its devestating, but I mean, it wasn't as bad as the NHLers getting embarassed in 98.

 

Spiff, Stevens clearly hit Lindros with the upper shoulder/tricep, and knocked him out, I mean he's not throwing elbows like Gordie Howe or something. Still a concussion would have been prevented if you know, tighten up that damn chin strap. Sometimes I think he's asking for it at times.

[treble 0]

85: Schmirler loses battle with cancer

 

TSN.ca Staff

 

9/21/2004

 

Sandra Schmirler won three Canadian and world titles in the sport of curling, but her Olympic gold medal performance at the 1998 Games in Nagano, Japan, earned her the monicker "The Queen of Curling."

 

Schmirler and her Saskatchewan foursome made Olympic history by becoming the first team to win a gold medal since curling became a full medal sport. They beat Denmark 7-5 in a closely fought contest.

 

"It was an experience of a lifetime," said Schmirler following an 18 hour flight home to Saskatchewan. "I'm just glad the curling gods were on our side."

 

Schmirler's foursome was voted The Canadian Press team of the year in 1998 and Schmirler was inducted into the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame in March of 1999.

 

In August of that year, Schmirler was diagnosed with an undetermined cancer and nearly died in September when doctors operated on her. She underwent intensive chemotherapy and later radiation treatments in order to shrink a tumour in her thoracic cavity.

 

The treatments appeared to work and in February, she travelled to Moncton to do color commentary for CBC at the Canadian Junior Curling Championships. But the back pains redeveloped and her condition began to worsen.

 

An emotional Schmirler, her voice scratchy from the cancer treatment, held a news conference in Moncton on February 11th, her first TV appearance since her illness had been revealed. She joked during her news conference and had the reporters in attendance laughing several times while some watched in tears.

 

"It's been a hell of a fight," said the mother of two, whose father, Art, died of esophagus cancer in April 1999. Doctors said there was no correlation between Schmirler's disease and her father's.

 

On March 2, 2000, the 36-year-old died of cancer-related causes in a Regina hospital.

 

"All Canadians have been touched by the untimely death of Sandra Schmirler," said Prime Minister Jean Chretien. "Most of us came to know of her through her exploits as a champion curler and as an exemplary sports ambassador for Canada. But what really set her apart was her bright, engaging personality and her incredible zest for life; qualities that were so clearly in evidence as she fought so valiantly against her illness. She will be sorely missed."

 

"England had Lady Di and Sandra was our queen," said Gerald Shymko, skip of Saskatchewan's 1999 provincial men's curling champions.

 

An estimated crowd of 600 overflowed into adjoining rooms in the Regina Funeral Home where the service took place and was broadcast live on national television across Canada.

 

Thousands of fans also gathered nearby at the Callie Curling Club, which Team Schmirler called home, and the Agridome sporting facility. About 2 1/2 hours away in Saskatoon, the Labatt Brier was delayed to allow players and fans to watch the funeral on giant monitors inside Saskatchewan Place.

 

"She was a very special person who touched our lives," said Rev. Don Wells, who led the service. "There will not quite be another like her."

[treble 0]

84: 1999 World Junior Hockey Championship

 

TSN.ca Staff

 

9/22/2004

 

Winnipeg played host to the 1999 world junior hockey championship and set an attendance record with over 170,000 people taking in the event.

 

Early on, it did not look good for the home town Canadians. A frustrating 0-0 draw with Slovakia and a loss to the United States left the home side with a 2-1-1 record in the round robin portion of the tournament.

 

In the quarterfinals, Canada faced Kazakhstan, the team that handed them a shocking defeat one year earlier. This time, a hero emerged for Canada as Simon Gagne tied a national team record with four goals, leading a 12-2 romp.

 

Next came the undefeated Swedes and the Sedin twins, Daniel and Henrik. It turned out to be no contest as Canada rolled to a 6-1 win and set up a gold medal match with Russia.

 

The final game turned into the Roberto Luongo show. Canada was outshot 40-18, but Luongo's heroics forced overtime. Artem Chubarov finally put the winner past Luongo to give Russia a 3-2 win and the gold medal. It was the first title for Russia since competing as the Commonwealth of Independent States in 1992.

[treble 0]

Here's the first Flutie moment

 

83: Flutie leads Calgary to Grey Cup title

 

TSN.ca Staff

 

9/23/2004

 

Doug Flutie is considered by many to be one of the best players ever to play in the Canadian Football League.

 

After winning the Heisman Trophy in college, Flutie signed a 6-year, $8.3-million contract with the USFL - the richest rookie contract ever handed out by a sports league at the time. One year later, following the demise of the rival league, Flutie joined the Chicago Bears but played sparingly. He moved on to the New England Patriots but was never truly given the chance to showcase his talents in three seasons there.

 

In 1990, with his professional football career in jeopardy, Flutie signed with the B.C. Lions of the CFL. After two years of re-writing the CFL record book with some of the most prolific seasons in professional football, he joined the Calgary Stampeders as a free agent in March of 1992.

 

The previous season, the Stampeders finished 11-7 but lost to Toronto in the Grey Cup final. Ironically, the Stamps defeated Flutie's Lions 43-41 in the Western Semifinal. With Flutie at the helm, the Stampeders finished the 1992 campaign 13-5, including an impressive 8-1 at home. In the Western Final, Calgary knocked off rival Edmonton 23-22 and advanced to the Grey Cup final against Winnipeg in Toronto.

 

Flutie would go on to lead the Stampeders to a 24-10 win to capture their third Grey Cup Championship - their first since 1971. In the game, Flutie completed 33 of 49 pass attempts for 480 yards and 2 touchdowns and added the MVP award to his Most Outstanding Player honour earned during Grey Cup week.