In the lead-up to the 2021 World Junior Championship, we're taking a look back at each of the 18 Canadian teams to capture the gold medal, culminating Dec. 25 with the start of the latest edition of the tournament.

The 1991 edition of the world juniors took place throughout Saskatchewan and saw Team Canada take home its second consecutive gold medal. Once again, the squad faced stiff competition after edging out the Soviet Union for gold in 1990. With the round-robin format still in place, Canada came out on top with a clutch win in their final game.

The roster

*Denotes returning player
All ages are as of the start of the tournament

The tournament

The event featured a number of future Hall of Fame-caliber players. Doug Weight led the tournament in scoring, with Canada's Eric Lindros and the Soviet Union's Pavel Bure trailing the American.

Canada took care of Switzerland in the tourney's first game, winning 6-0. Things started to look bleak for their gold medal hopes when they tied the U.S. 4-4 in their second matchup, putting them a point behind the Soviets.

Canada continued on, beating Norway, Sweden, and Finland before dropping their first contest against Czechoslovakia. With a 4-1-1 record and just one game left to play against the then-undefeated Soviets, Canada needed a miracle to secure gold.

On Jan. 3, the Soviets were taking on Finland in the team's sixth game of the tournament. If the Soviets won, they would have clinched the gold medal. Finland pulled off a miracle and did Canada a huge favor, scoring a game-tying goal with 15 seconds left. The tie meant the matchup between Canada and the Soviet Union on Jan. 4 decided who would take home the gold medal.

The stars

Seventeen-year-old Lindros dominated the tournament, leading Canada in scoring with 17 points in seven games. To nobody's surprise, he took home the Top Forward honor. It was Lindros' second appearance at the world juniors, and he returned in 1992. He would ultimately become the country's all-time leading scorer at the world juniors with 31 points.

Forward Mike Craig was second in scoring for the team with 11 points. He was one of the six returning players to win back-to-back golds and was named a First-Team All-Star of the tournament. Despite his great performances at the world juniors, Craig's career ended up being rather lackluster - he played in 423 NHL games while recording 168 points.

The key moment

Aside from Finland's epic late goal to force a tie against the Soviets and allow Canada to play for gold, the tournament's key moment came in the championship game.

Canada got off to an early 2-0 lead, but the Soviets clawed back to tie it up in the third frame. With all eyes on Canada's stars to get the game-winner, an unlikely hero stepped up to clinch gold.

John Slaney - who hadn't scored yet in the tournament - blasted home a goal through traffic with just over five minutes left in the third period. Slaney sprained his ankle during the goal celebration and anxiously watched the game's final minutes from the bench. Despite an onslaught from the Soviets, Canada managed to hold on to the lead and shut the Soviets down, taking home the country's second consecutive gold.

The fallout

Lindros went on to be infamously selected first overall in the 1991 NHL Draft by the Quebec Nordiques. Injuries derailed his career, but his talent and impact on the ice were undeniable. He only appeared in 760 NHL games while recording 865 points but was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2016. He finished his career as a six-time All-Star and won the Hart Trophy in 1995.

The team didn't churn out as many future stars as some of Canada's other rosters but still produced a number of solid careers. Players such as Kris Draper, Mike Sillinger, Patrice Brisebois, and Brad May all appeared in over 1,000 NHL games.

Canada's top goalie Trevor Kidd played in a respectable 387 NHL games with a career .901 save percentage. Backup goalie Felix Potvin went on to become a two-time All-Star and appeared in 635 games.

Scott Niedermayer went pointless in seven games at the world juniors. While his play at the tournament didn't turn many heads, he went on to win four Stanley Cups, a Norris Trophy, the Conn Smythe Trophy, and two Olympic golds.

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Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Rasmus Sandin has made good use of his team's extended layoff and is feeling better physically than he has before.

"I'm definitely a lot stronger. ... Even William (Nylander) can't even handle me on the ice right now," Sandin said, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

The 20-year-old returned to Sweden when Toronto was eliminated from the 2019-20 postseason and has been training with teammate and friend Nylander, which Sandin said recently resulted in many broken sticks on the forward's end.

Sandin said that being able to practice against a more experienced NHL player has helped him measure his progression.

"He's obviously a great player, so going against him, I can play in a little bit of a different way," Sandin said. "Before I definitely was just more trying to have my stick and trying to be more in a good position. Now I can pair that up ... with pushing other players from the puck a bit more and winning those battles.

"That's why I feel like this (prolonged break) has helped me a lot on the ice."

Sandin appeared in 26 games with the Maple Leafs this past season, and he also spent 21 games with the AHL's Toronto Marlies.

Though a spot on the Maple Leafs' roster isn't a lock due to their sudden logjam on the blue line, Sandin hopes to do whatever he can to help the team succeed.

"Play all the games I can and make a bigger impact on the team this year - try to help the team win more games," Sandin said of his goals for the upcoming season. "I feel prepared and I can't wait to get camp started."

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While the NHL and NHLPA continue to work on a framework for the 2020-21 season, commissioner Gary Bettman says the league will likely need to realign, which would include an all-Canadian division.

"There are a lot of things we have to do to return to play. ... We have travel issues because of the restrictions at the border between Canada and the U.S. You can't go back and forth, so we're actually going to have to realign," Bettman told the "Maccabi USA Sports Show," according to NHL.com's Tom Gulitti.

"If everything stays the way it is, we're probably going to have to have a Canadian division and realign in the U.S., and we're trying to focus on dealing with all of those challenges."

The all-Canadian division would include the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, and Winnipeg Jets. It's unclear how the 24 U.S. clubs would realign.

The NHL and NHLPA have reportedly dropped discussions regarding financial changes in an effort to begin a new season Jan. 13. Both sides apparently prefer to play a 56-game schedule in 2020-21.

The NHL has a call scheduled for 4 p.m. on Wednesday with the league's Board of Governors to update the teams on the ongoing negotiations, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

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The Vegas Golden Knights are still searching for a way to become cap compliant ahead of next season and are looking to move Max Pacioretty to gain some relief.

"I'm told that the Vegas Golden Knights have doubled down in recent days and weeks in an attempt to try and move Max Pacioretty," reported TSN's Frank Seravalli on Tuesday's edition of "Insider Trading."

The Golden Knights find themselves in a bit of a cap crunch after signing top free agent Alex Pietrangelo to a seven-year deal carrying an average annual value of $8.8 million. As of Dec. 8, the team is nearly $1 million over the league salary cap of $81.5 million.

Pacioretty led Vegas in goals (32) and points (66) during the shortened 2019-20 campaign. The 32-year-old has three seasons left on his current deal, which carries an average annual value of $7 million.

The Golden Knights were previously attempting to move players from their roster earlier in the offseason to become cap compliant, Seravalli added.

Vegas traded for Pacioretty in a blockbuster deal with the Montreal Canadiens in 2018, sending away top prospect Nick Suzuki, forward Tomas Tatar, and a second-round pick to acquire the sniper.

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The Florida Panthers have put together a powerful group of goaltending experts to spearhead the team's goalie development going forward, with Roberto Luongo leading the way.

The team will take an innovative approach to netminder development and coaching with the creation of a new goaltending excellence department, the club announced Tuesday.

Luongo will work in collaboration with Panthers goaltending coach Robb Tallas, his brother and Florida's AHL goaltending coach, Leo Luongo, and ex-goalie coach Francois Allaire.

Allaire is set to join the team as a goaltending consultant. He's one of the league's most famed goalie coaches after working with Patrick Roy early in his career and helping to guide Jean-Sebastien Giguere to a Conn Smythe Trophy in 2003. Allaire retired from coaching in 2017.

"I'm proud and excited to be part of this encompassing new goaltending operation," Allaire said. "Our collection of goaltending knowledge is extraordinary, and our players will have the benefit of a collaborative, united coaching experience throughout their careers with the Panthers."

The team's new approach will include scouting, and it'll aim to uniformly develop goalies at every level of the franchise's system.

"Upon joining the organization, a Panthers goaltender will experience consistent communication, guidance, and unified instruction from the goaltending excellence staff," the team said.

Luongo, who is entering his second season with the Panthers as a special advisor to the general manager, says he's excited about the new opportunity to work with the other coaches and pass along their knowledge.

"This new endeavor for our organization is incredibly special. ... Each member of our goaltending excellence staff has traveled a different path and possesses a unique set of experiences and knowledge," Luongo said. "I have a tremendous deal of respect for this group and couldn't be more excited for the future."

Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky is among the league's highest-paid netminders, and he endured one of the worst statistical seasons of his career in 2019-20, his first campaign with the team. The club also drafted top goalie prospect Spencer Knight 13th overall in 2019.

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The Florida Panthers have put together a powerful group of goaltending experts to spearhead the team's goalie development going forward, with Roberto Luongo leading the way.

The team will take an innovative approach to netminder development and coaching with the creation of a new goaltending excellence department, the club announced Tuesday.

Luongo will work in collaboration with Panthers goaltending coach Robb Tallas, his brother and Florida's AHL goaltending coach, Leo Luongo, and ex-goalie coach Francois Allaire.

Allaire is set to join the team as a goaltending consultant. He's one of the league's most famed goalie coaches after working with Patrick Roy early in his career and helping to guide Jean-Sebastien Giguere to a Conn Smythe Trophy in 2003. Allaire retired from coaching in 2017.

"I'm proud and excited to be part of this encompassing new goaltending operation," Allaire said. "Our collection of goaltending knowledge is extraordinary, and our players will have the benefit of a collaborative, united coaching experience throughout their careers with the Panthers."

The team's new approach will include scouting, and it'll aim to uniformly develop goalies at every level of the franchise's system.

"Upon joining the organization, a Panthers goaltender will experience consistent communication, guidance, and unified instruction from the goaltending excellence staff," the team said.

Luongo, who is entering his second season with the Panthers as a special advisor to the general manager, says he's excited about the new opportunity to work with the other coaches and pass along their knowledge.

"This new endeavor for our organization is incredibly special. ... Each member of our goaltending excellence staff has traveled a different path and possesses a unique set of experiences and knowledge," Luongo said. "I have a tremendous deal of respect for this group and couldn't be more excited for the future."

Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky is among the league's highest-paid netminders, and he endured one of the worst statistical seasons of his career in 2019-20, his first campaign with the team. The club also drafted top goalie prospect Spencer Knight 13th overall in 2019.

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The Cincinnati Cyclones, Idaho Steelheads, and Kalamazoo Wings will be suspending play for the 2020-21 ECHL season, the league announced Monday.

The three teams join the entire North Division - the Adirondack Thunder, Brampton Beast, Maine Mariners, Newfoundland Growlers, Reading Royals, and Worcester Railers - after each squad also made the decision to opt out.

The Cyclones' NHL affiliate is the Buffalo Sabres, while the Steelheads are connected to the Dallas Stars, and the Wings are in the Vancouver Canucks' system.

Under the league's COVID-19 policy, all players from the three teams are now free agents.

"This decision for our clubs was immensely difficult amidst the ever-changing landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic and the inability to return to play throughout our various jurisdictions,” ECHL commissioner Ryan Crelin said. “We look forward to returning fans and ECHL hockey in these great markets as they shift their focus to the 2021-22 season."

There are now 15 ECHL teams expected to compete during the upcoming campaign set to begin on Dec. 11.

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Neil Armstrong, Hall of Fame NHL linesman and father of St. Louis Blues general manager Doug, died Sunday at the age of 87, the team announced.

Armstrong officiated 1,744 regular-season NHL games from 1957 to 1978. After retiring as a linesman, he became a scout with the Montreal Canadiens. The Hall of Famer was inducted in 1991.

Armstrong was in an assisted living home in Ontario battling dementia and Parkinson's disease. When his son Doug won the Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019, he was able to bring the trophy to share with his father.

"Being able to share the Stanley Cup with him, to share the ring with him, we did it 20 years ago and to be able to share some of the experiences I've been through the past two decades with him, well, that's pretty special," Doug Armstrong said in 2019 according to NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger.

"He gets a big smile out of it and those are few and far between for him. So it's been great."

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A local TV station in Boston has drawn some attention after casually interviewing Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla during its coverage of a snowstorm this weekend.

The segment caught the eye of a Twitter user when Iginla suddenly appeared on screen:

Iginla has surely seen his fair share of snow after growing up in Edmonton and spending the majority of his NHL career with the Calgary Flames.

"I like the snow, I like the winter, but not necessarily this," Iginla said, according to Boston 25 News' Litsa Pappas. "May be a little too much."

The two-time Olympic gold medalist also shared his thoughts on driving in such conditions.

"Pretty tough, we're from Canada, so it's not too crazy," he said. "I mean, we got some winter tires. Used to this growing up so, it's not great, I'll tell you, you get some tough stretches. But if you don't go too fast, it's doable."

Iginla played one season with the Boston Bruins and decided to call the city home after he retired in 2018.

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Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning tried to find a new club for forward Loui Eriksson this offseason but failed to do so.

"We tried to get him a new team, a new opportunity, a fresh start. That didn't happen," Benning said Thursday on Sportsnet 650's "Starting Lineup."

"As of right now, Loui is under contract with us. When he plays he can still kill penalties for us, he's a good defensive player.

"We wanted him to score more when we signed him, that hasn't happened. But he's still part of our team, part of our group. He's an experienced guy."

Since signing a six-year, $36-million contract with the Canucks in 2016, Eriksson has failed to find his footing and produce at the level that he did earlier in his career.

Eriksson was a six-time 20-plus goal-scorer before joining the Canucks, including two seasons where he notched 30 or more goals. He's totaled just 38 goals in 245 games during the four seasons he's spent in Vancouver.

The 35-year-old was a healthy scratch on numerous occasions during the 2019-20 season and managed six goals and seven assists in 49 games. Last offseason, Benning confirmed he would look into trading Eriksson after the forward said he and head coach Travis Green "don't really get on 100 percent."

Eriksson has two years remaining on his contract, carrying an average annual value of $6 million.

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