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.

Canada won its second gold medal at the 1985 world juniors, the ninth annual tournament. This tournament - like every WJHC through 1995 - consisted strictly of a round robin.

The roster

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

The tournament

Team Canada - donning its extremely '80s Cooperalls - started red hot, beating Sweden 8-2, Poland 12-1, and West Germany 6-0, all lopsided victories that would be massive for tiebreakers. With no quarterfinals, semifinals, or gold-medal game, goal differential was used as the tiebreaker in the final standings.

The Canadians continued their dominance in a 7-5 win over the United States, and a stunning 5-0 upset of the defending champs from the Soviet Union. Canada then tied Finland, the host nation, pushing its record to 5-0-1 and setting up what was essentially the gold-medal match against 5-0-1 Czechoslovakia. Needing a draw to win it all thanks to a superior goal differential (+30 entering the game, compared to Czechoslovakia's +19), Canada won gold after the 2-2 affair.

The stars

Bradley, who would go on to produce 503 points over 651 career NHL games, led the way offensively for Canada with nine goals and five assists. Right behind him was Creighton with eight goals and four assists. He also enjoyed a stellar 708-game career.

Meanwhile, blue-liner Dollas, who was chosen 14th overall in the 1983 draft, was named to the Media All-Star Team after being a rock for Canada on the back end. Billington recorded a 2.80 goals-against average(remember, this was the high-flying '80s), and he received the IIHF Directorate Award as the tournament's top goaltender.

The key moment

Clark was a key player for Canada, and he stepped up when it mattered most.

Clark was a defenseman in junior, but exclusively a forward after turning pro. In the world juniors, the 1985 first overall pick was used at both positions. He played the first two periods of the tournament-deciding contest against Czechoslovakia as a defenseman, then the final 20 minutes as a winger.

After Czechoslovakia took a 2-1 lead with 7:38 left in the third period, Clark (No. 6 in white) got away with what could've been a slashing penalty before beating future Hall of Famer Dominik Hasek for the game-tying and tournament-winning goal just 1:21 later. Watch the full sequence here.

The fallout

Despite four returning players leading the 1986 team - plus Joe Nieuwendyk, Gary Roberts, and Luc Robitaille - Canada couldn't defend its title, finishing as a runner-up to the undefeated Soviet Union.

Clark was eligible for the '86 team, but he made the Toronto Maple Leafs instead and scored 34 goals that season, finishing second in Calder Trophy voting.

Canada didn't return to the top of the podium until 1988.

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Team Canada has been cleared by Alberta Health Services to resume its World Junior Hockey Championship selection camp in Red Deer.

Canada was forced to quarantine for 14 days after two players tested positive for COVID-19. The two unknown players have been sent home, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie. Three additional players have also been sent home, although it's not necessarily because they tested positive for the virus, McKenzie added.

Team Canada is expected to name its 25-man roster by Friday at the latest. All teams are scheduled to check into the Edmonton bubble Sunday before the tournament gets started Dec. 25.

Canada isn't the only country to be affected by the virus. Sweden's head coach contracted COVID-19, and four players have been removed from its preliminary roster due to positive tests. Meanwhile, Germany had to part with two players who tested positive, including 2020 first-round pick Lukas Reichel.

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COVID-19 is making its presence felt just over two weeks ahead of the World Junior Hockey Championship.

Two German players - Lukas Reichel and Nino Kinder - have been ruled out of the tournament after testing positive for the virus, the team announced Tuesday. Reichel was chosen 17th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks at the 2020 draft and collected five points in seven games at last year's tournament.

Additionally, Sweden removed Albin Grewe from its preliminary roster after he became the fourth player to test positive, joining William Wallinder, Karl Henriksson, and William Eklund, according to Hockeysverige's Uffe Bodin. Grewe and Wallinder are both Detroit Red Wings prospects, while Henriksson is a member of the New York Rangers organization.

Tre Kronor's head coach, Tomas Monten, has also contracted COVID-19, per Bodin.

Lastly, IIHF president Rene Fasel has tested positive, although he wasn't planning on traveling to Edmonton for the tournament, reports Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

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Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion believes his club is trending in the right direction entering the 2020-21 campaign.

And despite being in just the third year of a rebuild, he's ready to see some progress.

"As an organization we’re climbing the charts," Dorion told the Ottawa Sun's Bruce Garrioch. "A lot of the hard work has been done. For us, now, it’s time to perform. We’re at a place where everyone’s on the same page for our immediate success and our future success."

The Senators have finished 30th, 31st, and 30th in the league's standings over the last three seasons. Dorion is now aiming to build a team that can be a perennial contender.

"... We want to have a team, when they drop the puck on the first day of the year, that we know we’re going to be in the playoffs and we know can progress to win Cups," Dorion said. "These things don’t get done overnight. It was always part of the plan, and how we structured the plan, with the way the game has evolved, that we continued this evolution.

"We’re following the right path to have a Cup-contending team year-after-year-after-year as we move along in the rebuild."

Making significant progress this season could be difficult. The NHL is widely expected to adopt an all-Canadian division for one year due to the country's border restrictions, an alignment that would place the Senators in a tough spot.

The six other Canadian teams all qualified for the league's expanded postseason this summer. In a poll The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun conducted of NHL executives, scouts, and coaches from American teams, all 15 of them predicted the Sens would finish last in the all-Canadian division.

Even Senators owner Eugene Melnyk said last month he doesn't like his team's chances in such a format, adding that "this is not our year."

While he seems pessimistic about this season, Melnyk is confident about the future. In October, he said his team will be a "Stanley Cup winner within four years." That may seem bold, but the Sens are set up nicely for the future.

Thomas Chabot and Brady Tkachuk are two key under-24 building blocks who have already proven themselves. The club's farm system is stocked with promising prospects who have received a taste of NHL action, such as Josh Norris, Alex Formenton, Drake Batherson, and Erik Brannstrom. Ottawa also added a trio of 2020 first-rounders to its pipeline in Tim Stuetzle, Jake Sanderson, and Ridly Greig.

Dorion has assembled a stable of veterans for this upcoming season, too, including Matt Murray, Evgenii Dadonov, Austin Watson, Alex Galchenyuk, Erik Gudbranson, and Josh Brown.

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The NHL shared multiple draft schedules for the 2020-21 season with the National Hockey League Players' Association on Thursday, including one for a 56-game campaign, sources told TSN's Frank Seravalli.

The draft schedules are reportedly based on a Jan. 1 start date, but both sides have considered pushing that date back. A Jan. 15 start date is now being discussed as Jan. 1 no longer seems realistic, a source told TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

A 52-game season is also under consideration, LeBrun adds, but both the NHL and the NHLPA reportedly prefer a 56-game schedule.

It's clear the league won't play a full 82-game season since it apparently wants to conclude the Stanley Cup Final by early July, but it reportedly won't stage anything shorter than a 48-game slate; the league used a 48-game schedule during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign.

Seravalli added that these talks are unrelated to the NHL's recent economic requests.

Discussions for the coming season hit a snag when the league asked players to defer 20% of their salaries with escrow rising to 25%. Players originally agreed to defer 10% of their salaries with escrow capped at 20% when the two sides agreed to a new CBA prior to the return to play.

Commissioner Gary Bettman insisted Wednesday the league is "not trying to renegotiate" the CBA.

The players' union is apparently prepared for the worst-case scenario. NHLPA lawyers are reportedly considering two courses of action should the league cancel the season: filing an unfair labor practice complaint or filing a grievance through an arbitrator.

The league and the NHLPA seemingly need to settle their plans within the month in order to drop the puck in January. Teams will need at least two weeks of training camp, and some players arriving from outside North America may need to quarantine for 14 days before taking the ice.

Additionally, the two sides have yet to agree on a format for the season, though an all-Canadian division seems inevitable given Canada's border restrictions. The league and the NHLPA have apparently discussed playing series of two-to-three games like those used in MLB, and at least seven teams reportedly want to play their home games outdoors.

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The NHL isn't straying too far from its original goal of starting the season on Jan. 1, even though that date is just a month away and the format has yet to be determined.

The league still hopes to drop the puck in early January, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reports.

Obstacles appear to stem from the NHL and players' association's ongoing negotiations, but a source told LeBrun that talks have continued.

Both sides agreed to a new six-year collective bargaining agreement before the league's return to play over the summer that accounted for the expected financial repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic. The union agreed to 10% salary deferrals with escrow capping at 20%. That money was agreed to be paid in three equal, interest-free installments in October 2022, 2023, 2024.

However, the league has reportedly asked for players to defer 20% of their salaries while escrow increases to 25%. This request has reportedly left the players feeling angry and betrayed, as they came to an agreement less than six months ago.

It was recently reported that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr hadn't spoken to each other from Nov. 19 through at least Nov. 25, though the silence between the sides appears to be over.

A recent spike in COVID-19 cases could also add to the challenge of starting the season on time. The NFL, for example, has been hit with a wave of positive tests, causing multiple game postponements and teams to play shorthanded.

The format for the NHL season remains unclear, but an all-Canadian division appears likely given the country's current border restrictions. The league is also reportedly considering having teams play in their own rinks while conducting MLB-like series of two-to-three games. It was reported in early November that 48 games are the fewest that the league will agree to for the upcoming campaign.

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Professional sports is a business, but fans often forget the human element. Player movement is constant, and friendships can be disrupted in the blink of an eye.

Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy learned that the hard way this offseason when Torey Krug signed with the St. Louis Blues.

"'TK' was one of the first people who took me under his wing right away from the moment I got there," McAvoy told the "Cam & Strick Podcast," according to NHL.com. "We still work out (in the summers). He's just an unbelievable guy. Everybody (in St. Louis) is going to love him. … I'm still sad that he's not on our team, honestly."

Krug spent nine seasons with the Bruins, tallying 337 points across 523 games. He inked a seven-year deal carrying an average annual value of $6.5 million with the Blues on Oct. 9 when free agency opened.

It didn't appear as though Krug was eager to leave Boston. He was blunt following his signing, with the veteran saying he didn't even receive an offer from the Bruins.

McAvoy believes Krug's presence will be missed dearly.

"It definitely doesn't really feel real, showing up to training camp that he's not going to be there," the 22-year-old said. "(St. Louis) got a (really good) hockey player.

"He's an unbelievably gifted defenseman, especially on the offensive side of the puck. He just sees the game so well. He's going to make the Blues a very good hockey team."

Zdeno Chara also remains unsigned while pondering his future, which means Boston's blue line could look vastly different in 2021. Here's the team's projected top six:

McAvoy has already become one of the league's better two-way defenders. Now with three years already under his belt, many are projecting a breakout season for him offensively, especially if he gets some of Krug's power-play time.

"I'm definitely excited to be where I am and with this team," McAvoy said. "And I'm not really sure what's going to happen. This is kind of like a weird place to be. I (haven't) been in this position since I've been here where it kind of looks like we're restructuring a little bit on the back end.

"No one knows what's going to happen to (Chara) and all that. But whatever the challenge is, I know that I'll be ready for it."

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The Tampa Bay Lightning re-signed restricted free-agent defenseman Mikhail Sergachev to a three-year deal carrying an average annual value of $4.8 million, the team announced Wednesday.

Tampa Bay is now a projected $1.9 million over the salary cap and still needs to sign center Anthony Cirelli and defenseman Erik Cernak, who are both RFAs, according to PuckPedia.

Sergachev recorded 10 goals and 24 assists in 70 games last season and added 10 points in 25 playoff contests en route to the Lightning's Stanley Cup triumph.

The 22-year-old hasn't been tasked with playing tough minutes, as those responsibilities generally fall on Victor Hedman's or Ryan McDonagh's pairing. However, the Russian has vastly outperformed his matchups, ranking in the 81st percentile in offensive play driving and 92nd percentile in defensive play driving, according to The Athletic's Dom Luszczyszyn's model.

Additionally, Sergachev has posted an expected goals share above 53% in all three of his NHL seasons, according to Natural Stat Trick. His 58.6% expected goals share was second-best among Lightning blue-liners during the postseason.

The Montreal Canadiens drafted Sergachev ninth overall in 2016, but traded him to Tampa Bay along with a second-round pick the following offseason in exchange for forward Jonathan Drouin and a sixth-round pick.

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Divisions: Central | Metropolitan | Pacific (Nov. 26) | Atlantic (Nov. 27)

While there are still plenty of available unrestricted free agents, several unsigned restricted free agents, and a handful of players who could potentially be dealt, theScore is handing out offseason grades for each NHL team.

Wednesday's edition focuses on the Metropolitan Division, which was uncharacteristically quiet.

Some contract figures are reported. Most players on two-way deals have been omitted.

Carolina Hurricanes

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Rookies who could crack the lineup

The Hurricanes were rather quiet this offseason. Fast is a strong play-driver and should be a nice fit for Rod Brind'Amour's group, but when he's a team's most notable addition, you know not much has changed.

On the blue line, Edmundson and van Riemsdyk won't be missed considering how much depth the club has. However, general manager Don Waddell might be regretting his trade for Brady Skjei ($5.25 million in average annual value for four more seasons) at the 2020 deadline and signing Jake Gardiner ($4.05 million in AAV for three more seasons) last offseason.

Those contracts could make it difficult to re-sign Dougie Hamilton, who's set to hit unrestricted free agency next offseason when Andrei Svechnikov's entry-level deal expires. Waddell loses marks for not getting out ahead of his 2021 cap dilemma.

This is still a solid team that should improve as young players continue to develop, but the goaltending duo of James Reimer and Petr Mrazek remains suspect.

Grade: C

Columbus Blue Jackets

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Unsigned RFAs

Rookies who could crack the lineup

Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen addressed his biggest need this offseason: depth down the middle. The additions of Domi, Koivu, and Grigorenko will allow Boone Jenner and Nick Foligno to play on the wing where they're most valuable. However, all these players have question marks.

Is Columbus getting the 72-point Domi from 2018-19 or the 44-point Domi from 2019-20? He'll almost certainly be more valuable than Anderson, who produced just four points over 26 games during an injury-riddled campaign last season. However, Anderson is the better player when healthy.

Grigorenko is a high-upside, low-risk addition. The former first-round pick has plenty of skill but was never able to put it all together in the NHL. Can he be a key contributor after three years in the KHL? Additionally, what does the 37-year-old Koivu have left in the tank?

The blue line's top six remains solid, but the depth took a hit with the losses of Murray and Nutivaara. That could be problematic in a condensed schedule.

It's difficult to give the Blue Jackets a high grade considering their No. 1 objective coming into the offseason had to be getting Dubois locked up, and they've yet to do that despite having over $9 million in cap space.

Grade: C+

New Jersey Devils

Key arrivals

Key departures

Unsigned RFAs

Rookies who could crack the lineup

As one of the few clubs with cap flexibility, the Devils were able to make some savvy trades with teams looking to clear cap space. They acquired a solid middle-six winger in Johnsson and a legitimate top-four defenseman (when healthy) in Murray while only giving up Anderson and a fifth-round pick. That's some nice work by new GM Tom Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald also solidified his goaltending by adding Crawford on a fair deal. The veteran netminder proved in the playoffs he can still perform at a high level.

While New Jersey has two RFAs to sign, the team has over $17 million in cap space to use. The Devils get docked for not being even more aggressive considering their cap space and the remaining UFAs that could help fill the holes on this roster, specifically up front.

The hiring of Lindy Ruff as New Jersey's head coach was a questionable move, but all and all it was a stellar offseason for the Devils.

Grade: B

New York Islanders

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Unsigned RFAs

Rookies who could crack the lineup

Lou Lamoriello has put the Islanders in quite a pickle. Thanks to some contracts he's signed since arriving in Long Island two years ago (most notably Jordan Eberle, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and Leo Komarov), New York is up against the cap. Signing Barzal looked like a near-impossible task, but getting $6 million in relief by placing Boychuk on LTIR will likely help the team ink the franchise center.

However, the Islanders still had to move Toews, 26, who was their second-best defenseman last year, and they only received a pair of second-round picks in return. That's a massive loss.

With no improvements up front or on defense, this offseason can only be considered a disaster - especially while Barzal remains unsigned. The only thing saving this grade from an F was convincing Sorokin to leave the KHL six years after the Isles drafted him.

Grade: D

New York Rangers

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Rookies who could crack the lineup

One year after being one of the busiest teams in free agency, the Rangers were rather quiet in 2020. Aside from buying out a franchise icon in Lundqvist, the team made no significant moves.

After making an addition by subtraction by shipping Staal to the Red Wings, GM Jeff Gorton replaced him with one of the few defensemen worse than Staal: Jack Johnson. The former third overall pick is a below-replacement-level blue-liner. His $1.15-million cap hit won't kill New York, but it all but guarantees Johnson a spot on the team's bottom pair. Better options could've been had for under $1 million.

The Rangers have ample firepower up front, one of the league's best, young, cost-efficient goaltending duos, and a strong right side of the blue line. However, the left side of the blue line (Ryan Lindgren, Libor Hajek, Brendan Smith, Johnson, and Bitetto) is one of the NHL's worst. If New York misses the playoffs, it will likely be because of Gorton's failure to address this issue.

Lafreniere could be an immediate impact player, but the Rangers shouldn't get credit because a ping pong ball bounced their way.

Grade: D

Philadelphia Flyers

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Unsigned RFAs

Rookies who could crack the lineup

It cannot be understated how big the loss of Niskanen is. The veteran was the perfect partner for Ivan Provorov on the team's top pairing, and he flourished against tough matchups.

The signing of Gustafsson was curious. It seemed to spell the end of Shayne Gostisbehere's time in the City of Brotherly Love - given the prior rumors - but he remains in Philadelphia. Gustafsson and Gostisbehere have high offensive ceilings, but both are defensive liabilities and aren't suited to play alongside Provorov. In hindsight, Gustafsson at $3 million seems like a slight overpay, depending on what UFA D-men Travis Hamonic and Sami Vatanen sign for.

The Flyers have a deep crop of forwards and arguably the best young goaltender in the game, but if Myers can't step into the top-pairing role with Provorov, GM Chuck Fletcher is going to wish he did a better job replacing Niskanen. Thankfully, Philadelphia has a bit of wiggle room, so a defenseman could potentially be acquired during the season if things go south.

Grade: C-

Pittsburgh Penguins

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Rookies who could crack the lineup

The Penguins were easily the busiest team in their division this offseason, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're the most improved.

GM Jim Rutherford drafted Kapanen and his father, Sami, but a first-round pick and a solid prospect in Filip Hallander was a steep price to pay for a player who's yet to prove he can flourish as a top-six forward.

Kapanen will essentially replace Hornqvist - a gritty, heart-and-soul player - in the top six. Hornqvist's contract ($5.3 million in AAV for three more years) wasn't great, but swapping it for Matheson's deal could be problematic. Matheson is a turnover machine who's posted a sub-50% expected goals share in four straight seasons. He's a third-pairing blue-liner at best.

In what seemed like an attempt to make Pittsburgh's defense even worse, Rutherford signed Ceci, one of the league's worst blue-liners. His possession numbers were better this past season in Toronto after six years in Ottawa, but he's still a liability. He won't be counted on to play top-four minutes in Pittsburgh, but it's still a questionable signing.

On the bright side, Jankowski and Sceviour are solid bottom-six additions and offer good value.

Grade: D+

Washington Capitals

Key arrivals

Key departures

Re-signed

Rookies who could crack the lineup

GM Brian MacLellan had very little cap room to work with this offseason, and it was a foregone conclusion that the forward group was going to go mostly untouched.

However, the Capitals had some flexibility with regards to their defense and goaltending. Schultz was an interesting addition. Washington had the league's second-best offense but the 15th-ranked defense. Targeting more of a defensive defenseman would've made sense, but Schultz doesn't exactly fit that description. He's more of a high-variance offensive blue-liner.

Washington's best move of the offseason, though, was re-signing Dillon. The rugged defenseman has posted strong possession numbers in his career and performed well with the Caps - specifically alongside John Carlson - after being acquired at the trade deadline. The value is reasonable, too.

In goal, Lundqvist was a decent value signing (he probably won't be worse than Holtby was at $6.1 million last year). "King Henrik" will be playing in front of a better team he had in New York, and he should be an excellent mentor for Ilya Samsonov.

Lastly, MacLellan deserves credit for firing head coach Todd Reirden after just two years and replacing him with Peter Laviolette, who has a strong track record of immediate success.

Grade: B

(Cap source: CapFriendly)
(Analytics source: Natural Stat Trick)

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Despite the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has created for Alex Ovechkin to chase down Wayne Gretzky's all-time goals record, Jaromir Jagr believes the Russian sniper can still make history.

"Earlier I thought Ovechkin doesn't have any chances to break Gretzky's goal record," Jagr said Monday, according to NHL.com. "It was six years ago. But Alex has changed and became a better and more effective hockey player than he was in (his) youth. I think he works harder now. He'll be able to (break Gretzky's record) if he can stay healthy and keep working as hard as (he is) now."

Ovechkin sits 188 goals behind Gretzky's record of 894. With 48 tallies in 68 games last season, Ovi was on pace for nearly 58 goals before the pandemic-induced hiatus.

If the NHL conducts a 48-game campaign this season, "The Great Eight" - who scored 32 goals during the lockout-shortened 48-game campaign in 2012-13 - should be able to notch around 30 tallies.

Assuming he gets to 30 this coming season and the NHL gets back to 82-game campaigns beginning in 2021-22, here's what Ovechkin would need to average to break the record:

Ovechkin, 35, recently said he wants to play a few more seasons in the NHL before ending his pro career with the KHL's Moscow Dynamo. It's hard to imagine him leaving for Russia if the record is within striking distance, though.

Regardless of whether or not he gets the record, Ovechkin could still be considered the greatest goal-scorer ever. During Gretzky's career, the average goals per game was 3.5. During Ovechkin's, it's been 2.85.

Additionally, Ovechkin has averaged 0.69 era-adjusted goals per game (56.6 per 82 games) compared to Gretzky's 0.50 (41 per 82 games), according to Hockey Reference.

If Ovechkin can find the fountain of youth that Jagr did and stay healthy, the record could be his.

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