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Pelletier and Houda look back at
key performers from the Canada Cup/World Cup of
Hockey
Tony Amonte
Biography
Call
it a premonition, but on the morning of the final
game of the 1996 World Cup, American head coach Ron
Wilson boldly approached one of his players and said
“You’re going to be our Paul Henderson.”
That
player was Hingham, Massachusetts’ very own Tony
Amonte. The Chicago Blackhawks sniper replied
jokingly.
“Who
the hell is Paul Henderson?”
“Sure
I had hear of Paul Henderson,” said Amonte when
recollecting on the incident. “But Ron said ‘Let
me put it in your terms. You’re going to be our
Mike Eruzione. You both went to Boston University.
You’re both Italian. You’re both not the best
looking guy in the world. But you’re going to do
something special for us.’”
Something
special is an understatement!
Eruzione
of course is forever etched in American hockey
history as it was his goal that knocked off the
mighty Soviets in the Lake Placid 1980 Olympics –
better known as the Miracle on Ice. So for the Team
USA coach to tell one of his players that he
expected him to achieve that sort of greatness on
the eve of the most important game in American
hockey history since those Olympics was quite a
gamble.
But
it paid off.
In
the final game of the World Cup, Canada had the
United States on the brink of elimination. Canada
dominated the first two periods, clearly outplaying
their southern neighbors. Yet thanks to a Yankee
Doodle Dandy in net named Mike Richter, the score
remained deadlocked at 1 after 40 minutes of play.
12:50
into the third frame Canada finally solved the
Richter and took a slim 2-1 lead. But the Americans
seemed to be getting stronger. It was as if the
Canadians were tiring after a furious first two
periods. Now the Americans would make their move.
Brett
Hull managed to tie it up at 16:42. The goal
deflated the Canadians greatly. Canada perhaps was
thinking about just clamping down and taking into an
overtime period. That was a great mistake.
At
the same time Ron Wilson must have thought about his
earlier premonition. On the very next shift
following the Hull goal, Wilson put out his
appointed hero Amonte on the ice.
The move paid off and Wilson’s foresight
was proven correct. Big defenseman Derian Hatcher
unloaded a heavy shot on goal and Amonte deflected
it past a stunned Curtis Joseph. The Americans added
a couple of late goals, but it was Amonte who came
through.
On
that night Amonte was indeed the American version of
Paul Henderson. But did anyone notice? Henderson’s
dramatics are considered by many as one of
Canada’s top 5 greatest achievements in any
circle, not just sports. But the American World Cup
victory was barely even covered at the time, and
there seemingly is no legacy just a few short years
later.
There
was no United States television coverage of the
games. Plus the tournament took part in September
where it competed against two of the USA’s biggest
pro sports – Major League Baseball and their
pennant drive is on while the National Football
League season is hitting full stride. Plus the
tremendously popular college sport scene is getting
under way. Essentially the World Cup of Hockey was
back page news in America.
Case
in point: Sports Illustrated, the United States’
best known national sports magazine, only had a
short article on the victory. On the cover of the
esteemed magazine was a story about Ron Powlus and
his quest to become a Notre Dame football legend.
Ever
heard of Ron Powlus? Chances are if you’re
American you’ve heard of him more often than Tony
Amonte.
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