Toronto - (ECN) - Monday January 5, 2009 is a date that will live in Canadian junior hockey history. On that night the Canadian junior hockey team defeated the Swedish juniors 5-1 to capture Canada’s fifth consecutive international junior hockey gold medal.

With the game being held in Canada’s capital city of Ottawa, Ontario the Canadian juniors had the added bonus of a frantic hometown crowd behind them cheering them all the way.

The hometown fans got their chance to get frantic early as Canadian junior PK Subban scored on a Canadian power play only 38 seconds into the game. From that moment on the energy of the building, and the momentum of the game, were all swung in the favor of the Canadian team.

Between the energy of the crowd and the early swing of the game the Swedes knew they were in for a long night. However the true spirit of the international junior tournament was in full effect when a gracious Swedish player named

Magnus Svensson publicly congratulated Canada after the game and went on to admit that he and his Swedish teammates “were close but so far.” That has been a very common theme among the last 5 opponents to face the Canadian junior hockey team in the international junior hockey championships.

 Image Credit: TSN