Journey back to 1996 when the WHL dominated Canada's World Junior roster.
In this edition of The Hockey News, we head back to 1996 when the WHL took center stage at the World Junior Championship. In total, 12 of the 22 players were playing in the WHL at the time, in addition to WHL alum Rhett Warrener, who had already made the jump to the NHL. Led by captain Nolan Baumgartner and Jarome Iginla who were both playing for the Kamloops Blazers at the time, Team Canada went perfect en route to a Gold Medal.
When you flip to page three, you will find even more WHL content as Steve Dryden breaks down some of the best prospects ahead of the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. In his column, you can read all about Prince Albert Raiders defenceman Chris Phillip, who would later go on to be drafted first overall by the Ottawa Senators. Listed at 6'2"and 200 pounds, it is easy to see why Hartford Whalers' Director of Amateur Scouting said that Phillips was "a perfect example of unlimited potential."
Lastly, make sure to check out a great piece by Murray Townsend breaking down the issues with the plus/minus statistic. In the column, he speaks with Bill Mikkelson, who still holds the record for the worst plus/minus in a season at -82. A statistic that's validity is questioned to this day; it provides good context into why plus/minus should not be used to determine a player's defensive play.
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