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The Punch-up in Piestany was a bench-clearing brawl between Canada and the Soviet Union, during the final game of the 1987 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Piešťany, Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia) on January 4, 1987. The incident resulted in the ejection of both nations, and while the Soviets had already been eliminated from medal contention, the disqualification cost Canada a certain medal – potentially the gold. The brawl is famous for officials having turned off the arena lights in a desperate attempt at ending the 20-minute melee. Much of the blame was placed on Norwegian referee Hans Rønning, who had been selected for the game based on his perceived neutrality rather than experience. Following the brawl, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) suspended the players involved for 18 months and the coaches for three years. The players' suspensions were later reduced to six months on appeal, allowing several players from both teams to return for the 1988 tournament in Moscow. Both nations won medals in 1988; Canada won the gold medal while the Soviets won silver. The brawl dramatically raised the profile of the World Junior Hockey Championships in Canada, where it is now one of the top events on the annual sports calendar. The fervent patriotism displayed by Canadian Broadcasting Corporation analyst Don Cherry in the aftermath led to a sharp rise in his own popularity with Canadian fans. Several players in that game went on to play in the National Hockey League, including Brendan Shanahan, Theoren Fleury, Sergei Fedorov, Alexander Mogilny and Vladimir Konstantinov. ==Hockey's "Cold War"== Canada and the Soviet Union had engaged in an increasingly intense rivalry since the Soviets first emerged on the international scene by winning the 1954 World Ice Hockey Championships. From 1963 until 1983, the Soviets captured 17 World Championship titles〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=IIHF World Championships )〕 amidst repeated accusations from Canada that their teams were made up of professionals masquerading as amateurs. The accusations eventually led to Canada boycotting all World Championships and Olympic hockey tournaments between 1970 and 1976. Finally, the 1972 Summit Series was organized, pitting the Soviet all-stars against Canada's NHL all-stars. The eight-game series was won by Canada 4–3–1 as Paul Henderson scored the winning goal in the deciding contest. The Soviets handily won a second Summit Series against World Hockey Association all-stars in 1974.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=WHA vs. USSR )〕 The series led to the creation of the Canada Cup, a tournament held five times between 1976 and 1991. Canada won four titles, losing to the Soviet Union in 1981.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Canada Cup 1991 )〕 Also from 1976 until 1991, top Soviet club teams toured the NHL in what became known as the Super Series.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=USSR vs. NHL )〕 The World Junior Championships were formally created in 1977, and to that point had been dominated by the Soviet Union with seven championships.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=IIHF World U20 Championships )〕 Until 1982, Canada sent either their Memorial Cup champion or an all-star team. 1982 was the first time Canada sent a national junior team, under the auspices of Hockey Canada's ''Program of Excellence''. The Canadians won that tournament, and again in 1985.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=IIHF World U20 Champions )〕 The "Cold War" culminated in 1987 with Rendez-vous '87, as the Soviet national team played a two-game series against the NHL all-stars in place of the NHL All-Star Game. The series was split, with the NHL winning the first game 4–3, and the Soviets the second, 5–3. The 1987 Canada Cup followed, and was won by Canada two games to one, with the third game being described as the greatest in hockey history.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Canada Cup 1987 )〕 The winning goal was scored by Mario Lemieux on a pass from Wayne Gretzky. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Punch-up in Piestany」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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