The Viking Cup is a world ice hockey tournament in Camrose, Alberta. In 2002 there was a mix of international and Canadian junior leagues allstar teams but in 2004 there was only international junior teams. In 2006, the tournament was divided into two divisions: a junior division and a university division. The university tournament consisted of Augustana, the University of Lethbridge, and Guelph University. Hosted by Augustana University College (formerly Camrose Lutheran College), the tournament has attracted teams from Sweden, Finland, the former Czechoslovakia (CSSR), the Soviet Union, the United States, Norway, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The tournament was one of the first to attract the Soviet juniors to North America.
The players are billeted by local families, living with them for the 2 to 3 weeks the tournament occurs. The tournament enjoys great support from the community as many others volunteer to assist with the tournament.
Notable NHL players to have appeared in the tournament include Dominik Hasek, Petr Klima, Sergei Zubov, Milan Hejduk, and Darius Kasparaitis. Well over a hundred Viking Cup alumni have played in the NHL and many more have been drafted. It is popular amongst scouts because it brings together a large selection of undrafted European and North American players.
Problems developed in the late 1990s as the Canadian Jr. A teams, which were popular with fans, were allowed to play with some 20 year old players. This upset the European teams (which were all Under-18) and led to unbalanced games with the North American teams dominating their younger European opponents.
The Viking Cup organizing committee announced on June 6, 2007 that the 2008 edition of the Viking Cup would include 12 junior teams (Under 18) from around Western Canada, the United States, and potentially Europe. This tournament will be run by a local organizing committee and, while Augustana will remain a sponsor, it will not manage the organization of the event.
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Fourth | Participating Teams (in order of final result) | Future NHLers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | TPS Turku Juniors (Finland) 8 | Prince Albert Raiders (SJHL) 6 | Red Deer College Kings (ACAC) 6 | Centennial College Colts (OCAA) 3 | TPS Turku Juniors (Finland), Prince Albert Raiders (SJHL), Red Deer College Kings (ACAC), Centennial College Colts (OCAA), AIK Juniors (Sweden), Camrose Lutheran College Vikings (ACAC) | James Patrick, Hannu Virta, Dave Tippett, Mats Thelin, and Greg Paslawski |
| 1982 | CSSR Junior Selects 11 | Prince Albert Raiders (SJHL) 3 | Västra Frölunda Juniors (Sweden) 7 | Camrose Lutheran College Vikings (ACAC) 3 | CSSR Junior Selects, Prince Albert Raiders (SJHL), Västra Frölunda Juniors (Sweden), Camrose Lutheran College Vikings (ACAC), SAIT Trojans (ACAC), Revelstoke Rockets | Petr Klima, Dominik Hasek, Mikael Andersson, David Pilon |
| 1984 | NAIT Ooks (ACAC) 3 | CSSR Junior Selects 0 | Camrose Lutheran College Vikings (ACAC) 7 | St. Paul Vulcans (USHL) 5 | NAIT Ooks (ACAC), CSSR Junior Selects, Camrose Lutheran College Vikings (ACAC), St. Paul Vulcans (USHL), IFK Juniors (Finland), St. Albert Saints (AJHL) | David Volek |
| 1986 | NAIT Ooks (ACAC) 5 | Camrose Lutheran College Vikings (ACAC) 1 | CSSR Juniors 15 | Kärpät Juniors (Finland) 5 | NAIT Ooks (ACAC), Camrose Lutheran College Vikings (ACAC), CSSR Juniors, Kärpät Juniors (Finland), AIK Juniors (Sweden), Notre Dame Hounds (SJHL) | Kevin Lovsin, Dean Clark, Frantisek Kucera |
| 1988 | University of Alberta Golden Bears (CIAU) 6 | CSSR Junior Selects 2 | USSR Junior Selects 7 | AIK Juniors (Sweden) 4 | University of Alberta Golden Bears (CIAU), CSSR Junior Selects, USSR Junior Selects, AIK Juniors (Sweden), Camrose Lutheran College Vikings (ACAC), Red Deer College Kings (ACAC), TPS Juniors (Finland), University of Arizona Ice Cats | Sergei Zubov, Roman Turek, Brent Severyn, Igor Korolev, Alexander Godynyuk, Bobby Holik, Andrei Kovalenko |
| 1990 | McGill University Redmen (CIAU) 6 | CSSR Junior Selects 3 | USSR Junior Selects 5 | University of Lethbridge Pronghorns (CIAU) 3 | McGill University Redmen (CIAU), CSSR Junior Selects, USSR Junior Selects, University of Lethbridge Pronghorns (CIAU), Red Deer College Kings (ACAC), Camrose Lutheran College Vikings (ACAC) | Boris Mironov, Sergei Zholtok, Martin Straka, Jozef Stumpel, Robert Petrovicky, Milan Hnilicka, Darius Kasparitis, Žigmund Pálffy |
| 1992 | University of New Brunswick Red Devils (CIAU) 4, | CIS Junior Selects 2 | NAIT Ooks (ACAC) 3 | CFSR Junior Selects 2 | University of New Brunswick Red Devils (CIAU), CIS Junior Selects, NAIT Ooks (ACAC), CFSR Junior Selects, Farjestad Elite Juniors (Sweden), Augustana University College Vikings (ACAC) | Sergei Brylin, Pavol Demitra, Jozef Cierny, Andrei Nazarov, Sergei Gonchar, David Vyborny |
| 1994 | Russia National Junior "18" Selects 7 | Dauphin Kings (MJHL) 1 | Mount Royal College Cougars (ACAC) 6 | Västra Frölunda Juniors (Sweden) 3 | Russia National Junior "18" Selects, Dauphin Kings (MJHL, Mount Royal College Cougars(ACAC), Västra Frölunda Juniors (Sweden), Czech Republic National Junior "18" Selects, Augustana University College Vikings (ACAC), Finland National Junior "18" Selects, Augsburg College Auggies (NCAA) | Milan Hejduk, P.J. Axelsson, Jan Hrdina, Patrick Elias, Vaclav Varada, Tomas Vokoun |
| 1996 | Finland Junior "18" Selects 6 | USA Junior "20" B Selects 2 | Augustana University College Vikings (ACAC) 6 | AJHL All-Star Selects 5 | Finland Junior "18" Selects, USA Junior "20" B Selects, Augustana University College Vikings, AJHL All-Star Selects, Czech Republic Junior "18" Selects, North Battleford North Stars (SJHL), Russia Junior "18" Selects, Sweden Junior "18" Selects | Mika Noronen, Kristian Huselius, Olli Jokinen, Oleg Kvasha, Fernando Pisani, Maxim Afinogenov, Niko Kapanen, Andrei Markov |
| 1998 | SJHL All-Star Selects 5 | AJHL All-Star Selects 1 | Finland Junior 18 Selects 4 | Slovakia Junior 19 Selects 1 | SJHL All-Star Selects, AJHL All-Star Selects, Finland Junior 18 Selects, Slovakia Junior 19 Selects, Sweden Junior 18 Selects, Czech Republic Junior 18 Selects, USA Junior 18 Selects, Augustana University College Vikings (ACAC) | Henrik Zetterberg, Ossi Vaananen, Jordan Leopold, Milan Kraft, Mike Comrie, David Tanabe, Christian Backman, Christian Berglund, Mark Hartigan, Antero Niittymaki, Mattias Weinhandl |
| 2000 | USA Junior 19 Selects 5 | AJHL All-Star Selects 2 | Sweden Junior 18 Selects 5 | MJHL Pride 4 | USA Junior 19 Selects, AJHL All-Star Selects, Sweden Junior 18 Selects, MJHL Pride, SJHL All-Star Selects, Augustana University College Vikings (ACAC), BCHL All-Star Selects, Czech Republic Junior 18 Selects, Finland Junior 18 Selects, Slovakia Junior 19 Selects | David Hale, Kari Lehtonen, Tomas Plekanec, Tuomo Ruutu |
| 2002 | Augustana University College Vikings (ACAC) 5 | BCHL All-Star Selects 4 | AJHL All-Star Selects 7 | MJHL All-Star Selects 3 | Augustana University College Vikings(ACAC), BCHL All-Star Selects, AJHL All-Star Selects, MJHL All-Star Selects, USA National Junior Selects, SJHL All-Star Selects, Czech Republic Junior 18 Selects, Finland Junior 18 Selects, Sweden Junior 18 Selects, Slovakia Junior 19 Selects | Jeff Tambellini |
| 2004 | Finland Junior 18 Selects 8 | USA National Junior Selects 2 | Slovakia Junior 18 Selects 4 | Czech Republic Junior 17 Selects 1 | Finland Junior 18 Selects, USA National Junior Selects, Slovakia Junior 18 Selects, Czech Republic Junior 17 Selects, Augustana University College Vikings, Switzerland Junior 18 Selects, Germany Junior 18 Selects, Norway Junior 18 Selects | Tuukka Rask |
| 2006 - University Pool | University of Guelph Gryphons (CIS) | Augustana University College Vikings (ACAC) | University of Lethbridge Pronghorns (CIS) | N/A | University of Guelph Gryphons (CIS), Augustana University College Vikings (ACAC), University of Lethbridge Pronghorns (CIS) | |
| 2006 - Junior Pool | AJHL North All-Stars 4 | AJHL South All-Stars 3 | USA Under-18 Selects 6 | Switzerland Junior Selects 2 | AJHL North All-Stars, AJHL South All-Stars, USA Under-18 Selects, Switzerland Junior Selects, Finland Junior Selects, Germany Junior Selects, Slovakia Junior Selects | Trevor Lewis, Kyle Okposo |
TOURNAMENT MVPs:
1981 - Hannu Virta (TPS)
1982 - Petr Klima (CSSR)
1983-(Brian Hermanutz) (NAIT)
1984 - Cleo Rowein (NAIT)
1986 - Mark Schultz (NAIT)
1988 - Brent Severyn (U of A)
1990 - Jamie Reeve (McGill)
1992 - Sergei Brylin (CIS)
1994 - Sergei Luchinkin (Russia)
1996 - Olli Jokinen (Finland)
1998 - Mark Hartigan (SJHL)
2000 - Rick Gorman (USA)
2002 - Jeff Tambellini (BCHL)
2004 - Tuukka Rask (Finland)*
2006 (University Pool) - Patrick Ouelette (AUC)
TOP GOALTENDER:
1981 - Jouni Rokama (TPS)
1982 - Dominik Hasek (CSSR)
1984 - Ivo Capek (CSSR)
1986 - Radek Toth (CSSR)
1988 - Roman Turek (CSSR)
1990 - Jiri Podesva (CSSR)
1992 - Chris Somers (UNB)
1994 - Anton Zelenov (Russia)
1996 - Jani Riihinen (Finland)
1998 - Rob Schrader (SJHL)
2000 - Henrik Lundqvist (Sweden)
2002 - Chad Rycroft (AUC)
2004 - Tuukka Rask (Finland)*
2006 (University Pool) - Ken Ritson (Guelph)
2006 (Junior Pool) - Kyle Richter (AJHL South)
- - the first player to win both MVP and Top Goaltender Awards
Famous quotes containing the words viking and/or cup:
“Rice and peas fit into that category of dishes where two ordinary foods, combined together, ignite a pleasure far beyond the capacity of either of its parts alone. Like rhubarb and strawberries, apple pie and cheese, roast pork and sage, the two tastes and textures meld together into the sort of subtle transcendental oneness that we once fantasized would be our experience when we finally found the ideal mate.”
—John Thorne, U.S. cookbook writer. Simple Cooking, “Rice and Peas: A Preface with Recipes,” Viking Penguin (1987)
“Sisters define their rivalry in terms of competition for the gold cup of parental love. It is never perceived as a cup which runneth over, rather a finite vessel from which the more one sister drinks, the less is left for the others.”
—Elizabeth Fishel (20th century)