However significant a season 1977-78 was to Guy Carbonneau, it was certainly a significant one to his team. In December, Chicoutimi was host to 20th annual La Coupe du Monde de hockey junior 1978, the World Cup of Junior Hockey.

It was big doings for the town, as their arena, the Centre Georges Vézina, was the venue for a series of games against a talented team from Finland. The Finns played the Saguenéens as well as teams from Sweden, Switzerland, the Soviet Union and West Germany. Although promoted as featuring players who could become the stars of the 80s and 90s, among those named in the box scores there was only one future NHL star, and he was a local boy…

The home team did not fare well against the Finns. Things were especially bleak when the Finnish team scored six unanswered goals in the second period; but then, at 5:44 of the third, the aforementioned local boy put his name on the score sheet with the Saguenéens fifth tally of the game. Alas, Chicoutimi lost to the Finns 12-6. (This was not nearly as humiliating a loss as the one the Swiss team suffered at Finnish hands: 18-1.)

But at least Guy had his first goal in international competition, and overall his sophomore year with the team was quite a successful one. He improved significantly and ended the season third in scoring on the team. And on a more personal note, it was around this time that he met a certain local girl named Line Boivin, who would later become his wife.

All in all, a worthwhile year…

Carbo in a scrap vs. the Finns in the World Cup of Junior Hockey.