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A history of Canada vs USA at the highest level since the 1970's.

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Peiskos

Peiskos

Registered User
Jan 4, 2018
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I think it's always an appropriate time to discuss this part of Hockey history. These are the meetings between both sides at tournaments where the best players were sent to compete.

1. September 5, 1976, Montreal Forum - Canada Cup (Canada 4, US 2) - Canada wins Tournament.
2. September 3, 1981, Northlands Coliseum - Canada Cup (Canada 8, US 2)
3. September 3, 1984, Montreal Forum, Canada Cup (Canada 4, US 4) Canada wins Tournament.
4. September 2, 1987, Copps Coliseum - Canada Cup (Canada 3, US 2) Canada wins Tournament.
5. September 16, 1991, Copps Coliseum, Canada Cup, Canada beats US in 2 game sweep with 4-1, 4-2. Canada wins Tournament.
6. September 14, 1996, Bell Centre - World Cup (US beats Canada 2-1 in a 3 game final series. US wins Tournament.
7. February 24, 2002, E Center - Olympics (Canada 5, US 2) - Canada wins Tournament.
8. August 31st 2004, Bell Centre - World Cup (Canada 2, US 1) - Canada wins Tournament.
9. February 26th, 2010, Canada Hockey Place - Olympics (Canada 3, US 2) - Canada wins Tournament.
10. February 21st, 2014, Bolshoy Ice Dome - Olympics (Canada 1, US 0) - Canada wins Tournament.
11. September 10th, 2016, Canadian Tire Centre - World Cup (Canada 5, US 2) Canada wins Tournament.
12. February 20th, 2025 4 Nations Cup - TD Garden - 4 Nations (Canada 3, US 2) Canada wins Tournament.


Discuss.



Peiskos Fun Facts - The US has now gone 10,420 days, 342 months, 28 years 6 months (September 14th 1996 - March 25th 2025) since winning their last title at the senior/highest level.
 
This is chest thumping if I’ve ever seen it😭the USA is more or less equal to Canada in the top 25 players now. The difference is they’ve never had a unicorn generational player that Canada has roughly 4 of right now, and there’s a lot less depth beyond the first 25. Hopefully we get another meeting next year, as the Olympic schedule doesn’t have them in the same group
 
Mathieukferland said:
This is chest thumping if I’ve ever seen it😭the USA is more or less equal to Canada in the top 25 players now. The difference is they’ve never had a unicorn generational player that Canada has roughly 4 of right now, and there’s a lot less depth beyond the first 25. Hopefully we get another meeting next year, as the Olympic schedule doesn’t have them in the same group
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There's also been 1 "best of" competition in nine years or eleven years depending on how you consider the 24 and Over teams, and they split results with Canada winning in OT in the one that determined the "tournament". Obviously Canada has a huge historical edge but a smaller present day one. If best on best is regular for the foreseeable future, USA will probably get them every once in a while even if it's like 40 % of the time or whatever.
 
WarriorofTime said:
There's also been 1 "best of" competition in nine years or eleven years depending on how you consider the 24 and Over teams, and they split results with Canada winning in OT in the one that determined the "tournament". Obviously Canada has a huge historical edge but a smaller present day one. If best on best is regular for the foreseeable future, USA will probably get them every once in a while even if it's like 40 % of the time or whatever.
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The reality is there have been 15 best vs best tournaments ever played including the very best players on the planet, and even for arguments sake even if you wanted to just include the Olympics where NHL players were present this is what it looks like.

1998 Olympics - Canada 4, US 1
2002 Olympics - Canada 5, US 2
2006 Olympics - Did not meet
2010 Olympics - Canada 3, US 2
2014 Olympics - Canada 1, US 0

Even though Canada has won 11 of the 15 best vs best tournaments to ever be played, using your argument Canada still retains the same level of dominance, which only reinforces it my point and erodes yours. Canada sweeping the US 4-0 in all meetings vs them at Olympic Games, outscoring the US 13-5.

The reality is there is precisely zero data to suggest the US is suddenly going to start beating Canada "40% of the time" while being in the midst of a title drought at the mens level pushing 3 decades.




Best vs bests in history :

1. 1972 Summit Series - Canada win (1)
2. 1976 Canada Cup - Canada win (2)
3. 1981 Canada Cup - USSR win (1)
4. 1984 Canada Cup - Canada win (3)
5. 1987 Canada Cup - Canada win (4)
6. 1991 Canada Cup - Canada win (5)
7. 1996 World Cup - USA win (1)
8. 1998 Olympics - Czech win (1)
9. 2002 Olympics - Canada win (6)
10. 2004 World Cup - Canada win (7)
11. 2006 Olympics - Sweden win (1)
12. 2010 Olympics - Canada win (8)
13. 2014 Olympics - Canada win (9)
14. 2016 World Cup - Canada win (10)
15. 2025 4 Nations Cup - Canada win (11)
 
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Peiskos said:
The reality is there have been 15 best vs best tournaments ever played
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That's history. There's a History of Hockey subforum to discuss the history, which will be a rather boring discussion as USA wasn't a good hockey nation historically. I'm talking about right now. There's been one in the last 9 or 11 years (depending on semantics/definitions). They split games, but Canada won the "tournament".
 
WarriorofTime said:
That's history. There's a History of Hockey subforum to discuss the history, which will be a rather boring discussion as USA wasn't a good hockey nation historically. I'm talking about right now. There's been one in the last 9 or 11 years (depending on semantics/definitions). They split games, but Canada won the "tournament".
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I don't think any part of discussing the meetings between Canada-US in various international tournaments is in any way boring or out of place on the forum titled international tournaments.

Talking about right now, yes Canada in 2025 has picked off from where it left off, beating the US with regularity. I just think it's an interesting topic, no intention to ruffle the feathers.
 
Peiskos said:
The reality is every country had a chance to ice their best teams so by default they're best on bests, and even if they weren't (they were) it doesn't take away from the overall point.
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No they weren't.

Canada wasn't allowed to bring either it's best or second best forward in 1972. And their 3rd best defenseman. Plus two goalies that likely would have played. Canada still won but they were absolutely prevented from bringing their best team.

Canada wasn't allowed to pick McDavid or Mackinnon in 2016. The US wasn't allowed to pick 40% of their star players.

2025 no Russian.

2016 in particular sucks. Beating a handicapped US team was super unsatisfying.

Especially in the context of Canada/US, hard to use 1972 (no US) or 2016 (neutered US).
 
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Peiskos said:
Canada in 2025 has picked off from where it left off, beating the US with regularity.
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They split the games they played but Canada's OT win secured them the "tournament" win. If they play next year perhaps the result is similar or different because they were pretty close in terms of level of play in the matchups featuring active players (as we all know Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky, Patrick Roy aren't coming out of the tunnel).
 
WarriorofTime said:
They split the games they played but Canada's OT win secured them the "tournament" win. If they play next year perhaps the result is similar or different because they were pretty close in terms of level of play in the matchups featuring active players (as we all know Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky, Patrick Roy aren't coming out of the tunnel).
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I mean the margins of victory really doesn't matter, the final result does, W or L.

We know that McDavid, MacKinnon and Crosby are coming out of tunnel, a calibre of player the US has still yet to produce in its hockey programs history.
 
jigglysquishy said:
No they weren't.

Canada wasn't allowed to bring either it's best or second best forward in 1972. And their 3rd best defenseman. Plus two goalies that likely would have played. Canada still won but they were absolutely prevented from bringing their best team.

Canada wasn't allowed to pick McDavid or Mackinnon in 2016. The US wasn't allowed to pick 40% of their star players.

2025 no Russian.

2016 in particular sucks. Beating a handicapped US team was super unsatisfying.
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Canada brought their best possible team under the circumstances for 1972, that's why I wrote best possible team, because every country sent the best team they could given the rules. This doesn't suddenly make it a non best vs best.

Canada in 2016 once again was able to send its best team under the rules, as all countries were. Let's not act like Matthews and Eichel would have turned the tides for the US, have we forgotten that Matthews and Eichel combined for 0 goals at 4 nations? c'mon now.

2025, No Russia? I fail to see how this is anything but a positive, lets also not joke around here and believe they have a chance against Canada, we've seen what happens when they've met and its not pretty for the Russians.

1972, 2016, 2025 were best vs bests.
 
WarriorofTime said:
The final result of each team winning once and losing once.
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This isn't how international hockey works, winning a round robin game, or a group game doesn't mean anything, what means something is the final. If you want to cling to moral victories I guess you can.
 
Peiskos said:
This isn't how international hockey works, winning a round robin game, or a group game doesn't mean anything, what means something is the final. If you want to cling to moral victories I guess you can.
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Not sure what made you the arbiter of what matters or doesn’t. Some would argue winning the “NHL four nations tournament” doesn’t mean anything either since it’s a newly created cash grab event created by the nhl that only included four teams and only nhl players. Most consider the Olympics far more impactful. If you’re still celebrating the “nhl four nations championship” all this time later I guess you can.
 
WarriorofTime said:
Some would argue winning the “NHL four nations tournament” doesn’t mean anything either since it’s a newly created cash grab event created by the nhl that only included four teams and only nhl players. Most consider the Olympics far more impactful. If you’re still celebrating the “nhl four nations championship” all this time later I guess you can.
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NHL players are the best in the world this is a known fact, but now you're saying it only included NHL players as if that's a knock to the prestige and credibility of the tournament lmao. You're not making any sense mate.
 
Pavel Buchnevich said:
You literally lost to us like five weeks ago and now you’re doing a long diatribe about games before we were born?

Come on now.
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No it's just the history of the meetings between the 2 in international tournaments, you know..considering this is a forum titled international hockey.
 
Peiskos said:
NHL players are the best in the world this is a known fact, but now you're saying it only included NHL players as if that's a knock to the prestige and credibility of the tournament lmao. You're not making any sense mate.
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You’re getting really defensive. It’s cool that the nhl four nations championship meant a lot to you and was a special moment in your life that you’re still celebrating all this time later when everyone else has moved passed it. I’m just telling you that for many people the “tournament” did not hold as much prestige as you seem to believe it does for the reasons I outlined, not every country had a chance to participate, players were restricted from participation based on being part of a particular player association.
 
Bear of Bad News said:
Well, I can think of a game LAST MONTH that you forgot.

Maybe you need to brush up on your international hockey history, cherry picker.
Click to expand...

I mean you're right in the sense that I cherry picked all the games in which the US has played Canada at the senior level at best vs best tournaments, so I kind of did need to pick them out specifically. Let's stick to the facts.
 
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