At what point did the the Unites States surpass Russia as Canada's biggest rival?

[Staniowski]

It's been a long time....it was before 1996, closer to the 1991 Canada Cup.

If I had to point to four players, it was Leetch, Chelios, Modano, and Roenick. Leetch and Chelios were as good as any defensemen in the world, and Modano and Roenick could skate and play with anybody on Team Canada. Just after '91, the rest of that great generation of Americans - Tkachuk, LeClair, etc. - emerged. Plus there was Brett Hull.

Russia is still a very special opponent for Canada, though.

 

[JackSlater]

Recency bias is impacting a lot of these answers. The 1996 World Cup was a huge loss for Canada but I don't think it was actually until the 2010s. USA was too up and down in the 1990s and wasn't a top level threat at the junior level until the mid 2000s, plus the cachet of beating Russia, essentially USSR, was still strong for years after the USSR fell apart. I will agree with those who said that the rivalry with Russia was not the same as the rivalry with USSR.

 

[KillerMillerTime]

The

1996 and it never went back after that. In 2002 I can remember sort of hoping it would be the US we played in the gold medal game because of revenge for 1996. Russia just hadn't given us that recent battle prior to that. It had been 1987 since we had significant meaningful hockey between them. So I think that since the U.S. became the next best team after us it just evolved naturally because Russia just hasn't been in the finals like the Americans have. Sentimentally it is Russia you still want to see but no doubt it has been an entire generation that US has overtaken them as our biggest rival.

Funny thing is, we've almost never had blowout games against the U.S. 1976 it was a 4-2 win by us with an empty netter. 1981 we won 8-3 but it was tied midway through the 3rd period. Then 4-1 in the semis. Then a 4-4 tie somehow in 1987. A 3-2 win in 1987. And then three wins in 1991. That's it up until 1996.

The 4-4 tie was in 1984 at the Forum and US came back from down 4-2.
Rod Langway of all people scored the best goal of the game maybe not coast a to coast but for him it was...lol.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

I don't think Russia can hang with Canada USA and Sweden right now , hopefully they get some good Dmen in the mix in the future

 

[NyQuil]

You'd have a great point if it wasn't for the two posts you wrote about Canada literally right before your meme.

Alas, you just look like an embarrassingly gigantic hypocrite.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

The almost synchronized nodding in your avatar and this gif is tripping me out lol.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

Historically, Russia has been Canada's biggest rival, but in recent history, USA became Canada's biggest rival. The games between Canada and the US have been intense and big game matches. Hockey games that fans wants to see.

The question is this: At what point or time did the States become Canada's biggest rival?

Basically after the soviet union was dismantled

 

[93gilmour93]

Honestly I think the Americans have been the bigger rival for over 25 years now

 

[Oilslick941611]

1996 probably, but it was never the same between Canada and Russia after 1987, really.

Yeah. Throughout the 90s and 00s Russia hasn’t really given Canada many tough games or thrillers outside of a few WJHCs. Best on best russia never really put up a fight against Canada in this time frame. Weather it was through scheduling or just poor on ice play by the Russians. Russia seemed to have given the USA better games though.

The USA surpassed Russia as Canada's main rival in the 90s for sure.

 

[NyQuil]

Yeah. Throughout the 90s and 00s Russia hasn’t really given Canada many tough games or thrillers outside of a few WJHCs. Best on best russia never really put up a fight against Canada in this time frame. Weather it was through scheduling or just poor on ice play by the Russians. Russia seemed to have given the USA better games though.

Er, in 2006, Russia beat Canada in a tight 2-0 quarterfinal and eliminated Team Canada at the Olympics in Torino.

 

[Oilslick941611]

Er, in 2006, Russia beat Canada in a tight 2-0 quarterfinal and eliminated Team Canada at the Olympics in Torino.

I never said never. I said never really gave a good game. That 06 roster was poorly constructed and Todd burtuzzi was an “Olympian”.

Latvia beat Canada in the last Wjhc and I don’t consider them a rival. Russia winning a QF doesn’t really change anything with regards to how I view them vs the USA as a main rival. Especially after 96 and 2002.

 

[NyQuil]

I never said never. I said never really gave a good game. That 06 roster was poorly constructed and Todd burtuzzi was an “Olympian”.

They gave a good game in that they eliminated Canada at a best-on-best tournament.

It's happened in 1981 (Soviet Union), it happened in 1996 (US), it happened in 1998 (Czechoslovakia) and again in 2006 (Russia).

In retrospect, it was a very poor Team Canada but you still have to give credit where it's due.

I don't see how you can say "Best on best russia never really put up a fight against Canada in this time frame" when they beat Canada in an elimination game within your specific timeframe at a best-on-best tournament.

Russia winning a QF doesn’t really change anything with regards to how I view them vs the USA as a main rival. Especially after 96 and 2002.

That's your opinion, and that's fine.

But factually, Russia had put up a fight because they beat Canada when it counted.

Interestingly, Russia had eliminated Canada while the US hasn't since 1996.

 

[BruinDust]

When the US beat Canada for the 2004 World Junior gold medal.

 

[Oilslick941611]

They gave a good game in that they eliminated Canada at a best-on-best tournament.

It's happened in 1981 (Soviet Union), it happened in 1996 (US), it happened in 1998 (Czech Republic) and again in 2006 (Russia).

In retrospect, it was a very poor Team Canada but you still have to give credit where it's due.

I don't see how you can say "Best on best russia never really put up a fight against Canada in this time frame" when they beat Canada in an elimination game within your specific timeframe at a best-on-best tournament.



That's your opinion, and that's fine.

But factually, Russia had put up a fight because they beat Canada when it counted.

Interestingly, Russia had eliminated Canada while the US hasn't since 1996.

It’s one game. One game. And it wasn’t a pattern.

 

[NyQuil]

It’s one game. One game. And it wasn’t a pattern.

Never means never.

You said "never really put up a fight" and I corrected you, that's all.

 

[Score08]

Maybe we Canada realized they couldn’t compete with Russia so they picked on what they thought was the easiest low hanging fruit with prestige?!

 

[Oilslick941611]

Never means never.

You said "never really put up a fight" and I corrected you, that's all.

Again I said never really, not never. But take your win. It doesn’t change anything

 

[NyQuil]

Again I said never really, not never. But take your win. It doesn’t change anything

It's not a "win". I'm just giving credit where it's due.

Maybe we Canada realized they couldn’t compete with Russia so they picked on what they thought was the easiest low hanging fruit with prestige?!

They were so bad at competing with Russia that they beat them 7-3 in 2010.

 

[Score08]

It's not a "win". I'm just giving credit where it's due.



They were so bad at competing with Russia that they beat them 7-3 in 2010.

Do you have a single grainy screen shot to back up your claim

 

[NyQuil]

Do you have a single grainy screen shot to back up your claim

Even better, I've got everyone's favorite, Steve Dangle.

 

[Oilslick941611]

It's not a "win". I'm just giving credit where it's due.

I’m sure the 06 Russian team appreciates you being their white knight and defending their honour.

 

[Score08]

Even better, I've got everyone's favorite, Steve Dangle.

Not grainy enough

 

[NyQuil]

I’m sure the 06 Russian team appreciates you being their white knight and defending their honour.

We love to pat ourselves on the back for all of our victories that it's only fair to recognize those teams that knocked us out of the tournament at best on best.

Not grainy enough

I assume you have some phone display or monitor settings you can fool around with to make it look like it happened a long time ago.

 

[Oilslick941611]

We love to pat ourselves on the back for all of our victories that it's only fair to recognize those teams that knocked us out of the tournament at best on best.

Pat ourselves in the back? For what? Watching one team we like beat another team we don’t like? These aren’t our accomplishments. You are reading way too much into my comment.

 

[WarriorofTime]

2010.

USA beat Canada at the World Juniors and ruined Canada's quest for a six-peat. This paired with a good run of NTDP success at the IIHF U18s (not a tournament Canada cares a lot about, but more so a sign of USA budding success).

Canada beat USA in overtime of the Gold Medal Game, after USA had been undefeated in group play, including a win over Canada.

Also around when Russia took a bit of a step back.