Biggest defeats per national squad?

[Canuckistani]

OK I've done greatest victories, so let's try biggest defeats.

My hockey knowledge is mostly confined to 1976-present, so I'm sure I'll miss a few events that our European posters can fill in.

CANADA
1) 1981 Canada Cup. Destroyed by the Soviets 8-1 in the final in Montreal. Combined with the Challenge Cup in 79, this firmly planted the USSR in the #1 spot.
2) 1996 World Cup. A late rally (sparked by a high-stick goal from the hated Brett Hull) lead the USA to victory in the final game.
3) 1998 Nagano. First NHL olympics, so much hype heading in, and Canada crashes out in a shootout to the Czechs.
Honorable mentions: 2011 WJC (the collapse in Buffalo), 2006 Turin (the team played its last 4 games as if it was playing Canada's 2014 defense!), 2004 WJC (Fleury scores an own-goal to give USA the win)

UNITED STATES
1) 2002 Olympics. Losing olympic gold on home ice after being the best team in the tournament heading into the final game.
2) 2010 Olympics. Heartbreaking OT loss after Parise tied it late.
3) 2004 World Cup. Late goal by Saku Koivu eliminated the USA in St. Paul in the semis.

RUSSIA
1) 1980 Olympics. Losing to US amateurs at the height of the cold war. Ouch.
2) 2014 Olympics. I can't imagine what it would have felt like to see Canada crash out in the QF of 2010.
3) 2000 Worlds. Hosting for the first time since 1986, a star-studded Russian squad loses to USA, Switzerland, Latvia and Belarus en route to 11th place.
Honorable mention: 2010 Olympics (7-3 slaughter by Canada)

CZECHS
1) 1978 Worlds. Only loss of the tournaments comes in the final, 3-1 to the hated Soviets, in Prague.
2) 2004 Worlds. Shocking upset loss to the USA in a QF shootout, again on home ice.
3) 1992 Worlds. Another home ice loss, to Finland in the semis.

SWEDEN
1) 2002 Olympics. The Belarus game.
2) 1995 Worlds. Losing 4-1 to rival Finns for gold in Stockholm.
3) 2003 Worlds. Blowing 2-0 lead in final, losing on Anson Carter's OT wraparound.

FINLAND
1) 2006 Olympics. The best team in the tournament (by far), drops the final to Sweden 3-2.
2) 2001 Worlds. Blows 2-0 lead in the third, losing to Czechs in OT.
3) 2003 Worlds. The collapse in Helsinki. 5-1 lead vs Swedes turns into 6-5 loss.

SLOVAKIA
1) 2002 Olympics. Missing many of its top players due to NHL schedule, Slovaks fail to escape qualification round after losses to Germany and tie with Latvia.
2) 2006 Olympics. Losing to Czechs in QF after a perfect opening round.
3) 2000 Worlds. 5-3 loss to Czechs in Slovakia's first final.

Click to read more...

 

[YMCMBYOLO]

1972 Game One loss to Soviet Union was pretty big

 

[DrunkElkCZ]

2002 loss vs Russia in QF was really tough for the Czech team. They were the defending gold medalist, had arguably the best olympic team in Czech history but Russia had Hasek in net that day... I mean Khabibulin

 

[OttawaRoughRiderFan*]

CANADA
1) 1981 Canada Cup. Destroyed by the Soviets 8-1 in the final in Montreal. Combined with the Challenge Cup in 79, this firmly planted the USSR in the #1 spot.
2) 1996 World Cup. A late rally (sparked by a high-stick goal from the hated Brett Hull) lead the USA to victory in the final game.
3) 1998 Nagano. First NHL olympics, so much hype heading in, and Canada crashes out in a shootout to the Czechs.
Honorable mentions: 2011 WJC (the collapse in Buffalo), 2006 Turin (the team played its last 4 games as if it was playing Canada's 2014 defense!), 2004 WJC (Fleury scores an own-goal to give USA the win)

Mine exactly.

On the positive side... All 3 led to changes in Canadian development and how we chose teams. All 3 led to the great success (4 of 5 Best on Best) since 2000.

Posters from other countries always say, "We are catching up". This proves it is not the case. Since the early 80's, Canada is miles ahead of Russia. Since we lost to the Czechs and the U.S. in the mid/late 90's, we have increased the gap between our best players and theirs.

SI once wrote (paraphrasing), "When it comes to international hockey, Canada jumps ahead and the rest of the world catches up. Canada jumps ahead again and the rest of the world catches up. An endless cycle."

I couldn't agree more whether it is at the junior level or Best on Best.

 

[Xokkeu]

The worst single game loss in US history was the bronze medal game in Sochi.

It's one thing to lose close games like 2010, 2014 and 2002 vs Canada. It's entirely another to show up and get embarrassed.

Getting crapped on by the Czechs in Nagano, two years after the World Cup win would also rank up there.

An off the board pick is our loss to Switzerland in the World's. We'd just beat Russia and had a relatively beatable opponent standing between us and our first ever final. Instead we choked.

 

[ToewsGretzky*]

The worst single game loss in US history was the bronze medal game in Sochi.

It's one thing to lose close games like 2010, 2014 and 2002 vs Canada. It's entirely another to show up and get embarrassed.

Getting crapped on by the Czechs in Nagano, two years after the World Cup win would also rank up there.

An off the board pick is our loss to Switzerland in the World's. We'd just beat Russia and had a relatively beatable opponent standing between us and our first ever final. Instead we choked.

Since when is 2002 Canada vs USA considered to be a close game? last time I checked Canada won that game 5-2. Not exactly close and taken further Miller and Quick were the only reasons 2010 and 2014 looked close on the scoreboard.

 

[FinPanda]

SWEDEN
1) 1995 Worlds. Losing 4-1 to rival Finns for gold in Stockholm.
2) 2003 Worlds. Blowing 2-0 lead in final, losing on Anson Carter's OT wraparound.
3) 1981 Worlds. Slaughtered 13-1 by the Soviets on home ice.

Losing 2002 olympics quarterfinal to Belarus 4-3?

FINLAND
1) 2006 Olympics. The best team in the tournament (by far), drops the final to Sweden 3-2.
2) 2001 Worlds. Blows 2-0 lead in the third, losing to Czechs in OT.
3) 2003 Worlds. The collapse in Helsinki. 5-1 lead vs Swedes turns into 6-5 loss.

Maybe I rank 2003 second..

 

[Gaps]

Maybe I rank 2003 second..

I agree. The 2006 Olympic final is the most bitter loss, but the 2003 WC QF is certainly the most embarrassing one. It's been 11 years and I still fail to understand what the hell happened there.

 

[slovakiasnextone]

SLOVAKIA
1) 2002 Olympics. Missing many of its top players due to NHL schedule, Slovaks fail to escape qualification round after losses to Germany and tie with Latvia.
2) 2006 Olympics. Losing to Czechs in QF after a perfect opening round.
3) 2000 Worlds. 5-3 loss to Czechs in Slovakia's first final.

Agree with the first two, the last one not so much. It might have hurt then but unlike the other two which would still bother a lot of people nowadays, the 2000 IHWC loss to Czechs is much closer to the 2012 final loss against Russia in retrospect. An upstart team that exceeded expectations.

I'd say that the 2004 IHWC combination of loosing in the semis to Canada after a goal that was scored following an uncalled penalty on Slovak goalie behind the net followed by a shootout loss to US in the bronze medal game on what was basically pretty much home turf in the Czech republic left a far more bitter taste in most Slovaks. Most would likely have mostly good memories about Petersburg 2000, the same could not be said about WC 2004.

Also even though it wasn't a game one could technically call being relegated to the C Pool in 1993 as one of the biggest defeats. Also at the 1998 Olympics Slovakia faced the same trouble as in 2002.

EDIT: Also, it was before my time, but some would probably also remember the loss to Russia at OG in Lilehammer as a pretty painful one, I think.

 

[FiLe]

I agree. The 2006 Olympic final is the most bitter loss, but the 2003 WC QF is certainly the most embarrassing one. It's been 11 years and I still fail to understand what the hell happened there.

I'd say that instead of that 2001 WHC loss (which honestly seemed like an Aravirta trademark at that point), #3 has to be the SF loss against Canada in 1994 OG. Like in 2006, Finland was the team to beat in that tournament. They lost only one, I repeat, one period over that two weeks of hockey.

Kinda nailed it in what a cruel game hockey can be.

 

[JackSlater]

For Canada:

Losing to USSR 8-1 in the final of the 1981 CC. Worst beatdown Canada has ever received by far, and the team was at full strength. I still laugh when people try to blame Liut for that loss. Canada was destroyed.

Losing to USA in the final game of the 1996 WC. Though the final score was 5-2 for USA, Canada thoroughly outplayed them for 56 minutes. Canada then completely collapsed, letting in four goals in the last three minutes (only one empty netter). Made much worse because Brett Hull was prominently involved.

1998 loss to Czech Republic in the semi finals. No, Hasek did not steal this game. Czech Republic actually outplayed Canada until the last part of the third and the overtime. Made worse by losing in a shootout.

Losing game one of the 1972 Summit Series. Almost no one in Canada thought a loss, especially by four goals, was possible. Imagine USA playing China in a game of football, and losing.

Losing game four of the 1972 Summit series. Canada finishes the Canadian portion of the series thoroughly outplayed, and down 3-1 overall going to Moscow. The crowd booed Canada before and after the game. The atmosphere made this loss feel worse than the blown lead in game five.

Losing to Switzerland in 2006. Canada never had a loss like that in a really meaningful tournament before. Actually felt worse than the loss to Russia which eliminated Canada, because after Switzerland elimination felt inevitable.

 

[Canuckistani]

Losing 2002 olympics quarterfinal to Belarus 4-3?

Good lord, how did I miss that??? Fixed it.

 

[VMBM]

RUSSIA
1) 1980 Olympics. Losing to US amateurs at the height of the cold war. Ouch.
2) 2014 Olympics. I can't imagine what it would have felt like to see Canada crash out in the QF of 2010.
3) 2000 Worlds. Hosting for the first time since 1986, a star-studded Russian squad loses to USA, Switzerland, Latvia and Belarus en route to 11th place.
Honorable mention: 2010 Olympics (7-3 slaughter by Canada)

HM for the 1977 WHC. USSR's last game in the final/medal round was against Sweden; all they needed was a tie to win the world championship, but no, they lose 1-3 and get only bronze. I don't know what sort of psychological edge Sweden had over them in that tournament, but they had it, since they had already beaten the Soviets 5-1 in the preliminary round. Anyway, Roland Eriksson (hat trick) and Göran Högosta (46 saves) were the heroes for Sweden in the 2nd game.

1987 WHC was also bitter for USSR, since they did not lose a game in the tournament, and yet lost the gold medal to Sweden. Then again, their play was definitely below par in the final round (two ties & close win).

FINLAND
1) 2006 Olympics. The best team in the tournament (by far), drops the final to Sweden 3-2.
2) 2001 Worlds. Blows 2-0 lead in the third, losing to Czechs in OT.
3) 2003 Worlds. The collapse in Helsinki. 5-1 lead vs Swedes turns into 6-5 loss.

Personally, the 1986 WHC hurt the most, as I took these things more seriously as a kid. In the final round, a victory over Sweden and the first WHC medal for Finland looked almost certain, but then Anders 'Masken' Carlsson arrived to the scene with his two last minute goals, and a 4-2 lead turned into a 4-4 tie.
After that game, there was still a chance, since all we needed was a tie vs. Canada in our last game to get bronze. But surprise surprise, with only two and a half minutes left, Tony Tanti scored 4-3 for Canada (a slap shot from a bad angle, if I remember correctly) and Finland ended up 4th in the tournament.

 

[tony d]

Top 5 for Canada

1) 1998 Olympics
2) 1992 Olympics
3) 1981 Canada Cup
4) 1996 World Cup
5) 2006 Olympics

 

[MadArcand]

Agree with the first two, the last one not so much. It might have hurt then but unlike the other two which would still bother a lot of people nowadays, the 2000 IHWC loss to Czechs is much closer to the 2012 final loss against Russia in retrospect. An upstart team that exceeded expectations.

I'd say that the 2004 IHWC combination of loosing in the semis to Canada after a goal that was scored following an uncalled penalty on Slovak goalie behind the net followed by a shootout loss to US in the bronze medal game on what was basically pretty much home turf in the Czech republic left a far more bitter taste in most Slovaks. Most would likely have mostly good memories about Petersburg 2000, the same could not be said about WC 2004.

Also even though it wasn't a game one could technically call being relegated to the C Pool in 1993 as one of the biggest defeats. Also at the 1998 Olympics Slovakia faced the same trouble as in 2002.

EDIT: Also, it was before my time, but some would probably also remember the loss to Russia at OG in Lilehammer as a pretty painful one, I think.

I agree, if we talk about painful defeats. Now shameful defeats... nothing is lower than losing to Hungary. It might have been a friendly with our D-team, but still... we lost to a country that could barely skate.

 

[tape to tape]

2011 WJC loss to Russia might make the list for Canada...allowing 5 goals in the 3rd period...maybe not the biggest defeat because it's juniors, but has to rank as one of the biggest collapses...

...but then again the 96 World Cup was a collapse in the final 5 minutes...

 

[xxxx]

2011 WJC loss to Russia might make the list for Canada...allowing 5 goals in the 3rd period...maybe not the biggest defeat because it's juniors, but has to rank as one of the biggest collapses...

...but then again the 96 World Cup was a collapse in the final 5 minutes...

I would also say that Canada should have won the 2008 whc. I think it was 4-2 in the third. And we lost 4-5. It was the gold-medal game against Russia, on home ice (the only one so far in 100 years), with some of the best ever rosters at the worlds. (Getzlaf, Heatley, Nash, Burns, Hamhuis, Bouwmeester, Keith, Green, Spezza, Toews, Roy, Kunitz, Sharp, St.Louis...)