Biggest flops in international hockey history

[The Bad Guy*]

For this Canadian fan it is easily 2006, I don't see how anyone could see it otherwise.

It was so goddamned painful to watch, they struggled just to make easy breakout passes, falling all over the place, they looked totally disorganized, just a complete mess.

I can't remember ever being so frustrated with a Canadian entry at any level, that team drove me nuts.

I laugh at people that tease us about 98, that team played very well overall, just was missing it's two best offensive threats in a must win game where they lost in a shootout. That team could have won gold with a break here or there.

 

[LeafsNation75]

What about when Russia lost 7-3 to Canada in the Quarter Finals at the 2010 Olympics, does that count? Prior to the tournament some people were saying it would be both of them playing in the Gold Medal game and I don't think anyone expected Canada to dominate that game from start to finish.

 

[The Bad Guy*]

What about when Russia lost 7-3 to Canada in the Quarter Finals at the 2010 Olympics, does that count? Prior to the tournament some people were saying it would be both of them playing in the Gold Medal game and I don't think anyone expected Canada to dominate that game from start to finish.

Of course it counts.

The Russian 2010 team was a total flop. That was the year they were expecting nothing but Gold unlike 2014 where they THOUGHT they could win gold, in 2010 they went in brash saying the gold was theirs to lose.

But they just weren't nearly as good as they thought they were.

100% flop in 2010.

 

[connellc]

1977 world championships for Canada has to be up there. They had a pretty good rosters too and decided to goon it up instead..

 

[Canuckistani]

1977 world championships for Canada has to be up there. They had a pretty good rosters too and decided to goon it up instead..

I don't think anyone expected Canada to challenge for gold in 77, but no one expected 11-1 and 8-1 losses to the Soviets.

 

[VMBM]

1977 world championships for Canada has to be up there. They had a pretty good rosters too and decided to goon it up instead..

Well, it worked in the 2nd game vs. Sweden (7-0 victory) and in the 2nd game vs. Czechoslovakia (8-2)!

It certainly didn't work vs. the Soviet Union, though. And a notoriously bad reputation that Canadian team has - so many stories...

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I already mentioned the 1984 CC Czechoslovakia, and I could add the CSSR teams in the 1980 (5th place) & 1988 (6th) Olympics too. Both times they had probably the 2nd best roster after you-know-who, but lost basically all the key games both times. The 1980 tournament is easier to explain; it was in a transitional period, they were missing 2 key forwards (Hlinka, injured, and Martinec, broke his wrist already in the first game) and they ran into hot USA and into hot Pelle Lindbergh, when they faced Sweden. I don't know what was wrong in 1988, since they gave a good account of themselves in the 1987 Canada Cup (a close loss to Canada in the semifinals). However, they did beat Finland and managed to spoil our chances for the gold medal - if there was any chance anyway; i.e. maybe USSR would have played 'a little better' in the final game vs. FIN, if the gold was at stake.

The Soviets in the 1976 WHC may apply here; their first game vs. Poland is arguably the biggest WHC miracle of all-time, of course, but it didn't go much better from there; they lost to and tied Czechoslovakia - which is okay I guess - and they lost to Sweden once. The 6W-3L-1T record is probably their worst ever, even though they got the Silver. A couple of explanations; they were missing Vladimir Petrov and lost his replacement on the top line, Alexander Maltsev, too after a few games. They had also won the Olympic gold a couple of months earlier, so the main goal for that season had already been accomplished. Boris Kulagin... he was certainly no Tarasov or Tikhonov either.

 

[alko]

USA in 2010 WCH. After bronze game (2009) they have to fight to stay in top division.

But from Slovak side, WCH 2008 was a disaster. Thanks to win in the shootout vs Slovenia, they were saved.

 

[86Habs]

2006 was a complete embarrassment for Canada. Same core of players who had gone undefeated at the 2004 World Cup (less Niedermayer).