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Canada has now won a staggering 73% of all best vs best tournaments ever played.

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Summer Rose said:
We'd have to toss out the Canada Cup and all the World Cups by this definition, then, I think. Weren't they invitational tournaments? At least give countries like Slovenia a chance to qualify, even if they don't.

I'm mostly joking.
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They were invitional, but the best countries got invited.

6 in the Canada Cups. Equivalent of 7 now with Czechoslovakia being one team.

Top 6 countries were chosen in 1976. West Germany took Finland's place in 1984 because of the WC performance.

1996 and 2004 World Cup both had 8 teams.

All are very different than non national teams (NA under 23/team Europe) or removing the number 3 hockey country.

The biggest issue is artificially restricting rosters. 1976 was advertised as the first best on best since every player, regardless of league or amateur status, was eligible.

In 2025 only NHL players were eligible.
 
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Peiskos said:
List of International Tournaments featuring best players, there have been 15 now in history. In brackets is the amount of wins, Canada has now won a staggering 11/15 or 73% of all best vs best competition. No other country has ever won more than 1. This is an extraordinary level of dominance.

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)

Discuss.
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I would remove the 72 series, as this was between two countries only.
Also, No WHA players played in it, including Bobby Hull.
Orr didn't participate due to injury.
 
jigglysquishy said:
They were invitional, but the best countries got invited.

6 in the Canada Cups. Equivalent of 7 now with Czechoslovakia being one team.

Top 6 countries were chosen in 1976. West Germany took Finland's place in 1984 because of the WC performance.

1996 and 2004 World Cup both had 8 teams.

All are very different than non national teams (NA under 23/team Europe) or removing the number 3 hockey country.

The biggest issue is artificially restricting rosters. 1976 was advertised as the first best on best since every player, regardless of league or amateur status, was eligible.

In 2025 only NHL players were eligible.
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Also to this point, I believe the 2004 World Cup had invitations extended to those who were top 8 in the IIHF world rankings at the time. I wouldn't know anything about anything prior to that though, since I didn't start watching hockey until 2001.
 
RED ARMY EAST said:
I would remove the 72 series, as this was between two countries only.
Also, No WHA players played in it, including Bobby Hull.
Orr didn't participate due to injury.
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Injuries are part of hockey.

Lemieux was hurt in 96. Still best on best.

But telling management certain players are ineligible, that makes it not best on best.

Hull was Canada's best or second best forward in 1972. Wasn't allowed to play.

Gerry Cheevers would have likely made the team, but unlikely he plays. Bernie Parent might have played.

JC Tremblay likely would have been a third pairing defenceman.

Canada won, yes, but it was a big controversy to not allow a major star like Hull to play.
 
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barkovcanfinnish said:
Canada’s stranglehold on best-on-best was really tested here, and while they came out on top, every game turned out to be close, even the Finland one somehow.

It’s not a country that’s head and shoulders above everyone else anymore, which is great for the sport. I can’t wait for the Olympics and see what everyone can do there
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I agree, but Canada has more options than most when it comes to depth.
The backend should look different with Petrangelo, Theodore and Morrissey and lot's of options with Scheifle,Bedard...
 
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jigglysquishy said:
Injuries are part of hockey.

Lemieux was hurt in 96. Still best on best.

But telling management certain players are ineligible, that makes it not best on best.
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Agree, everyone deals with injury.
Although 72 was not a best on best tournament, It was without question the best two teams in the World, so it could be classified as a Best on Best.
 
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jigglysquishy said:
72 wasn't best on best. Canada couldn't pull from the WHA so were structurally restricted. Also, only two countries.

2016 wasn't best on best. Both Canada and the US weren't allowed to pick under 23s. It basically removed the US from contention. National teams only.

2025 wasn't best on best. No Russia, no Czechia, no Slovakia.

I think you can still group them together as a category. Whether that's best on best tier ii or best on not best. You could include 1974 Summit Series, 1979 Challenge Cup, and Rendezvous 1987 too.

Basically, if you artificially restrict who is allowed to play, it's not best on best.
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Some of this is contrarian just for the sake of being contrarian.

Really? No Slovakia and their 7 NHLers led by Tomas Tatar?
 
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Cheers! to Canada. Still the hockey champs, for now ;)

“The true North, strong and free”


thanks, as always, for these three Canadian guys
 
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