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Greatest victories per national squad?

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Canuckistani

Registered User
Mar 15, 2014
1,627
171
Toronto
Hey folks. I just signed up so I apologize if this has already been done at some point...

I was pondering what the top international victories would be per country since 1976 (what I would call the start of the modern hockey era).

Being a Canadian, I've got plenty of golds to choose from :D

CANADA
1) 2010 Olympics. Home ice. A must win. Overtime vs USA. Sidney Crosby. Can't beat that.
2) 1972 Summit Series. Before my time, but I can't help but wonder how Canada would have coped had Henderson not scored that goal at 19:26. Huge win.
3) 1987 Canada Cup. Gretzky and Lemieux in their prime against the Soviets in the greatest international hockey series ever played.

Honorable mentions: 2014 Olympics (a defensive domination for the ages), 2002 Olympics (a must win after the 96 World Cup and 98 Olympics), 1976 Canada Cup (one of the best Canadian teams of all time)

UNITED STATES
1) 1980 Olympics. Still one of the greatest upset wins in hockey history, at the height of the Cold War against the hated Soviets.
2) 1996 World Cup. The tournament in which the generation inspired by 1980 came of age and established the US as a hockey power. That final game still hurts...
3) 2010 Juniors. Carlson's OT winner after Eberle ties it late.

It's tough to know what events matter most to Europeans, but my top three would be...

RUSSIA
1) 1981 Canada Cup. A blowout 8-1 win against one of the greatest Canadian teams ever assembled, which must have helped ease the Lake Placid debacle.
2) 2008 Worlds. Kovalchuk's OT winner completes comeback against Canada in Quebec City, to give Russia its first gold since 1993.
3) 1986 Worlds. A perfect 10-0-0 record on home ice.

Honorable mentions: 1979 Challenge Cup (6-0 slaughter of the NHL's best), 1978 Worlds (beating Czechs in Prague), 1984 Olympics (rebounding from 1980 with perfect 7-0-0), 2011 Juniors (the comeback kids)

CZECHS
1) 1985 Worlds. Gold on home ice, thanks to 2-1 win over Soviets and 5-3 over Canada.
2) 1998 Olympics. Hasek leads Czechs to surprise win in first NHL olympics.
3) 2001 Worlds. David Moravec's OT goal completes comeback against Finns to secure third WC gold in a row.

Honorable mentions: 1996 Worlds (Martin Prochazka wins gold vs Canada at 19:41), 2000 Worlds (5-3 win in final against old countrymen from Slovakia)

SWEDEN
1) 1994 Olympics. Dramatic shootout win for first Olympic gold.
2) 2006 Olympics. Defeating rival Finns for Sweden's first best-vs-best win.
3) 1991 Worlds. Mats Sundin gets the third-period winner in final against Soviets

FINLAND
1) 1995 Worlds. Beating the hated Swedes in Stockholm for Finland's first title.
2) 2011 Worlds. A 16-year wait (with plenty of silver medals) is rewarded by a 6-1 win over the Swedes.
3) 1998 Juniors. Finland's first WJC, in OT on home ice against Russia.

SLOVAKIA
1) 2002 Worlds. Peter Bondra with the later winner vs Russia for Slovakia's first (and only) gold.
2) 2003 Worlds. Bronze medal win vs Czech rivals.
3) 2012 Worlds. A semifinal win over the Czechs, before a gold medal thrashing by Russia.

Any thoughts?
Click to read more...
 
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I think most of the finnish people appreciates more olympics medals than world championship golds, but of course winning something in hockey is something which makes whole country crazy. 2006 silver was a huge disappointment because we have the tournaments best team. There we beat everyone except Sweden. I still rank it first. 2014 bronze after losing Filppula, Koivu and Barkov is maybe second or 2004 world cup silver.

We don't win a lot so many thinks that the world championship golds is Finlands greatest victories. I remember 2011 and 100 000 finns celebrating world championship gold in Helsinki like it was yesterday. Huge, huge win for our country after 16 years.
 
I think you were close in terms of USA Hockey

1980 is obviously #1.

1996 is #2 since it's the only time we won a best on best tournament.

1960 probably jumps in at #3 since I don't think a U20 tournament ever supersedes a full men's tournament. There isn't even just one game. There's the blowout of the Czechs and the victories vs Canada and the USSR.

After that when it starts to come down to youth tournaments in terms of the u20s it's 2004, 2013 and 2010 in that order for me. 2004 was our first ever title, which is always the most important. 2010 is bigger than 2013 because Canadian fans always whined about how they never had their best u20 team. In 2013 there was no excuse and we crushed them.
 
Xokkeu said:
I think you were close in terms of USA Hockey

1980 is obviously #1.

1996 is #2 since it's the only time we won a best on best tournament.

1960 probably jumps in at #3 since I don't think a U20 tournament ever supersedes a full men's tournament. There isn't even just one game. There's the blowout of the Czechs and the victories vs Canada and the USSR.

After that when it starts to come down to youth tournaments in terms of the u20s it's 2004, 2013 and 2010 in that order for me. 2004 was our first ever title, which is always the most important. 2010 is bigger than 2013 because Canadian fans always whined about how they never had their best u20 team. In 2013 there was no excuse and we crushed them.
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Very odd take on things there imo. Canadians whining over who was or wasn't there in 2010 is more valuable to you than your best beating our best. That's a non hockey fan reaction there and more of just simply patriotic flag waving. I expected a little better from you, a hockey fan.
 
The Czechs won 2x in 1969 against USSR during WHC in Sweden. These two wins were one of the most important victories ever because they meant so much to the nation at the time. Def top 3.
 
Germany : Bronze medals 1936, 1976
World cUp 1996:

Germany 7:1 Czech Repuplique :amazed::amazed::amazed:
 
Canuckistani said:
RUSSIA
1) 1981 Canada Cup. A blowout 8-1 win against one of the greatest Canadian teams ever assembled, which must have helped ease the Lake Placid debacle.
2) 2008 Worlds. Kovalchuk's OT winner completes comeback against Canada in Quebec City, to give Russia its first gold since 1993.
3) 1986 Worlds. A perfect 10-0-0 record on home ice.

Honorable mentions: 1979 Challenge Cup (6-0 slaughter of the NHL's best), 1978 Worlds (beating Czechs in Prague), 1984 Olympics (rebounding from 1980 with perfect 7-0-0), 2011 Juniors (the comeback kids)
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I really can't agree with the 1986 WHC being that high; e.g. they had a perfect record on home-ice also in 1979 (<- possibly their best team ever). Not sure about the 2008 Worlds either.

I'm glad, though, that their win at the 1978 WHC got at least an honorable mention. A loss (after the losses in 1976 and 1977) would've been a disaster for Soviet hockey. Tikhonov has called it the greatest win of his coaching career (or at least he was the happiest then).

Canuckistani said:
CZECHS
1) 1985 Worlds. Gold on home ice, thanks to 2-1 win over Soviets and 5-3 over Canada.
2) 1998 Olympics. Hasek leads Czechs to surprise win in first NHL olympics.
3) 2001 Worlds. David Moravec's OT goal completes comeback against Finns to secure third WC gold in a row.

Honorable mentions: 1996 Worlds (Martin Prochazka wins gold vs Canada at 19:41), 2000 Worlds (5-3 win in final against old countrymen from Slovakia)
Click to expand...

EDIT: okay, I did not read the first post properly.

Some of the key players in the 1985 Team Czechoslovakia were Slovaks (Pasek, Liba, Rusnak, Lukac). In any case, the 1998 Olympics is the greatest win for the Czechs IMO.
 
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staying on topic but taking different route.. best achievements of finnish hockey that came to mind

1. 4 out 5 best on best olympics medals
2. Selänne Rookie season + career
3. First european GM & coach in NHL Jarmo Kekäläinen/Alpo Suhonen
 
VMBM said:
Not sure about the 2008 Worlds either.
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On Canadian soil, in OT, against the 2nd best Canadian WHC team ever (2005 would be first), in the 100th year of the IIHF; it was pretty special.

Rivals the Czech 2005 win in WHC importance in my mind.
 
Canuckistani said:
SWEDEN
1) 1994 Olympics. Dramatic shootout win for first Olympic gold.
2) 2006 Olympics. Defeating rival Finns for Sweden's first best-vs-best win.
3) 1991 Worlds. Mats Sundin gets the third-period winner in final against Soviets


Any thoughts?
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Forget about it.

1, 2006 Torino
2, 1987 WHC
3, 1991 WHC

The 1994 Olympics had terrible rosters, becouse of the fall of the eastern block. The 1987 WHC though was a great dismantling of the Soviet Union by our NHL professionals.
 
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Mr Writer said:
[/B]

Very odd take on things there imo. Canadians whining over who was or wasn't there in 2010 is more valuable to you than your best beating our best. That's a non hockey fan reaction there and more of just simply patriotic flag waving. I expected a little better from you, a hockey fan.
Click to expand...

I meant to say that 2013 was bigger because Canada had no excuses. Didn't come out right.
 
1. 1972 SS

2. 2010 Olympics
3. 1987 CC
4. 2014 Olympics


Tough to say.


I just got an idea to make polls about it! :nod: at least about the most important tournaments in Canada's history (maybe even about Sweden, Czechs, Finland...) It has a lot of a discussion potential IMO. What do you think?


AND, it'd be interesting to make a poll about the worst tournaments for Canada too :D
 
Honestly I really only care about what Canada has accomplished at best vs best tournaments, I understand what the 72 Summit Series means to Canada, I understand the importance of the Canada Cups etc but for me I wasn't even alive during that time, for me it hands down has to be the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Gold, Canada broke a 50 year gold drought at the olympics and since then Canada has been experienced what could be called a renaissance at the olympic level. I feel kind of spoiled having the luxury to search for the highlights of all three of these olympic championship teams of 2002,2010,2014. Being born in 1992 Canada had 6 olympic gold hockey medals, fast forward to today Canada has 9. I have truly been spoiled.
 
ToewsGretzky said:
Honestly I really only care about what Canada has accomplished at best vs best tournaments, I understand what the 72 Summit Series means to Canada, I understand the importance of the Canada Cups etc but for me I wasn't even alive during that time, for me it hands down has to be the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Gold, Canada broke a 50 year gold drought at the olympics and since then Canada has been experienced what could be called a renaissance at the olympic level. I feel kind of spoiled having the luxury to search for the highlights of all three of these olympic championship teams of 2002,2010,2014. Being born in 1992 Canada had 6 olympic gold hockey medals, fast forward to today Canada has 9. I have truly been spoiled.
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The 50 year gold drought was irrelevant. In 2002 Canada was going through a 4 year drought, starting with the loss in 1998. Each tournament before 1998 was irrelevant for Canada since the best Canadians didn't play. That's true for those years when Canada won due to being the only country that played at a high level as well.

If we exclude everything before 1976, I think the most significant win is probably 2010. Canada's only best on best win in overtime (final elimination game), and more importantly probably the only chance Canada could win a meaningful Olympic tournament on home ice. The putrid display in 2006 probably makes it a little more important as well. I think 1987 was a bit overrated. The quality of offensive play was great (at least from the big guns) but it doesn't increase the tournament significance in my mind. 1976 was important as the first time Canada fielded a real national team, 1984 was important in making up for 1981, 2002 was important for making up for 1996 and 1998 while winning at the Olympics, and 2014 was somewhat important for winning outside of North America.
 
United States
1. 1980 Olympics
2. 1996 World Cup
3. 1960 Olympics
4. USA 3, Russia 2 (2014 Olympics)
5. Any of our 3 WJC Golds
 
Gotta say the greatest single victory has to be the Summit Series, game 1.
Turned the hockey world upside down. The landscape of international hockey was forever changed the minute that game ended.
 
Urbanskog said:
2006 Olympic silver medal is Finland's greatest achievement. Pretty much.
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I'd agree in the sense that Finland dominated the event and was the best overall team. But losing in the final (to the Swedes of all people) must surely disqualify it as one of the Finland's greatest ever victories.

I would imagine that Finns look back on 2006 as "so close, so heartbreaking" more than "what a great team we had."
 
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