Granted 1994 had crappy rosters, but it seemed to me that Sweden's first olympic gold was huge for the nation nonetheless. They put it on a stamp, for goodness sake.
Greatest victories per national squad?
- Thread starter Canuckistani
- Start date
Granted 1994 had crappy rosters, but it seemed to me that Sweden's first olympic gold was huge for the nation nonetheless. They put it on a stamp, for goodness sake.
The tension of 2010 took my breath away like no other.
Loved the WJR Dream Team of 2005.
2009 WJR's was amazing.
Loved the WJR Dream Team of 2005.
2009 WJR's was amazing.
Pominville Knows
Registered User
Yeah. If it's one thing one can say about swedes it is that we fell heart and soul for the soviets faked amateurism. When we managed to win one of those amateur Olympics, by then it actually was amateur.
In hindsight we still cant seem to shake that imaginary success and the win often gets bunched together with the 2006 one in the media. It just seem too hard to wake up when the only images that gets shown is some penalty shots involving Salo, Forsberg and Kariya. And Corey Hirsch, who everyone just assumes is in the tier of the other three and when i tell them he was actually a bum they get perplexed.
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Uncle Rotter
Registered User
Uncle Rotter
Registered User
Good point. Those names make it easy to forget that it wasn't a top-level NHL tournament.
However Sweden's squad did contain quite a few other players (in addition to Salo and Forsberg) who went on to play in best-vs-best events: Kenny Jonsson, Leif Rohlin, Roger Johansson, Jonas Bergqvist, Jorgen Jonsson, plus veterans Mats Naslund and Hakan Loob.
From Canada's roster you only have Kariya and Czech Petr Nedved. The rest of the team was pretty much never heard from again.
Pominville Knows
Registered User
Yeah that is another point in the equation. Becouse swedes knew only about our own players, we still do, and many of those where either old NHL:ers winding down or more or less big-time youngsters, we believe that other nations teams where also of the same fashion.
Canuck21t
Registered User
Although the names weren't impressive, because a gold medal was on the line and since I'm always passionate about any national teams no matter the caliber, I highly enjoyed the game. Having said that, my personal favourites are...
1. Vancouver 2010 - Best-on-best, Olympic gold medal, at home and overtime-goal by Sid the Kid.
2. Salt Lake City 2002 - Best-on-best, Olympic gold medal, Canada's first win in a long time
3. Sochi 2014 - Best-on-best, Olympic gold medal, probably the last time we're going to see this class of players on the same team with Crosby, Bergeron, Getzlaf, Perry, Carter and Weber who have served us so well since 2005.
jekoh
Registered User
- Jun 8, 2004
- 4,416
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Lillehammer was great for Sweden, don't listen to those who make up theories about roster composition. It was huge and would still be the best if we haven't had Turin.
It is #1 for me, a final win vs Canada even in SO (or because of it) is great.
Well, you got the first one right at least. But our first Olympic gold (1960) would definitely be second. It was just as great, if not a greater achievement than 1980 but it just didn't have all the political overtones as 1980 did.
Third could be anything really, because nothing else is even close to our Olympic golds. Nobody cares about juniors though, so I guess it'd have to be the 96 World Cup as it's the only other tournament we've ever won.
Shawn Heins 44
Registered User
Switzerland:
1. Winning silver at WC in 2013
2. Beating Canada at the olympics in 2006
3. Pushing Canada to the edge at the olympics in Vancouver
1. Winning silver at WC in 2013
2. Beating Canada at the olympics in 2006
3. Pushing Canada to the edge at the olympics in Vancouver
VMBM
Hansel?!
Finland's roster wasn't far from our best possible. Sure, Selänne, Numminen, 'old' Kurri, Tikkanen etc. would have been nice additions, but we had young Saku Koivu, Jere Lehtinen and Sami Kapanen, as well as other Finnish hockey icons (who necessarily did not make it big in the NHL): Jarmo Myllys, Raimo Helminen, Ville Peltonen, Mika Nieminen, Esa Keskinen, Timo Jutila, Janne Ojanen - all true legends of Finnish hockey.
Team Sweden was not too shabby either. I do have to say that Team Canada's roster is indeed surprisingly 'nameless', when looking at it now. Still, they played very well in the tournament.
While USA was an underdog also in 1960, I don't think there was a team in that tournament that was considered nearly as good as the 1980 Soviets. The Soviet hockey dominance started truly around 1963. Then again, USSR had struggled mightily in the 1980 tournament even before the Miracle game, and - with hindsight - was ready to be beaten.
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Number 1 goes without saying and number 2 is probably correct too, but I would rank the two wins against Russia in 1998 and 2000 as well as the whole 1992 WC ahead of that game against Canada in Vancouver.
I'm not sure how people can downplay the 1994 Olympics. Interesting games from start to finish, an unstoppable Finland stopped by Canada in the 3rd period of the semi-final, the hockey world discovering Slovakia, Sweden tying the final late in the game before winning in an epic shootout, two great QF OT wins by Canada and Russia... One of the most exciting international tournament I can remember.
JackSlater
Registered User
- Apr 27, 2010
- 19,808
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There are no "theories" here. The rosters were of lower quality than the typical World Championship level. Sweden's 2006 win was a great hockey achievement, as they won a tournament featuring the best players in the world. Sweden's 1994 win is largely irrelevant, considering how bad the rosters were. Any tournament is only as strong as the players who participate.
I'd like to see some other country's achievements added to your list. Switzerland just won Silver in last years WC and Germany had a great 4th place showing on home ice back in 2010.
Also, let's not forget the Czech Republic winning the 2010 WC and beating Russia in the finals. That's a huge recent win for the Czech's.
Also, let's not forget the Czech Republic winning the 2010 WC and beating Russia in the finals. That's a huge recent win for the Czech's.
ToewsGretzky*
Registered User
I think 2010 Vancouver, coming off a disastrous 7th place finish in Turin 2006. 2002 was also huge for Canada and most recently I think 2014 Sochi is also huge but the magnitude of it hasn't really sunk in yet, I think in a couple years we'll look back and really appreciate it a lot. We became the first team in the NHL Olympic era to go undefeated all the way and Canada finally put an end to the arguments that we can't win outside of North America and that we can't win on large ice. On top of that we won back to back, the first country to do so since the Soviets in 84-88 and the first Canadian team to do it since 48-52 in Oslo. I think 2014 Sochi ranks right up there with some of the greatest moments in Canadian Hockey history.
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From those of us Finns who have a few more miles under the belt than the others..
1) Calgary 1988 Silver Medal
First medal, first time we beat the mighty Soviet Union in a serious game. It was the impossible task, we're not capable, can never do it.. and did it. It was on a scale completely different to these other medals. Everything else we've won has been "we can do it, we could medal" this was "impossible, no chance"
2) 2006 Torino Silver Medal
Best on Best and we were the best. Hearbreaking loss, but had we won it would have been perfection, we really played a perfect tournament until then
3) 2004 World Cup of Hockey Silver Medal
We came so close to beating Canada in Canada on Canadian ice size. This imo was the most dangerous team Finland we've ever seen. Underrated because of all of the off-ice drama
Also, I think an honorable mention should be marked for the Czechs for the '69 world championship gold that was about much more than hockey.
1) Calgary 1988 Silver Medal
First medal, first time we beat the mighty Soviet Union in a serious game. It was the impossible task, we're not capable, can never do it.. and did it. It was on a scale completely different to these other medals. Everything else we've won has been "we can do it, we could medal" this was "impossible, no chance"
2) 2006 Torino Silver Medal
Best on Best and we were the best. Hearbreaking loss, but had we won it would have been perfection, we really played a perfect tournament until then
3) 2004 World Cup of Hockey Silver Medal
We came so close to beating Canada in Canada on Canadian ice size. This imo was the most dangerous team Finland we've ever seen. Underrated because of all of the off-ice drama
Also, I think an honorable mention should be marked for the Czechs for the '69 world championship gold that was about much more than hockey.
Please keep this thread on topic. No need to turn it into a debate about the definition of a professional player.
I think the 2006 olympics could be number four or three.
They did lose to the Czechs in the QF, but they won their group (beating Russia 5-3, Latvia 6-3, USA 2-1, Kazakhstan 2-1, and Sweden 3-0).
VMBM
Hansel?!
Czechoslovakia did not win gold in 1969. They did beat USSR twice, but since they also lost to Sweden twice, the Soviets (who in turn beat Sweden twice *phew*) won the gold medal by goal differential.
I do think that beating USSR (twice) was even much more important for the Czechs than the gold medal.
CSSR's first WHC win during the Soviets' domination (1963->) was in 1972, when they won the gold on their home-ice. The key game was the 3-2 win over USSR; Vaclav Nedomansky and Richard Farda scored the first two goals (both were set up by my fave Vladimir Martinec) and Jaroslav Holik scored the game-winner.
VMBM
Hansel?!
That's exactly what I said... or at least tried to say. Something wrong with my English there?
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