No more Canada bashing now, eh?

[KariyaIsGod*]

Yeah, but look at how long it took you to get there. There's no question Canada has been one of if not the best the past few years, but don't forget how many years you guys were left shaking your heads at the Olympics/WC's.

Well, it's hard to compete when your best players aren't allowed to play...

 

[flamesfan01800]

what the hell is this topic about? I mean they won the World Championship for god's sakes!

I understand the Olympics ... or the Junior championship ... but this!!!!!! Nooooooo.

and a team that beats Germany 3-2 thanks to Kariya's goal in the 3rd ... wow, what a great team.

I hope your kidding about the last part. What do you call all of the other nations that finished below canada. They had to be good if they won at the olympics. Hopefully that was a sarcastic remark by yourself

 

[wilka91*]

No actually I think that Canada had a really strong team in 1998, and an average one in 2002. In 2002 there was some luck involved, you gotta admit it, because when you face Belarus in the semifinal ... you see what I mean.
But I'm not saying Canada was bad or the worst team. They were all pretty much even that time, but Belarus ruined the whole thing, or the Swedes ...

Anyway it's hard to say that a team is really the best when it has these results :

loss to SWE 5-2
win against GER 3-2 (GWG late in the 3rd)
tie against CZE 3-3 (GTG with 3 minutes left)
win against FIN 2-1
win against BEL 7-1 ...
win vs USA 5-2 (because they play the same style of hockey)

it's good but nothing really great IMO

 

[BCCHL inactive]

No actually I think that Canada had a really strong team in 1998, and an average one in 2002. In 2002 there was some luck involved, you gotta admit it, because when you face Belarus in the semifinal ... you see what I mean.
But I'm not saying Canada was bad or the worst team. They were all pretty much even that time, but Belarus ruined the whole thing, or the Swedes ...

Anyway it's hard to say that a team is really the best when it has these results :

loss to SWE 5-2
win against GER 3-2 (GWG late in the 3rd)
tie against CZE 3-3 (GTG with 3 minutes left)
win against FIN 2-1
win against BEL 7-1 ...
win vs USA 5-2 (because they play the same style of hockey)

it's good but nothing really great IMO

It won the Gold Medal.

Enough said.

 

[incawg]

Anyway it's hard to say that a team is really the best when it has these results :

Counting an early round-robin game with the same weight as a single-elimination game is absurd. Canada may have started slow, but they stepped it up when it counted (as they did at the world championships this year) and were thus clearly the best team in the tournament. Round-robin wins for the swedes are meaningless if they're going to choke when it actually counts.

 

[SChan*]

Canadians dont take the heat when they are doing bad. I just read in the media that they complained on the ice when Canada played poorly first few games in the world championships. Like Canada is the only team playing on crap ice...

 

[Vic Rattlehead*]

Talk about putting all canadians in the same basket. Noy eeveryone thinks that way.

 

[Toonces]

There was Canada bashing?

Haven't seen any since that Conan O'Brian skit a few months back, and that was about the French.

Ah well, unless it's against the US, I always root for the Canuckleheads.

 

[Zine]

No actually I think that Canada had a really strong team in 1998, and an average one in 2002. In 2002 there was some luck involved, you gotta admit it, because when you face Belarus in the semifinal ... you see what I mean.
But I'm not saying Canada was bad or the worst team. They were all pretty much even that time, but Belarus ruined the whole thing, or the Swedes ...

Anyway it's hard to say that a team is really the best when it has these results :

loss to SWE 5-2
win against GER 3-2 (GWG late in the 3rd)
tie against CZE 3-3 (GTG with 3 minutes left)
win against FIN 2-1
win against BEL 7-1 ...
win vs USA 5-2 (because they play the same style of hockey)

it's good but nothing really great IMO

I agree with you somewhat. Any team having to play a Koivu-less Finland and Belarus to get to the finals is pretty lucky. Especially considering how average they were in the preliminaries (loss to Swe, beating Ger by 1, and tying the Czechs on a disputed goal). Any other team would kill for such a cup-cake schedule (apart from Sweden).
Bottom line is, no matter how difficult the opponents, they won when it counted. Canada deserved the gold.

 

[Dropkick Alex]

I think of it this way...we beat you in the Junior WC...meaning we will should be better than you in the upcoming years.

 

[TheBrew]

I think of it this way...we beat you in the Junior WC...meaning we will should be better than you in the upcoming years.

meh i guess but Horton Staal Nash etc could of been there and might of changed the outcome.

 

[Dropkick Alex]

meh i guess but Horton Staal Nash etc could of been there and might of changed the outcome.

Yes but either way North America will control Hockey correct?

 

[Russian_fanatic]

Yes but either way North America will control Hockey correct?

Russia will over come all

 

[Dropkick Alex]

Russia will over come all

Oveckin happy?

 

[Lionel Hutz]

No actually I think that Canada had a really strong team in 1998, and an average one in 2002. In 2002 there was some luck involved, you gotta admit it, because when you face Belarus in the semifinal ... you see what I mean.
But I'm not saying Canada was bad or the worst team. They were all pretty much even that time, but Belarus ruined the whole thing, or the Swedes ...

Anyway it's hard to say that a team is really the best when it has these results :

loss to SWE 5-2
win against GER 3-2 (GWG late in the 3rd)
tie against CZE 3-3 (GTG with 3 minutes left)
win against FIN 2-1
win against BEL 7-1 ...
win vs USA 5-2 (because they play the same style of hockey)

it's good but nothing really great IMO

That is absurd. Think of it anyway you want, the team got off to a slow start as can be expected and improved steadily through the tournament. They won the gold, period. Nothing average about them.

Can't say they were the best with those results? then who was the best? Sweden? because they lost to Belarus? Yeah, I'm convinced.

They won the gold they were the best in that tournament and there is no room for you to say anything different. Belarus didn't ruin anything, they beat Sweden. Suck it up.

Win vs. USA b/c they play the same? exactly what does that mean? It was a great game and Canada won. Both teams deserved to be in that game and played an outstanding final. Not sure how Canada "won b/c they play the same style". Maybe the two teams with that style were in the final b/c that style worked best. Maybe Canada won b/c they outplayed the US.

 

[Leafer4Life]

Whoa whoa whoa. That selfless act by Gretz is what turned everything around for Canadian hockey. He took all the pressure off the players and put it on his own shoulders. He also brought to the forefront a fact that a lot of Canadians didn't want to admit. That the rest of the world LOVES to beat us at hockey. We may be fairly well liked internationally as a country, but in terms of hockey we are not liked at all.

He united an entire country behind that team and got us the gold medal by doing so.

So lay off Gretz. He is a gentleman and is the best ambassador for any sport ever. I defy anyone to show me a person who has done for for a sport then what Gretzky has done for hockey.

He is a true class act and is nearly a god in this country.

I am proud that he is Canadian.

Thank you Gretz for everything you have done and will do for your country.

I totally agree! Gretz Rules!

 

[Lionel Hutz]

I totally agree! Gretz Rules!

Absolutely, that "whinefest" was a classic in the Ilk of Esposito in 1972. It deflected attention from the team, inspired and was the turning point no question.

It was perfect.

 

[Lionel Hutz]

I think of it this way...we beat you in the Junior WC...meaning we will should be better than you in the upcoming years.

I don't think winning the WJC is any clear indication.

That said, the US hockey program has come a long way in recent years and has a lot of talent and depth. I can't wait for the World Cup and all the great battles in the years to some.

 

[Le Golie]

No actually I think that Canada had a really strong team in 1998, and an average one in 2002. In 2002 there was some luck involved, you gotta admit it, because when you face Belarus in the semifinal ... you see what I mean.
But I'm not saying Canada was bad or the worst team. They were all pretty much even that time, but Belarus ruined the whole thing, or the Swedes ...

Anyway it's hard to say that a team is really the best when it has these results :

loss to SWE 5-2
win against GER 3-2 (GWG late in the 3rd)
tie against CZE 3-3 (GTG with 3 minutes left)
win against FIN 2-1
win against BEL 7-1 ...
win vs USA 5-2 (because they play the same style of hockey)

it's good but nothing really great IMO

That's the worst logic I've seen in a while....

Anybody who can't admit that Canada had the best team at the Olympics needs a reality check.

The team leaving the tournament with a gold medal around their neck is the best team at the tournament. They either beat every team, or beat a team that beat someone else. Period. They were the best.

Do other countries produce great hockey players? Of course they do.
Is the best player in the world Canadian? Maybe not.
Do you have to be from Canada to be a pro hockey star? Hell no.
Is Canada currently the worlds top hockey nation? Yes. I don't think that can be denied after the past 5 or 6 years of international competition.

I'm Canadian and damn proud that we are the best hockey nation. It's the best game in the world, and we as a nation play it better than anyone else. That title is very likely to be taken away at some point, but it will return. It's a cycle. Right now we're on top and historically we've been on top more than anyone else.

 

[Beakermania*]

Facts

Defending Mens Olympic Champs
Defending Women's Olympic Champs
Defending Men's World Champs (2time)
Defending Women's World Champs (8-time, and only ever winner)

Fact is we are the best!!! Go Canada Go!!!

P.S. USA HOCKEY = MADE IN CANADA!!!! (Brett Hull, Parise, Deadmarsh, etc....)

 

[Beakermania*]

Originally Posted by Bouwmeester4
I think of it this way...we beat you in the Junior WC...meaning we will should be better than you in the upcoming years.

Yes you got us, i will admit defeat. But a one goal win on a heck of a fluke bounce late in third period shows that that game could have gone either way. And you will never reunite one entire WJ team for a World Cup or Olympic Tourney, it wouldn't make sense. Canada has been the best WJC team if you look at the results for 15 years.

 

[mark_man12]

I am a proud Canadian and I truley believe we are a hockey power and are one of the best hockey countries in the world. The thing is we aren't alone, there are more countries in contention then ever. This is what makes the game a great game these days, because going into every tournament we have a shot to win along with about 7 other teams. I do agree with your comment that in recent years we have been the best hockey nation. But there is going to be a time where we struggle and people start questioning canadian hockey. So don't start getting to cocky. A also agree that our World Cup team this year is going to be one of the best teams that Canada, or any other country for that matter, have assembled for a hockey tournament.

 

[Epsilon]

I am a proud Canadian and I truley believe we are a hockey power and are one of the best hockey countries in the world. The thing is we aren't alone, there are more countries in contention then ever. This is what makes the game a great game these days, because going into every tournament we have a shot to win along with about 7 other teams. I do agree with your comment that in recent years we have been the best hockey nation. But there is going to be a time where we struggle and people start questioning canadian hockey. So don't start getting to cocky. A also agree that our World Cup team this year is going to be one of the best teams that Canada, or any other country for that matter, have assembled for a hockey tournament.

Nice to see some class injected into this thread as it starts to spiral downhill.

 

[ohlund2.2]

Exactly.

Just ask a CAnadian anything related to hockey and he'll answer : "Canada rules, you rest of the world suck. Piss off."

lol, no they wouldn't...we aren't American.

 

[leafaholix*]

Modesty gentlemen, modesty.

They already know we're the greatest.