Obscure hockey facts/stats on international level

[Faterson]

You know that format was ridiculous when the Soviets could go 8-0-2 and finish behind the 5-3-2 Swedes. So glad the IIHF ditched that silliness in 1992. What on earth were they thinking?

How is that different from the playoffs format? Look at the Habs eliminating the Leafs the other day, and look at their regular season records. Early/preliminary group results don't matter – it's the championship games that matter, so in that sense, the previous IIHF format was fine.

 

[Lartsaman]

I think that United States not making to the IIHF WCH gold medal game for 87 years is a remarkable fact.

 

[Faterson]

Let's make it 88, then. (And I'm an LA Kings fan, so I was hoping for a US vs. Slovakia final, but it was not to be...)

 

[Canuckistani]

How is that different from the playoffs format? Look at the Habs eliminating the Leafs the other day, and look at their regular season records. Early/preliminary group results don't matter – it's the championship games that matter, so in that sense, the previous IIHF format was fine.

I've never seen a team eliminated from the NHL playoffs without losing a single game.

 

[Canuckistani]

I think that United States not making to the IIHF WCH gold medal game for 87 years is a remarkable fact.

If you told me after the 1996 World Cup that the USA would not have another senior-level gold medal 25 years later, I'd have thought you were insane. Maybe their luck will change this year.

 

[Canuckistani]

Haha... I was talking about that childhood trauma in another thread. I remember very little from those early childhood years, but I do remember that devastating 1-11 loss and the looks of shock and disbelief on every family member's face in the living room.

At least that was in Moscow. The Swedes lost to the Soviets 13-1 two years later in Stockholm.

 

[Faterson]

I've never seen a team eliminated from the NHL playoffs without losing a single game.

That's because there were no overtimes at the World Championships back then. If ties had been disallowed like they are today, the anomaly wouldn't have occurred.

 

[member 305909]

For the past 20 years or so when Finland has lost its semifinal-game not a lot of people have cared about the bronze medal-game viewing it as a waste of time.

However, if there had been a play off-format in the 80s and Finland had been in the bronze medal-game it would have been a huge thing.

 

[Czechboy]

I remember that one time the Czechs had a good team with some good NHLer's and had to play Finland who plays defense amazing.

Our coach decided to sit our 3rd leading scorer Michal Spacek (who had a goal in the last game and hadn't sat once).

Put our best 2C on the third line .. filip Chytil

Put our best 4th line winger in the top 6

Put out best 4th line C in the Top 6

Just beautifully stretched out the 5 snipers we had so no one had any talent to play with.

Then, in his press conference, he said he wanted 2 scoring lines (while moving Chytil down, Spacek and Sekac out) and 2 D lines (while moving up Flek and Hanzl who are BEAUTIFUL bottom 6 guys to the Top 6).

Then we couldn't score a goal and lost 1-0.

 

[Faterson]

I remember that one time the Czechs had a good team with some good NHLer's and had to play Finland who plays defense amazing.

Our coach decided to sit our 3rd leading scorer Michal Spacek (who had a goal in the last game and hadn't sat once).

Put our best 2C on the third line .. filip Chytil

Put our best 4th line winger in the top 6

Put out best 4th line C in the Top 6

Just beautifully stretched out the 5 snipers we had so no one had any talent to play with.

Then, in his press conference, he said he wanted 2 scoring lines (while moving Chytil down, Spacek and Sekac out) and 2 D lines (while moving up Flek and Hanzl who are BEAUTIFUL bottom 6 guys to the Top 6).

Then we couldn't score a goal and lost 1-0.

That isn't obscure since it happened last night. I think you pushed the wrong button and meant to post this in the "Worst decisions ever made by a national team coach" thread, where it would fit in neatly.

 

[Czechboy]

That isn't obscure since it happened last night. I think you pushed the wrong button and meant to post this in the "Worst decisions ever made by a national team coach" thread, where it would fit in neatly.

You are totally right.. apologies.

 

[mattihp]

You are totally right.. apologies.

Maybe the post better suits the thread about coach mistakes?

 

[ES]

Switzerland made semi-finals in 1998 by winning two games in entire tournament.

In the preliminary group, Sweden won all games, USA beat Switzerland 5-2, Switzerland beat France 5-1 and France beat USA 3-1. So Switzerland had 7-6 in those two games while USA had 6-5, France had 4-6.

In the second round Switzerland beat Russia, lost against Czech Republic and drew against Slovakia. The group ended with Czech Republic with five points, Switzerland and Russia with three, Slovakia with one. with Switzerland winning head-to-head, they were second, thus going to semi-final.

Semi-final was two-legged, Switzerland lost both against Sweden, then lost bronze medal game to Czech Republic.

 

[Eye of Ra]

Switzerland made semi-finals in 1998 by winning two games in entire tournament.

In the preliminary group, Sweden won all games, USA beat Switzerland 5-2, Switzerland beat France 5-1 and France beat USA 3-1. So Switzerland had 7-6 in those two games while USA had 6-5, France had 4-6.

In the second round Switzerland beat Russia, lost against Czech Republic and drew against Slovakia. The group ended with Czech Republic with five points, Switzerland and Russia with three, Slovakia with one. with Switzerland winning head-to-head, they were second, thus going to semi-final.

Semi-final was two-legged, Switzerland lost both against Sweden, then lost bronze medal game to Czech Republic.

that 1998 team was probaly the best sweden team ever. not on paper, but how they played. Sweden won all games in that tournament. Renberg was a monster.

 

[FiLe]

One way or another, history will be made in the 2021 World Championships, as one of the following will happen:

-Finland repeats.

-Germany captures its first ever World Championship (and major tournament) title.

-USA wins the tournament for the first time since 1933*.

-Canada becomes champion with the worst ever round robin record (10 pts) in the current tournament format**.

---

*USA is actually considered a three-time world champion (1933, 1960, 1980), as before 1989 the tournament was not played on olympic years. Instead, the olympic gold medalist was also crowned as world champion.

**The present record holder is Sweden, with 15 pts in 2013.

 

[member 305909]

It is strange how Russia was already Russia at the 1992 world's even though a few months earlier they won the Olympic gold under the team of the CIS.

The CIS also played in the football euros of the summer of 1992 inheriting the place of the Soviet Union.

Ever since then the whole CIS-thing has been completely forgotten.

 

[BOS358]

Ever since then the whole CIS-thing has been completely forgotten.

That's not true! There are some serious history geeks on this board (looks in mirror.) I actually get reminded of this short era quite often: one of my friends likes to show me his ticket stub from a 1992 Olympics warm-up match in his hometown...it was the last game the Soviet National Team ever played. I want to steal it so badly and he knows it.

 

[kaiser matias]

One way or another, history will be made in the 2021 World Championships, as one of the following will happen:

-Finland repeats.

-Germany captures its first ever World Championship (and major tournament) title.

-USA wins the tournament for the first time since 1933*.

-Canada becomes champion with the worst ever round robin record (10 pts) in the current tournament format**.

---

*USA is actually considered a three-time world champion (1933, 1960, 1980), as before 1989 the tournament was not played on olympic years. Instead, the olympic gold medalist was also crowned as world champion.

**The present record holder is Sweden, with 15 pts in 2013.

They had been playing World Championships in Olympic years since 1972, but your point still stands.

 

[FiLe]

They had been playing World Championships in Olympic years since 1972, but your point still stands.

They held the World Championships in 1972 and 1976, but then went back to skipping the olympic years for a decade. The tournament was not played in 1980, 1984 and 1988.

 

[stv11]

This is correct, but no world champion title was awarded in 1980, 84 and 88. So the US were world champion twice (33, 60) and Olympic champion twice (60, 80), despite winning only 3 tournaments.

 

[kaiser matias]

They held the World Championships in 1972 and 1976, but then went back to skipping the olympic years for a decade. The tournament was not played in 1980, 1984 and 1988.

Fair point.

 

[member 305909]

In 1997-1999 there seemed to be the idea that single round elimination games is not the right way. Very easy to agree with that sentiment.

The tournament-format of the 1997 tournament was the best. Two best teams of a long series meet in a best of three final.

However, I can also easily understand why it didn't last. It was a bit too much towards hockey-geeks instead of those who only watch hockey once a year.

The tournament-format of 1998 and 1999 was rubbish with those two-legged semifinals and finals. In 1999 Finland lost the first final but won the second but lost the ovettime.. BS!

 

[ES]

1997 schedule had been made before they changed final format to best-of-3. So as a result, the championship was decided on Wednesday. If it had gone in two games that would have been on Monday.

 

[Lartsaman]

I dont know if theres anything obscure about this. Janne Laukkanen, former nhl defender, came all the way from North America to aid Finland just for the second final game at IIHF Worlds 1998. Back then there was a two legged final, as was said earlier. Pity for him, Finland lost that match to Sweden. Janne Laukkanen eneded up having his third Worlds silver medal. He never won gold in his career.

Given how few finnish NHL:ers usually comes to Worlds, that one was true patriotism.

 

[FiLe]

Given how few finnish NHL:ers usually comes to Worlds, that one was true patriotism.

It may seem unusual from today's perspective, when "no thanks" is the usual answer, but in the late 90s to the early part of the noughties it was actually more likely that a Finnish player eliminated from the NHL playoffs did join than not. For example, Esa Tikkanen joined the 1996 worlds team just ahead of the QF - which Finland lost.

I think the cake goes to Olli Jokinen, though - he was always ready, but the 2006 Worlds (right after Turin) was something exceptional... as OJ joined the team despite nursing an injury at the time. "If I could play with this in the playoffs, I can play with this here."