Big Phil
Registered User
- Nov 2, 2003
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What's your list of the top 10 International Teams of all-time. Obviously we'll start from 1972 because up until then there was no Summit Series or Canada Cups. For the Olympics you'll obvioulsy have to start from '98 on.
#1 1976 Team Canada - Some might wonder why this team is over the '87 Canadian team but look at that lineup. We all know about this teams defense core, but look at their forwards too there were a lot of guys in their primes. I put the '76 forwards at least on par with the '87 forwards. Vachon in net was good as well. I wish this tema dominated a bit more but they still had a couple of blowouts in the '76 CC. This team if you want to include Cheevers - who didnt see action - had 17 HHOFers.
#2 1979-81 Soviets - This team is a close second. The beat the NHL All-stars in the Challenge Cup in '79 then basically the same team beat Canada 8-1 in the '81 CC. Tretiak and Myshkin were in net. By '81 the KLM line was there, Fetisov was young at the time. The only blemish was in '80 with this team. There's a reason why it's called the Miracle on Ice.
#3 1987 Canada - As hard as it might be not having this team at #1 with Gretzky and Lemieux near their primes, you have to look at their results. Yes they beat a great Soviet team but they never really dominated the '87 CC in any game. I know the competition was stiff but its less than I'd want to see from this team. The defense outside of Coffey, Bourque and Murphy were solid but not great either. But Fuhr in net played every game and was in his prime. Anyone who questions his HHOF status needs to watch him here.
#4 1987 Soviets - This team came within a whisker of winning. Fuhr's goaltending in Game 2 saved that. The KLM line was beter than ever. Fetisov and Kasatonov were better than ever. Kamensky was just starting out and man could he ever pull the moves. The only thing is goaltending. Tretiak was gone, so Mlynikov and Belosheikin were in there, and they were far from spectacular.
#5 2002 Canada - This team might shock people but it shouldnt. I know they lost to Sweden 5-2 in the first game but after that they were 4-0-1. Look at the makeup of this team though. Look at the HHOFers on there (or future ones). There was no weakness wherever you looked. Think of all the players on that team and just how good they were at that time. Brodeur was brilliant, as was Sakic. Iggy played possibly the best game of Hockey in his life vs. the USA in the Gold Medal game. Keep in mind this team beat a strong USA team in Salt Lake. Look at the defense, goaltending and forwards. There was no weakness. Other than Patick "I wasnt in the original 8 picks so I wont play" Roy, and Joe Thornton who wasnt picked, these were the best Canadians in the NHL.
#6 Team Canada 1972 - They might have looked shabby to start but we've always heard about how out of shape they were. Plus they didnt think the Russians were a threat, no one did. This team was missing Orr and Hull and Cheevers but was still good in all other areas. Espo, Cournoyer, Mahovolich, Ratelle, Gilbert, Clarke all up front. Savard, Lapointe, Park at the back end. In net Dryden and Esposito struggled but came through in the end. This team won three straight games back in the Evil Empire that was Russia even when those games were being compromised in the Soviets favour. Either way this team was still great, they probably had more heart than any team on this list, and not too bad of talent either.
#7 1972 Soviets - This team went head to head with Canada. Tretiak was brilliant in games in Canada. Kharlamov was dynamite, and despite what people think that Clarke's slash hurt him the truth is that after game 1 he only scored one goal thanks to Ron Ellis' shadowing of him, something that never gets mentioned. Either way this team was skilled, fast and disciplined. Yakushev also would have been a star in the NHL I think. They came within a period of putting a black mark on an entire country.
#8 2004 Canada - This team was stacked. In net there was Brodeur followed by Luongo. Theodore was there too and keep in mind in '04 he was pretty good. Up front Mario, Sakic, Iggy, Thornton, St. Louis, Richards, Heatley, Gagne, Lecavalier made up a good core. On defense it hurt that Pronger and Blake werent there but Niedermayer was as was a pretty solid defensive end. Luongo came through in that semi final game against the Czechs, but the problem was this team should have scored more. They never got more than 5 goals in a game. And while they dominated Slovakia twice (5-0, 5-1) they didnt beat the Americans, Russians, Czechs or Finns that much.
#9 Canada 1984 - This team had Gretzky, Bossy, Messier, Coffey, Borque, Robinson, Goulet, Gartner and Tonelli who was the MVP of the tournament. In net was Pete Peeters and Reggie Lemelin and Fuhr played one game. Goaltending was solid but not dominant. They barely beat a Soviet team that was strong, but still they lost to the Swedes and tied the Americans in the round robin I cant put them higher than this.
#10 USA 1996 - I hate this team more than any on this list but they have to be here. Winning two games in Montreal against Canada to win the World Cup was amazing any way you look at it. Weight, Lafontaine, Modano, Hull, Tkachuk, Leclair, Guerin and hero Amonte had a decent forward core. They were fast and their defense of Chelios, Leetch, Suter and the Hatcher brothers was great. But the big thing was Richter. He played incredible in that series. Canada would have been World Cup champs had it not been for him. USA only lost one game - to Canada - and beart some pretty good teams too. They beat Russia twice and Canada three times as well.
HM - '84 Soviets - they were a good team but just couldnt get over the hump that was Canada
'06 Sweden - Olympic champs but it was more a product of other teams underacheiving
'91 Team Canada - Until the '04 WC squad no other country went unbeaten in tournament play. I like this team but no Mario, Bourque and a host of others. The line up is good but not overly impressive. There were a lot of stars missing.
'76 Soviet Team Super Series - I like this team and it didnt resemble the '76 Canada Cup squad that didnt fare very well. I like how they beat Boston, NYR and tied Montreal but I dont like how they lost to Philly and get annihilated as well
In the future a team I foresee cracking this list is possibly the 2010 Canadian Olympic team. Of course they have to win, but if Gretzky and co. dont screw it up this could be a team for the ages.
#1 1976 Team Canada - Some might wonder why this team is over the '87 Canadian team but look at that lineup. We all know about this teams defense core, but look at their forwards too there were a lot of guys in their primes. I put the '76 forwards at least on par with the '87 forwards. Vachon in net was good as well. I wish this tema dominated a bit more but they still had a couple of blowouts in the '76 CC. This team if you want to include Cheevers - who didnt see action - had 17 HHOFers.
#2 1979-81 Soviets - This team is a close second. The beat the NHL All-stars in the Challenge Cup in '79 then basically the same team beat Canada 8-1 in the '81 CC. Tretiak and Myshkin were in net. By '81 the KLM line was there, Fetisov was young at the time. The only blemish was in '80 with this team. There's a reason why it's called the Miracle on Ice.
#3 1987 Canada - As hard as it might be not having this team at #1 with Gretzky and Lemieux near their primes, you have to look at their results. Yes they beat a great Soviet team but they never really dominated the '87 CC in any game. I know the competition was stiff but its less than I'd want to see from this team. The defense outside of Coffey, Bourque and Murphy were solid but not great either. But Fuhr in net played every game and was in his prime. Anyone who questions his HHOF status needs to watch him here.
#4 1987 Soviets - This team came within a whisker of winning. Fuhr's goaltending in Game 2 saved that. The KLM line was beter than ever. Fetisov and Kasatonov were better than ever. Kamensky was just starting out and man could he ever pull the moves. The only thing is goaltending. Tretiak was gone, so Mlynikov and Belosheikin were in there, and they were far from spectacular.
#5 2002 Canada - This team might shock people but it shouldnt. I know they lost to Sweden 5-2 in the first game but after that they were 4-0-1. Look at the makeup of this team though. Look at the HHOFers on there (or future ones). There was no weakness wherever you looked. Think of all the players on that team and just how good they were at that time. Brodeur was brilliant, as was Sakic. Iggy played possibly the best game of Hockey in his life vs. the USA in the Gold Medal game. Keep in mind this team beat a strong USA team in Salt Lake. Look at the defense, goaltending and forwards. There was no weakness. Other than Patick "I wasnt in the original 8 picks so I wont play" Roy, and Joe Thornton who wasnt picked, these were the best Canadians in the NHL.
#6 Team Canada 1972 - They might have looked shabby to start but we've always heard about how out of shape they were. Plus they didnt think the Russians were a threat, no one did. This team was missing Orr and Hull and Cheevers but was still good in all other areas. Espo, Cournoyer, Mahovolich, Ratelle, Gilbert, Clarke all up front. Savard, Lapointe, Park at the back end. In net Dryden and Esposito struggled but came through in the end. This team won three straight games back in the Evil Empire that was Russia even when those games were being compromised in the Soviets favour. Either way this team was still great, they probably had more heart than any team on this list, and not too bad of talent either.
#7 1972 Soviets - This team went head to head with Canada. Tretiak was brilliant in games in Canada. Kharlamov was dynamite, and despite what people think that Clarke's slash hurt him the truth is that after game 1 he only scored one goal thanks to Ron Ellis' shadowing of him, something that never gets mentioned. Either way this team was skilled, fast and disciplined. Yakushev also would have been a star in the NHL I think. They came within a period of putting a black mark on an entire country.
#8 2004 Canada - This team was stacked. In net there was Brodeur followed by Luongo. Theodore was there too and keep in mind in '04 he was pretty good. Up front Mario, Sakic, Iggy, Thornton, St. Louis, Richards, Heatley, Gagne, Lecavalier made up a good core. On defense it hurt that Pronger and Blake werent there but Niedermayer was as was a pretty solid defensive end. Luongo came through in that semi final game against the Czechs, but the problem was this team should have scored more. They never got more than 5 goals in a game. And while they dominated Slovakia twice (5-0, 5-1) they didnt beat the Americans, Russians, Czechs or Finns that much.
#9 Canada 1984 - This team had Gretzky, Bossy, Messier, Coffey, Borque, Robinson, Goulet, Gartner and Tonelli who was the MVP of the tournament. In net was Pete Peeters and Reggie Lemelin and Fuhr played one game. Goaltending was solid but not dominant. They barely beat a Soviet team that was strong, but still they lost to the Swedes and tied the Americans in the round robin I cant put them higher than this.
#10 USA 1996 - I hate this team more than any on this list but they have to be here. Winning two games in Montreal against Canada to win the World Cup was amazing any way you look at it. Weight, Lafontaine, Modano, Hull, Tkachuk, Leclair, Guerin and hero Amonte had a decent forward core. They were fast and their defense of Chelios, Leetch, Suter and the Hatcher brothers was great. But the big thing was Richter. He played incredible in that series. Canada would have been World Cup champs had it not been for him. USA only lost one game - to Canada - and beart some pretty good teams too. They beat Russia twice and Canada three times as well.
HM - '84 Soviets - they were a good team but just couldnt get over the hump that was Canada
'06 Sweden - Olympic champs but it was more a product of other teams underacheiving
'91 Team Canada - Until the '04 WC squad no other country went unbeaten in tournament play. I like this team but no Mario, Bourque and a host of others. The line up is good but not overly impressive. There were a lot of stars missing.
'76 Soviet Team Super Series - I like this team and it didnt resemble the '76 Canada Cup squad that didnt fare very well. I like how they beat Boston, NYR and tied Montreal but I dont like how they lost to Philly and get annihilated as well
In the future a team I foresee cracking this list is possibly the 2010 Canadian Olympic team. Of course they have to win, but if Gretzky and co. dont screw it up this could be a team for the ages.