Best hockey tournament ever?

[Electric Monk]

2010 Vancouver is, imho, hands down, already. I can hardly wait for the US v Canada game on Sunday, never mind the playoffs after that.

(spoiler alert)











Switzerland played Canada to a tie earlier, Canada finally won in a shootout after overtime, and Slovakia just upset Russia in their shootout too.

How's that for parity? This is awesome, I'm lovin it.



edited for Russian loss :)

[Art_from_Ark]

1. Best Olympic hockey game ever..

Final game, Lake Placid, 1980
It would be hard to top that.

[the other one]

3. Was that US v Finland?

US v USSR was not the final game. If that what you r thinking

[Art_from_Ark]

5. Ah, maybe I am mistaken then

Yes, I was thinking of US vs USSR. I actually saw that game (on TV) and for some reason had thought it was the final, I guess because everyone else around me was acting like it was the final, and even the announcer was talking in such a way as to make me think it was. So, the Finland game was the final?

[Forkboy]

9. It was the bigger upset, which is why so many remember it as being for the Gold.

Russia was a international powerhouse and routinely beat NHL teams, including a team of NHL All Stars 6-0 the year before. A week before the '80 Olympics they beat the U.S. team 10-3. Finland was a good team (and still better than the U.S. squad was) but weren't expected to medal that year by very many people.

[devilgrrl]

2. Slovakia just beat Russia

Great game too!

Go USA!

[frylock]

4. there's mens hockey at the olympics this year?!

everytime i turn it on, it's womens hockey or halfpipe. why are the men's hockey matches televised while i'm slaving away in this damn cube?!!

[Barack_America]

6. It's pretty good. But I am torn...

I'm a huge hockey fan and normally would root for the US team, but my husband is Canadian and my beloved Steve Yzerman is Team Canada's GM this year so....

Tough, very tough.

[Forkboy]

7. The '96 World Cup of Hockey was better, imo, though there's lots more to go this year still.

The first World Cup of Hockey (WCH), or 1996 World Cup of Hockey, replaced the Canada Cup as one of the premier championships for professional ice hockey (along with the Winter Olympic tournament, which professionals have competed in since 1998).

The first edition of the Cup featured eight teams divided into two groups. The European Group, whose games were all played in Europe, included the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany and Sweden. The North American Group played in North American cities and included Canada, Russia, Slovakia and the United States.

After the teams played a three-game group stage, the top team in each group advanced to the semi-finals, while the second and third place teams played cross-over quarter-finals. The quarter-finals and semi-finals were single elimination games. The championship final was a best-of-three. All playoff games were played in North America.

In the biggest surprise of the tournament, Germany defeated Czech Republic 7-1 in the European Group, which eliminated the Czechs and sent the Germans into the quarter-finals. In the biggest game of the North American Group, USA defeated Canada 5-3 to finish first and get a bye to the semi-finals. In the semis, they defeated Russia 5-2, while Canada beat Sweden 3-2 on Theoren Fleury's goal at 19:47 of the second overtime period, ending the longest game in international hockey history.

In the best-of-three final, Canada won the first game, in Philadelphia, 4-3 in overtime. Then the USA recorded a memorable pair of 5-2 victories in Montreal to win the series. In the third and decisive game, the US received spectacular goaltending from tournament MVP Mike Richter and rallied from a 2-1 deficit in the third period by scoring four goals in the final 3:18 of the game. Tony Amonte scored the game-winning goal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_World_Cup_of_Hockey

[mmonk]

8. This is a great field with parity.

I'm hoping Finland will prevail. The medals are there for the taking.