Canada Cup 1981 Final Game Goals - Canada vs. USSR

[@ganuv]

I'm not russian but i always considered russian hocky more finess and much more creative then canadian hocky.every gol they scored was a poetry.

[@Paulmancieri67]

I remember this game. Man those Soviet teams were good. They just skated so fast and were so skilled.

[@Patrik2609]

Эту игру будут помнить вечно!

[@unnamed00]

Like I said Russia is not on the same level as the USSR was. There have been only 5 tournaments where Canada's and the USSR's best played. The USSR won the 79 Challenge Cup and the 81 Canada Cup in blow outs. Canada won in 72, 84, and 87 in very close games. However in 72 there was a lot of controversy with the way Canada played and in the Canada Cups the Canadians had many advantages. In the final game in 87, referee Koharski was like team Canada's MVP...

[@RaineriHakkarainen]

Not True! Bure Fedorov Mogilny were much better than Mikhailov Petrov Harlamov or Larionov Krutov Makarov! Canada have 650000 hockey players today! USA have 550000 hockey players today! Ovechkin's Russia have only under 100000 hockey players today! Canada and USA should have 11 players who have scored over 800 goals like Ovechkin today!!

[@rigafraction1653]

79 wasn't Canada's best by a long shot. None of Canada's best were there. 81 they won after some injuries hampered Canada and their goalie laid an egg. Canada won every real best on best tourney outside of 81. In 72 they didn't send their best either, the WHA players weren't there, neither was Orr for example. They showed up after a summer off, out of shape and not taking the first 4 games seriously. They took the next 4 in Russia seriously and won them. In 87, the best team won, no matter how much crying and lying you make about it.

[@Pata1]

The USSR national team of 81 is the most superior hockey team ever. 7-1 in this final and 13-1 against Sweden in the IHWC final earlier the same year.

[@Classicrocker6119]

The Soviets weren't going to be denied in this tournament. They re-tooled their national team after the upset loss to the US a year earlier in Lake Placid. The KLM line ushered in a new dominance that set the standard for the rest of the 1980's.

[@ericday4505]

Those Canadians were just outstanding in this game, it is funny how the games play out when the officiating is not the biggest issue, some one tell me that Sergei Makorov in his prime was not in the top three forwards of that era is just blind, in the next Canada Cup the officiating was laughable and the Canadians, just barely escaped with their necks, when they needed a power play uh here it comes, it was embarrassing to watch as a neutral fan.

[@Serenoj69]

Agreed.

[@rigafraction1653]

Blaming the referees when Russia loses, typical. Didn't hear you cry when the refs actually did cheat for Russia in 72 and they lost anyway.

[@SweOfc]

Vilket flipperspel vid till 0:31 till 0:40. Helvete vad dom måste ha tränat på det där mååånga många gånger. Läckert! Ögonen får inte nog av att se detta lag briljera.

[@HedgehogInTheFog]

I have Canada Cup 87 on DVD and have been trying to get a 1981 Canada Cup DVD, but can't find it anywhere. Can anyone tell me where I can get it? A link, etc. Pleeeease :)

[@АндрейГусев-ф5в2щ]

Вечная память моему земляку Александру Викентьевичу Скворцову.

[@yaRussian]

this was real hockey, not the bs we see on tv today, it was skill then, now its just a show of who checks best, and it all came from the NHL

[@GaurMiaur]

Man it was 40 years ago. Forty! Name me one more win of brave Canada team outside north-american ice , without home rinks, spectators and own refferees for the last 38 years.

[@randymoyan7871]

Well let me educate you on "One more win outside brave Canada" All 27 World Championships won by Canada at the IIHF World Championships were won outside Canada. Of Canada's 12 Olympic Golds 11 were won outside Canada. Most recently 2014 Sochi Russia, 2002 Salt Lake USA. Don't you feel stupid now? Yeah you do....LMAO.

[@rigafraction1653]

Sochi Olympics, how's that?

[@lkongo77]

1. Gretsky 2. Lemieux 3. Sakic... 1. Larionov 2. Makarov 3. Fetisov 4. Kharlamov 5. Mikhailov... and somewhere close to these 5 are Khomutov and Ovechkin.

[@unnamed00]

Many nations write history to suit themselves and Canada is a good example of that... Thanks for proving this once again!

[@AMOLADOS]

TO:Niels I think it would be hard for CSKA to live in USA,you can look at comments of former Soviet players about Olym ´80 when they saw Lake Placed only from the bus,otherwise they were forced to sit on the hotel,another reason they would feel badly and play at lower level.

[@J0113]

Man! The USSR team, and the KLM line was so dominant it was ridicoulus!

[@nthdegree1269]

@GaurMiaur The Canada Cup was won by Canada more then any other country. It was the best of all the world represented.

[@unnamed00]

There have been many changes in Russian hockey since 1991 and Russia is just not nearly as good team wise as the USSR was... And for the 76 Canada Cup the Soviets did not send all of their best players and got third place like they expected.

[@rigafraction1653]

Canada didn't send their best either, the WHA roster wasn't involved in 76

[@unnamed00]

Canada won the first game in 81 7-3, not 6-0. The game that was 6-0 was the one you are forgetting - the Challenge Cup in 79 when the Soviets beat the NHL allstars (almost all Canadian) by that score (look at the video I have).

[@MaximChicago]

@Audioquest56, counts by whom?

[@MaxWraith]

Krutov's goal = AWESOME.

[@allanbenazzi7156]

The best ever team in any sports krutov rip

[@2209Vadim]

SaintDemetrio да, ты прав наша молодежь звезду поймала, так же как канадцы в 72г. наступили на те же грабли, сейчас вообще в современном спорте в полсилы не кого не обыграть, пусть, в следующий раз будут умнее.

[@September2004]

Does anybody know why this wasn't a best of 3? All the other Canada Cup Finals were best of 3.

[@Alex1979U]

Nice hit by Krutov !

[@AMOLADOS]

It was no problem to see CC before 1989,sure it was not live TV,but next day we could see recording.

[@aleksandrpondios]

from 1972 untill 1991 108 games played between USSR NATIONAL TEAM,USSR' CLUB TEAMS(CSKA,DYNAMO,SPARTAK.KRYLIA) and CANADA NHL TEAM AND BEST CLUBS(MONREAL,N-Y ISLANDERS,EDMONTON OILERS AND MANY OTHERS) THE OVERALL SCORE IS +58,-40,=10,GOALS 413-337 FOR USSR,90 %of that games were played in CANADA.IT is clerly showes that USSR TEAM HAD BETTER RESULTS AGAINST BEST NHL TEAMS IN THEIR HOME.EVERYONE CAN CHECK THE STATS,

[@rigafraction1653]

So club teams in the NHL vs Team Russia and the games were still close... *smh* fool.

[@effexortrippin]

Great names! bring back memorys. we in sweden allways lost against ussr back then,, but how beutiful they played. If this game had been on big ice the score would have been the double

[@pgmisha]

who was in goal?

[@AMOLADOS]

Referees were not a problem during CC, all three matches I saw in full time and cannot accept Canada has won thanks to referees. Any short video montage cannot tell the full story.

[@ericday4505]

This is Sergie Makorov more in his prime, this is the Soviets putting a big time spanking on the team from up north it was not even close, spare me with that debacle in 1987, there was no way the officials were going to let the Canadians get spanked again.

[@Serenoj69]

To show you how disgraceful Canadians got they did not let the Sovjets have their Canada cuo in 1981. They said it needed to stay in Canada no matter who won....Just such a bunch of very sad losers. Nothing against the players though, it is in fact nice to see that tow very different systems produced great players. Personally I have always found the Soviet icehockey and its individual players the best ever, but of course Gretzky and co. were great as well.

[@unnamed00]

The Canada Cup was a home tournament for Canada and Canada had many advantages over other teams, so it is not the only way to judge the best team.

[@rigafraction1653]

Their advantage was they were better than those other teams.

[@nthdegree1269]

@unnamed00 Not true at all. The Canadian players hardly played together in fact they didn't and had only a few weeks to get their act together. The Russian and other teams played together as a unit. None of the Teams complained that the tournament had advantages for Canada. They all came to win. Canada won in '72 and they won in Russia. They won in 76 and they won in Canada. They lost in 81 but then after they pretty well owned the cup.

[@AMOLADOS]

TO:nmeyerv I agree with the most except that nobody prevented them to build the team.They had no time to build the team during so long season.Sure it was canadien initiative to make CC,therefore they played during September before the start of NHL and all other leagues ,so the best players could take part in each national team.

[@currentriverpat]

Canada looked about as bad as it ever did in hockey history in this game. I recall Canada beating USSR 7 - 3 or something in the Round Robin. I also remember Guy Lafleur laughing at the camera after Liut let in the 5th goal or so. I also remember Canadian players being told not to "try so hard they get hurt for the NHL season". What a stupid bit of advice that was. This team got embarrassed by the Soviets and Canada should never forget this moment of humility.

[@tonybenn1000]

And like mats said 4 years ago, do we have the referees in our pocket?

[@4elovek]

it said they wanted to take the cup away from them, why?

[@AMOLADOS]

to:unnameoo: one example of unstableness was CC81,when USSR lost in group 3:7,in ´85 USSR lost with CS 1:2,with Can 1:3 ,that is what I am talking about ,when USSR was not ahead quickly 2:0 they bacame nervous more and more,I think in full NHL season CSKA face 80 tough games with many injuries and sometimes of dirty plays of opponents,so no domination would be visible.Tikhovov always lamented after series with NHL clubs they returned with so many injured.

[@unnamed00]

Where is the quote from?

[@HAFFNELSON]

I gotta agree with tkunder on this. If nobody knows what it is, how can it be respected? They go together. I'm a huge hockey fan and barely remembered this trophy even existed. Most probably would still say "oh, isn't that the trophy the Blue Jays and Expos battled for each year?" Liut was an average goalie who had one good year - the rest were just okay. Liut and the Blues choked that year in the playoffs when it counted most. The best-ever stood the test of time as superstars - and won.

[@tdshaker]

Canada has this whole manhood thing. Hockey players want to have their teeth knocked out. Hockey players must fight. Canada players don't wear helmets. It's a manhood thing. The Russians were just better skaters back then.

[@отпирайте]

tdshaker "hey look at me how badass and manly i am, i play with no helmet because i am not a pussy" like this?

[@DouglasEdward84]

Don't forget the influence of Bandy on the Soviet style, which had always emphasised these skills. Ice Hockey in Canada had always been rough and tumble until very recently.

[@Underhills]

For decades the Sovjets made the Canadians look like droopy-eyed armless children. This is what it looks like when hockey based on roughing, slashing and spitting meat finesse, technical skill, teamwork and true talent. Anyone with the love for this sport can appreciate the latter.

[@rigafraction1653]

Huh? This was the only time Russia ever actually won a 1 game final vs Canada. Canada's beaten Russia in every other best on best event over the past 52 yrs.

[@Underhills]

@@rigafraction1653 If your read what I wrote I'm referring to Soviet. Not Russia. In all international meetings between the Soviet Union and Canada, from 1954-1991, there were a total of 139 games played. The USSR won 95 games to Canada's 32 games, and 12 games ended in a tie. And as mentioned no one played the game as elegant and great as the Soviets. I think all hockey lovers can agree on that. It's pretty much an established part of hockey history. I wanna add that Canada is of course one of the greatest hockey nations in the world, that speaks volume about the former Soviet Union hockey or the Red Army hockey as it's better known as, they played superior hockey to anyone for a long time. My favourite era is late 70's to early to mid 80's, in that periode the Red Army team rarely lost at all. In the 1981 Labatt Canada Cup the Soviet Union defeated Canada 8-1. My favorite players are Larionov, Fetisov, Makarov, Kozlov.

[@MrGG1959]

I was at this game.

[@unnamed00]

"well know is their unstableness when they are not few goals ahead." What do you base this on?

[@Slavenki]

приятный на слух комментатор)

[@ericday4505]

One last thing and forgive me my fans to the north but who edited out the Canadian goals I mean there are just the Soviet Goals in this video?

[@ragnarjonsson1122]

+Eric Day beh, there was just one Canadian goal, right...

[@September2004]

+Eric Day Canada lost 8-1, so there's (sadly) only one Canada goal at the 0:42 mark.

[@ericday4505]

+jessc1979 I was just taking a shot at my dear friends to the North, I know the score, I am familiar with the game. The Canadians won the Canada Cup in 1987, in a classic three game set with the Soviets, but in 1981 I was just taking a shot at the Canadians.

[@НиколайГончаренко-ф1ж]

Крутов - Красава!!!

[@IzakD8]

I forget is USSR the Soviet Union?

[@nthdegree1269]

@NanoTechStone1 Try and count tournaments where all the best players from the World are Playing.

[@AMOLADOS]

We have won Nagano 98 thanks the the most famous goaltending made by Hasek and the best defence ever Czechs assembled .Sure our win was the same surprise to that of USA in Lake Placid 80,when US students beat USSR.

[@russianguy1]

GO CCCP!

[@quincee33]

@wg390 Just 1 question - since the Olympics has allowed NHL players, Canada has won 2 gold Medals, Sweden has won 1 Gold medal and the Czech Republic has won 1 gold, how come RUSSIA hasn't won a GOLD MEDAL????? I bet they don't even win in the next winter Olympics in Russia.

[@adrianciobanu5856]

They win in Coreea

[@bajen3]

The best team ever

[@nuckster94]

KLM line. Larionov and Makarov went on to have good careers in the NHL but Krutov didn't work out in Vancouver. Too used to playing on the same unit through his career. The Soviets would often play units of 5 players all the time.

[@unnamed00]

Who are you to say what is significant or not? The World Championship was the most respected hockey tournament before so many Europeans started playing in the NHL. The times Canada did send its best players to that tournament they were still beaten by the Soviets. The Canada Cup, again, was too biased to be considered a greater tournament. And you are also forgetting the Challenge Cup humiliation of the NHL allstars (Team Canada basically).

[@rigafraction1653]

Fact check: False. No one in North America has ever cared about that tournament. It's a Euro championship at most, with some scrubs from North America going over for fun.

[@unnamed00]

Liut was not a bad goaltender; he was second in voting for the Hart Trophy in 1981 and won the Pearson Trophy that year.

[@rigafraction1653]

He had a terrible game.

[@unnamed00]

What do Juniors have to do with this?

[@nthdegree1269]

@AndruhaUkraine No way. They lost in '72 when Canada was an out of shape team. They couldn't win as many Canada Cups when players like Wayne Gretzky show up. Not to mention Mario Mario Lemieux. HOw many players from other countries top the scoring in the NHL? Look at the records and the dominating performances by Canadian players in the NHL. How many players from the USSR or any other country come close to those records?

[@searchforthestrangler5034]

From 1980 "Miracle On Ice," to 1981 "Embarrassment On Ice." Soviet Red Army team was back in style.

[@MaximChicago]

says who?

[@IzakD8]

O.K. Thanks. It's hard to believe they were that good to defeat Canada 8-1 and Sweden 13-1 and now you hardly hear of them it's just Canada and Russia or Canada and USA and Canada and Sweden.

[@unnamed00]

The Pittsburg game was in 89. The Penguins won, but they were not even that good that year.

[@jackson32]

The soviets really surprised the canadians, they had a great team.

[@nuckster94]

Truly the most embarrassing international game ever played by Canada. The defense in this game was non existent for goalie Mike Liut, and he himself played poorly. After the Soviets played possum and lost an earlier game to Canada 7-3, the Canadians underestimated how hard the Soviets would play the final. One of those games where they weren't mentally prepared and nothing went their way. This began the process of positive change, Canada winning all but one of the next 5 World Cups.

[@petmis]

спасибо, soviet! hockey at its best! kiitos!

[@AMOLADOS]

TO:unnamedoo We were lucky also in ´77 WMC ,some results of final group:CAN-CS 8:2,SWE-CCCP 2:1,3:1. Thanks to Swe we have won,we were not lucky in ´78 WMC CS-CCCP 1:3,would we loose only 1:2 or 2:3,we got gold. I can confirm ´79 WMC in Moscow as superdominant CCCP team.And necessary to mention the best Canada did not take part on these events.

[@ragnarjonsson1122]

Christ, what a blowout!

[@GaurMiaur]

1972 win is the smile of lady Luck and lack of expoerience of USSR team head coach no more. You would have no chances if Anatoly tarasiv wasn;t released from being head coach before the serie. I think that win is no more than the smile of lady Luck because it's the only big win of your national team for doxens of years. The next one i can remember is 1994 WC in Italy, but it happened just after USSR ruined. 2 big wins for 25 years it's very cool surely )))

[@AMOLADOS]

As for disturbing ,players as Golonka and other have been talking about this,I do not think they were liars.Only I do not know if disturbed during World champ or Izvestia prize.

[@wilmanric1]

@TheDaddyCokes I do too. It just isn't the same somehow. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because the Russians were/are as passionate about hockey as we are; in the US it's just another sport, and the No. 4 one at that. I think a lot has to do with the US attitude though, at least through these postings. A lot of what they say smells too much of that archetypical "we're the best of course we win and if we don't it doesn't matter because it's not important anyway."

[@nthdegree1269]

@Europemanx Actually, Canada has a very low population from which to choose players. Canada has about only 33 million people. So out of that number, excluding the elderly, women and children the sick and those over 40, your not left with a huge number of people.

[@jeffreykaufmann2867]

I never saw Lemieux deek out or go through any Russians in 87 like he could playing NHL players.

[@randymoyan7871]

Idiotic Comment. You must be blind or not watch the 1987 Canada Cup. Both players dominated the tournament and finished 1-2 in scoring. Lemieux and Gretzky playing together scored the winning goal in games 2 and 3.

[@rigafraction1653]

I did. He scored a hat trick in game 2 and the winner in game 3 along with several assists, should have watched that series. He was injured in 91 and wasn't an adult yet in 84, so it was the only time he played in one of the best on bests in his prime. Mario and Gretzky had 9 points between them in game 2 alone.

[@rickdignard3502]

That 81 Soviet team was ridiculous...

[@ericday4505]

That line of Makarov Krutov and Larionov skated rings around the Canadians, it was not even that close, sadly the officials made sure that, the Canadians would never get embarrassed like that again. That line young and hungry was the best ever, that was not an all star line.

[@matteomorello8683]

yes!

[@RaineriHakkarainen]

But Czechoslovakia beat the Soviets 9-3 in Prag Czechoslovakia in 1975 the Czechoslovakian scores were Ebermann 2 Jiri Holik 2 Martinec Pouzar E.Noval Hlinka Bubla.And Czechoslovakia beat the Soviets 8-3 in Moscow in 1977 The Czechoslovakian scores were Martinec 2 Bubla Marian Stastny Hlinka Pouzar J.Novak Augusta.These 9 goals at home and 8 goals in Moscow are the record.The best Canadien team scored only 6 goals in Moscow in 1972 in the 8th game.And The Canada scored 7 goals 1981 a group game

[@ВасилийУзлов-э7б]

1987 К.К был гораздо интересней!

[@MaxWraith]

Dude, are you serious? Samsonov? Just because these are the latest players you've seen, doesn't mean they are the best.

[@unnamed00]

Soviet players also talked about being disturbed while in Czechoslovakia. So it is not uncommon for players to make these accusations.

[@unnamed00]

Why was not the ledership so corrupt before? And it is not only a problem in the former USSR. Who studied in the West before 1989? It is what is going on with rich children now, not before. Why would anyone study in the West before?

[@eaglejoe71]

I always loved how the Russians played.They have a good team play and it's good to see,the americans play to phisacal and to rough..However"Go Canada"!

[@MaximChicago]

@chichigord, very interesting comment indeed.

[@xismxist]

a magic moment

[@unnamed00]

The Katyn killings are just one of the acts of agression between Poland and Russia/USSR. Probably the motivation for the killings goes back to the Soviet-Polish War in 1920, when there were mass killings of Bolsheviks. The military actions of 56 and 68 were not meant to intimidate and humiliate the people of those countries. The USSR just did not want to lose allies. However, the people probably did feel humiliated and intimidated at the time.

[@stones8484]

Lets face it. Canada always had the referees on their side when winning!

[@scotty6glove]

Yup, just like in Moscow in 72

[@jeffreykaufmann2867]

Remember in 87 that 3-1 breakaway with Gretzky and Lemieux in the final match? One of the Russians was hooked. There should have been a penalty against Canada.

[@jimturner4937]

@@jeffreykaufmann2867 Referees cannot look behind their backs. Even if they could would that make a difference? It's always the same bullshit excuses from the Swedes and Russians. But when they win, oh boy, they won because they were great and because the judges were against them. You're a fucking joke.

[@jeffreykaufmann2867]

@@jimturner4937 not really. I'm just being objective. Even in the 72 series after Canada lost a couple of matches Phil Esposito said to Bobby Clarke:" Bobby that Kharlamov is killing us.you gotta do something about It". The next game Clarke took a vicious two handed swing to Kharlamov's ankle. He was never the same after that. The best player of either team. Canada wouldn't have won had Kharlamov been healthy. And did you notice that Lemieux was never able to deek out one Russian or go through two of them in that series like he could in against NHL. Players.

[@krishnarajballie6294]

@@jeffreykaufmann2867 It was assistant coach John Ferguson and head coach Harry Sinden who sent Clarke out to do that.

[@lkongo77]

and well... I forgot Pavel Bure. He should be in the top 10.

[@mwebb999]

Clark Gillies RIP

[@ericday4505]

Mike Liut was disgraceful I mean he had little chance on a lot of those goals but his body language was pretty bad.

[@unnamed00]

Stop blaming Liut. He won the Pearson Trophy that year.

[@gumbly]

Yes, the expectation was that Team Canada's ageing core plus Wayne Gretzky would be more than enough to beat the Russians. Instead, the Russians played sound and tight in their own end, and took advantage of every opportunity. The Russians were fit and ready to play, but the Canadians really expected to win without much trouble. Mike Liut served as scapegoat for a poorly built and poorly prepared team Canada that couldn't crack the Russians defense, or Vladislav Tretiak in his prime.

[@viktorkk1]

Шепелев теперь команду в моем городе тренерует. Ханты-Мансийскую "Югру "Shepelev #21 now headcouch of hockey team in my town. Khanty-mansiysk "Yougra"

[@loot91]

It was the "Canada Cup" we can do whatever we want ;)

[@unnamed00]

How many of the star juniors become stars in the NHL?

[@rigafraction1653]

Most NHL stars were stars in Jr.

[@TTRUSOUND]

mike liut was playing very well for the blues at that time.

[@ericday4505]

If the great Tretiak had not retired than, do you see that 1 goal they scored in this game, I don't see the Canadians scoring more than three in any game in 87 if Tretiak is still in goal, a lot of people didn't realize that Tretiak was the heart and soul of those great Soviet teams. They win with him in 87. And Canada knows it.

[@hoserfella]

Eric Day Nope. Canada regularly beat the Russians in every tournament despite not being familiar teammates as the Russians were. Canada Cup 81 was Canada not playing well and not and brutal goaltending as you see here. Tretiak was a very overrated goaltender in general

[@Craig-ib7gk]

To date (2016) the Russians (including the Soviet era) have won 27 IIHF World Championships , the Canadians 26. Of course, 15 of the Canadian championships came before the Russians even starting playing in the IIHF sanctioned championship tournaments in 1954. Covering only the time when *both* countries had teams competing, the Russians easily win that margin by 27-11. So "Canada regularly beating the Russians in every tournament" is a fan-boy load of hogwash. It is convenient that any tournament Canada loses is one where they're "not playing well". Well, no shit; that's usually why someone *loses*.

[@ericday4505]

Craig N The Soviets were so much better then everyone else as not to be funny. Almost on a par with the US and basketball. Anyway the Canadians have caught up as have others, but oh my for a while there that guy Makarav and Krutov and some others were frightening to watch. And let me also say that in many Canada Cups the officiating was deplorable, pro Canada.

[@hoserfella]

Craig N of course you forget to mention (conveniently) that the Russian national team won all those championships against college kids with little chance of becoming NHL players. The pros didn't join the Olympics until 1998, after which both Canada and the US have dominated. Up until then when the best of the NHL played in Canada Cups, Canada won every tournament except for '81. Canada has whooped the Russians silly for 30+ years

[@canuckereh5646]

hoserfella Tretiak overrated? Are you kidding me? He influenced many NHL and international goalies. Tretiak himself was also influenced by the "V style" aka butterfly used by the great Glenn Hall (Mr. Goalie). Just look at his style compared to Dryden's and Esposito's in '72. Did you even see the '75 New Year's eve game against Montreal? I watched that game and was blown away by Tretiak's performance, despite being constantly run over and interfered with by opposing players. Overrated, I think not. Just ask some of the NHL greats that have regarded him as one of the best to play the game ie) Dryden, Fuhr, Belfour, Hasek etc. No offense but I think their opinions carry a little more weight than yours....and mine.

[@sdahenakew]

watch the round robin game Canada-Soviet Union and tell me if i am paranoid but something smelled rotten with the referee and that game.....fixed? with alan eagleson involved certainly not impossible he would have lost huge cash if canada did not make the final (would be much harder vs. sweden) and yes i know canada beat sweden in round robin but sweden is still tougher opponent czechs couldnt beat canadian team playing 1st meaningful game

[@J0113]

I totally agree.

[@AMOLADOS]

I liked Oilers very much also thanks to Oiler line Kurri-Gretzky-Pouzar ,they were excellent,I remember when they beat USSR in Dec,1982 4:3 / scoring Greatzky2,Messier1 and Anderson1.

[@unnamed00]

Again, just because all the best Canadians were not there most of the time does not make it second rate (before the 90s when there were not so many Europeans in the NHL). And when the best Canadians were there they could not win.

[@rigafraction1653]

The best Canadians have never gone to the WC, it happens during NHL playoffs and the best Canadians have always been playing for the important trophy. No one takes the WC seriously. Barely get AHL lineups for that one.

[@AMOLADOS]

It is always hard to compare teams,I think our Nagano98 team was exceptional and better compared to teams Czechoslovakia in 70´ with golden years 72,76,77 .

[@unnamed00]

What does the referendum mean in regard to what we are talking about. People just thought/think that joining the EU will help with the problems that capitalism has brought.

[@IzakD8]

And your just jealous that we have like the friggin most gold medals in hockey.