Five moments: Gretzky to Lemieux tops the list of tournament highlights
The Canada Cup and World Cup of Hockey have been held seven times between 1976 and 2004, with Canada winning five times. Here are five memorable moments from the tournaments:
1987: MARIO SCORES
Canada won the best-of-three final 2-1 over the Soviet Union, with all three games ending in 6-5 scores.
The Soviets won the first game on Alexander Semak’s overtime goal and they forced extra time in Game 2 when Valeri Kamensky scored with 1:04 left in the third period. Wayne Gretzky fed Mario Lemieux for the OT winner.
The Soviets took a 3-0 lead eight minutes into the deciding game, but it was tied 5-5 with 1:26 left in the third when Gretzky dropped a pass to Lemieux on a rush and Le Magnifique scored one of the most memorable goals in Canadian history. It was Lemieux’s 11th goal and Gretzky’s 21st point in nine tournament games.
1981: SOVIET BLOWOUT
Fears that Soviet hockey was overtaking, Canada imploded with an 8-1 loss in the one-game Canada Cup final.
A squad led by the Vladimir KrutovIgor Larionov-Sergei Makarov line thoroughly trashed a Canadian team led by Guy Lafleur, Gilbert Perreault and a young Gretzky.
Vladislav Tretiak turned back 12 Canadian shots in the first period and, after Larionov answered Clark Gilles’ goal in the second, the rout was on. Canada managed only four third-period shots while the Soviets beat Mike Liut four times.
The loss prompted Canada to start thinking about fixing the way it played and managed the game.
2004: LECAVALIER TRIUMPHS
Vincent Lecavalier had just won a Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay, but he only made Canada’s team because Steve Yzerman was injured.
The lanky centre ended up as tournament MVP, scoring in overtime to beat the Czech Republic in the semifinals. He then helped a young Canadian squad top Finland 3-2 in a onegame final. It was the last top-level hockey for a while, as the NHL then locked out its players for the 200405 season.
1996: HULL CONTROVERSY
The United States had been a second-tier hockey power until it produced a golden generation in the 1980s and early 1990s with stars like Mike Modano, Pat LaFontaine and Brian Leetch.
They announced their arrival with a 5-3 win over Canada in round-robin play, then met Canada again in the best-of-three final. Canada won the opener 4-3 in OT, but goalie Mike Richter stood on his head in a 5-2 win in Game 2 in Montreal.
Canada led 2-1 in the deciding game before Brett Hull deflected Leetch’s point shot past Curtis Joseph to tie it in the third. It appeared Hull’s stick was too high, but it was reviewed and it counted. And Tony Amonte added the winner 43 seconds later in what would be another 5-2 U.S. win.
1976: ORR’S LAST HURRAH
Bobby Orr hobbled into the inaugural Canada Cup on bad knees and ended up playing brilliantly at both ends of the ice to earn tournament MVP honours.
Canada ended a six-year boycott of IIHF-sponsor events (Olympics and world championships) when the Canada Cup was formed to allow the best pros to face “amateurs” from the East Bloc.
However, it was not the mighty Soviets that would give the Canadians a scare, but Czechoslovakia, which stoned them 1-0 in round-robin play behind bearlike goalie Vladimir Dzurilla.
Canada blew him out 6-0 in Game 1 of the best-of-three final, but Dzurilla was a wall again in Game 2 until Bill Barber tied the game with four minutes left in the third and Darryl Sittler got him to bite on a fake and then scored from a short angle for the OT winner to claim the title.