International hockey rivalries

[Bure80]

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[Zub]

1.Sweden
2.Russia

 

[Melkor]

For Slovakia, It's surely the Czech Republic and Hungary. In any sport.

What's with the Hungary thing though? Is there any history?

 

[aphyro]

I have Sweden as our Top rival. If we beat them we celebrate, if we loose its heartbreaking. We were the underdog for a long time in this rivalrry, but nowadays we actually win quite evenly.
Russia is the other. I thnk we actually have more hatred against Russia, but want to win Sweden more badly. If were out I actually can root for Sweden - I never root for Russia.

Same here i pick Finland as my number 1 rival but thats just a brotherly rivalrry! we have shared many wars thru history! And i allways cheers for Finland to win if Sweden can't! the gold should allways come home to the north !

as my number 2 pick I would say Canada! I had a long hatered towards Canada when i grew up... cuz when we played against them somone in our team allways got injuried... and on top of that we lost to many games... but at recent years! there havent been that many injuried Swedish players against Canada... and therefore my hatred towards them have been coming down now i just wanna give them a good beating for all the loses i had to endure as a sore loser kid.

 

[Mildan]

As a Finn there are different kind of rivalries in my mind. Biggest enjoyment comes from beating Sweden, biggest accomplishment is beating Canada and biggest necessity is beating Russia. I don't have nationalistic feelings outside of hockey and I love individual people from all of these countries and wish them all the best.

 

[waitin425]

For Canada....

1. Russia - obviously. This is our historic rival

2. USA - I really hate losing to the Americans, more so than the Russians.

3. Switzerland - we had a run there where the Swiss always played us super close. Even beating us I think the year we finished 8th in the WJHC. Ill put the Swiss third, only for that reason.

 

[AppalachianFinn13]

All of them. I Hate them all with a passion of octillion white hot burning suns.

 

[vil]

For Czechs,

1. Russia - all we really care about is beating Russia. We taught them to play and then they conspired to put all our best players in jail for long years. Later occupied our country outright.

2. Canada - they taught us to play, always nice to beat your teacher.

3. USA - they lost to Canada 12:3 in 1948 to give them the cup on goal difference by two goals. Also they beat us in QF many times recently.

4. Slovakia - we pretend not to care but losing to Slovakia is bad.

5. Germany - not really an ice-hockey rivalry, some czech ancestry players there (also in Austrian team), losing to them would be bad form.

My favourite foreign teams to cheer for are Finland and Slovakia.

 

[NyQuil]

For Czechs,

1. Russia - all we really care about is beating Russia. We taught them to play and then they conspired to put all our best players in jail for long years. Later occupied our country outright.

I'm sure @Atas2000 has a perfectly good explanation for this.

 

[Albatros]

What's with the Hungary thing though? Is there any history?

Slovakia used to be a part of Hungary and related disagreements about various issues still remain commonplace. Similar with Hungary's other neighbors really. On the other hand they have very friendly relations with Poland and Polish fans even in hockey.

 

[Atas2000]

I'm sure @Atas2000 has a perfectly good explanation for this.

People with an average IQ aren't propaganda victims and know history. Believing western propaganda lies can really make your life difficult.

Anyway. We don't care much about the stupid. We care about Czechs. And I do find this thread hilarious. Sports is about winning every game. Not about politics or rivalries.

 

[Lambo]

For Canada the main historical rivalry has always been against Russia, and the former USSR.

The two most decorated national teams by a large margin. Countless gold medal finals against one another.

The stats speak for themselves.

Canada
9 Olympic Gold
26 IIHF World Championship Gold
18 IIHF World Junior Gold
6 Canada Cup/World Cup of Hockey Gold

Russia
8 Olympic Gold (7 USSR, 1 Olympic athletes from Russia)
27 IIHF World Championship Gold (5 Russia, 22 USSR)
13 IIHF World Junior Gold (4 Russia, 8 USSR, 1 Commonwealth independent states former USSR)
1 Canada Cup/World Cup of Hockey Gold

So yea...historically and still on a tier all to their own, Canada vs Russia. Hockey's greatest rivalry.

Yeah but the canadian titles before WWII particular in 20s are ridicolous. This wasn t a real competition. Russia/USSR won the titles in times where hockey evolved to a competetitive sport.

 

[Avelanche]

As a younger American I really only see Canada as a rival. They are the best and border us. Plus if you played higher level youth hockey in America you almost certainly played Canadian teams in tournaments that were the team to beat.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Finland Russia is underrated in terms of rivalries

 

[Bijelo]

For Italy:

1. France
2. Sweden
3. Spain
4. USA

 

[Bijelo]

For Finland:

1. Germany
2. Slovakia
3. Norway
4. Russia

 

[Czechboy]

The Czech vs Canada world jrs rivalry is getting good.

Gold medal game to OT with Canada winning
Next year the Czechs eliminated Canada in quarter.
Once we win it on Ottawa next year people will see it more clearly.lol

 

[Albatros]

Finland Russia is underrated in terms of rivalries

Finland barely has a rivalry even with Sweden anymore, beyond that there's nothing. Rivalries in European international hockey are almost nonexistent.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Finland barely has a rivalry even with Sweden anymore, beyond that there's nothing. Rivalries in European international hockey are almost nonexistent.

Finns hate Russia, or so I'm told

 

[Albatros]

Finns hate Russia, or so I'm told

Usually rivalries have nothing to do with that. Most Canadian hockey fans don't hate the United States and certainly Finns don't hate Sweden. With Russia the relationship is that there's no relationship, no one wants to play against them.

 

[Bijelo]

Finns hate Russia, or so I'm told

Mix hate and like.

 

[MrazeksVengeance]

Usually rivalries have nothing to do with that. Most Canadian hockey fans don't hate the United States and certainly Finns don't hate Sweden. With Russia the relationship is that there's no relationship, no one wants to play against them.

If they ever come back I want them to lose. Everything. Like straight up miss quarterfinals.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

USA-Sweden has been getting big.

 

[Lartsaman]

We used to have a good one with Russia....

 

[Lambo]

For Finland:

1. Germany
2. Slovakia
3. Norway
4. Russia

It s a joke?