The last ten years of best on best, which team has dominated?

[Mr Kanadensisk]

Here are some interesting numbers from the last four best on best tournaments (i.e. 96 World Cup, 98 Nagano, 2002 Salt Lake, 2004 World Cup)

If you combine the results from the round robin portions of those tournaments, here are the records of the top teams:

(W-L-T)

Swe (10-1-1)
Can (9-2-1)
Rus (8-3-1)
USA (8-4-0)
Fin (6-4-2)
Cze (4-7-1)
Svk (0-6-0)


Here are the combined playoff / medal game records:

(W-L)

Can (10-4)
USA (6-4)
Cze (4-2)
Rus (5-4)
Fin (4-4)
Svk (0-1)
Swe (0-4)


Top finishes:

Can 1st 2002 & 2004
Cze 1st 1998
USA 1st 1996
Rus 2nd 1998
Fin 2nd 2004
Swe 3rd 1996
Svk 7th or 8th 1996 / 2004

Click to read more...

 

[Slitty]

World Cup is hardly best on best, especially when it comes to Russia, but so aren't the Olympics. Hm... well at least the World Cup is a lot less best on best than the Olympics.

Heh, just do a purely Olympic thing as well please

 

[Jazz]

World Cup is hardly best on best, especially when it comes to Russia, but so aren't the Olympics. Hm... well at least the World Cup is a lot less best on best than the Olympics.

Heh, just do a purely Olympic thing as well please

Excuse me?

 

[Viflux]

Maybe he's confusing the World Cup with the World Championships?

 

[Big Phil]

Canada has been the best team in the past ten years by far. Sure Sweden can get a perfect record in the round robin but it means nothing if you cant beat Belarus. Canada is almost always a favourite. Some cases clear cut, like in '04 or '06. Only once in the history of the best on best tourny's has Canada never made it to the finals '98, and only two more times have they never won '81 and '96

 

[Viflux]

I don't know if we're "clear cut" favorites in '06

Sweden finally has a good goalie, and the Russians have a downright scary lineup up front.

But I'll agree, Canada has been the most dominant. The pre-tournament favorites have typically been Canada and (1 of Sweden, USA, Czech...seems to be a different one each tournament), and then the experts always toss in the fact that you can never count out the Russians.