WarriorofTime
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What was every country’s best WJC team?
- Thread starter WarriorofTime
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TheBeastCoast
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Czech's probably the 2000 team I would imagine. I think the best Swedish team is the 93 team with Forsberg and Naslund, even though they didn't win the tournament lol that team was nuts. Teams that won it is probably 2012 for them though.
Amazing to think that after nearly half a century of competing in this tournament as one of just a handful of top tier teams, that Sweden has just two single gold medals to their credit. I am in agreement that their '93 Forsberg-led team was probably their best, despite not winning the gold. I'm sure there's an argument to be made that their defense and goaltending were not up to par, but that firepower was overwhelming.
WarriorofTime
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It's odd that basically all their top scorers from 2012 never really made it to the NHL.
Interesting. That 1992 birth year wasn't great for Sweden, though they were missing Landeskog, who had been on the team the previous year. Most of the guys that made the NHL came from the 93's and 94's.
Yozhik v tumane
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I don’t know that it was their best roster pound for pound, but Switzerland was carried to bronze once on the back of David Aebischer.
I’m looking at Swedish rosters… Wasn’t aware that Hedman and Karlsson played together on the 2009 team. Also had Markström in net, but the forwards weren’t great, Backlund and Pääjärvi being the most notable. Lost 5-1 in the finals against a Team Canada led by Tavares, Eberle and Subban.
It gets pretty explainable from afar just looking at rosters how come Sweden’s struggled to win gold medals, considering they’ve rarely had their elite talent emerge simultaneously. Lundqvist backstopped two horrid rosters at least as far as NHL talent goes.
The 2000 team with the Sedin show is an exciting roster also featuring Zetterberg and Kronwall, that failed to medal. For goaltending they had a forgettable tandem of a guy who fizzled out by his mid-20s and a Hockeyallsvenskan starter.
The WJCs are weird. I guess the 1981 gold medalists look well rounded, with the Sundström twins, Jan Erixon, Tomas Jonsson, top scoring defenseman Håkan Nordin etc, but it’s hard not to pick the Näslund - Forsberg - Sundström line of 1993 on its own for the best Team Sweden team of all time.
I’m looking at Swedish rosters… Wasn’t aware that Hedman and Karlsson played together on the 2009 team. Also had Markström in net, but the forwards weren’t great, Backlund and Pääjärvi being the most notable. Lost 5-1 in the finals against a Team Canada led by Tavares, Eberle and Subban.
It gets pretty explainable from afar just looking at rosters how come Sweden’s struggled to win gold medals, considering they’ve rarely had their elite talent emerge simultaneously. Lundqvist backstopped two horrid rosters at least as far as NHL talent goes.
The 2000 team with the Sedin show is an exciting roster also featuring Zetterberg and Kronwall, that failed to medal. For goaltending they had a forgettable tandem of a guy who fizzled out by his mid-20s and a Hockeyallsvenskan starter.
The WJCs are weird. I guess the 1981 gold medalists look well rounded, with the Sundström twins, Jan Erixon, Tomas Jonsson, top scoring defenseman Håkan Nordin etc, but it’s hard not to pick the Näslund - Forsberg - Sundström line of 1993 on its own for the best Team Sweden team of all time.
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karhukissa
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2016 Finland was amazing indeed. Aho, Rantanen and Hintz being the best ones, then guys like Laine, Kapanen, Mikkola and Kähkönen. Puljujärvi and Juolevi were all-stars in that tournament but then busted.
There's one single player from that team who isn't playing professional hockey today, most of the guys outside NHL are playing big roles in Europe.
There's one single player from that team who isn't playing professional hockey today, most of the guys outside NHL are playing big roles in Europe.
Yozhik v tumane
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Absolutely mental crop of talent on that Team Finland roster indeed.
Team Canada
Defensemen: Cam Barker, Shawn Belle, Braydon Cobourn, Dion Phaneuf, Brent Seabrook, Danny Syvret, Shea Weber
Goalies: Jeff Glass, Réjean Beauchemin
Head Coach: Brent Sutter
Not too shabby!!
2005 Roster
Forwards: Patrice Bergeron, Jeff Carter, Jeremy Colliton, Sidney Crosby, Nigel Dawes, Stephen Dixon, Colin Fraser, Ryan Getzlaf, Andrew Ladd, Clarke MacArthur, Corey Perry, Mike Richards, Anthony StewartDefensemen: Cam Barker, Shawn Belle, Braydon Cobourn, Dion Phaneuf, Brent Seabrook, Danny Syvret, Shea Weber
Goalies: Jeff Glass, Réjean Beauchemin
Head Coach: Brent Sutter
Not too shabby!!
alko
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Is this the best Slovakia team ever? I dont think so.
But we should consider 2 scenarios:
- best team possible at current time
- best team in regard of their whole careers
Good example is Czech gold team. Lets take for example Team from 1999/2000.
At first look, how many players do you know?
From my point:
Havlat, Irgl, Kraft, Vašíček, Kutlak litle bid. Thats it. Only Havlat had very good NHL career. Tehre are some senior WCH Gold or medal winners, but not many. Im sure, we could find better team, when we compare their whole careers.
But this team won Gold!
But we should consider 2 scenarios:
- best team possible at current time
- best team in regard of their whole careers
Good example is Czech gold team. Lets take for example Team from 1999/2000.
At first look, how many players do you know?
From my point:
Havlat, Irgl, Kraft, Vašíček, Kutlak litle bid. Thats it. Only Havlat had very good NHL career. Tehre are some senior WCH Gold or medal winners, but not many. Im sure, we could find better team, when we compare their whole careers.
But this team won Gold!
CanuckistanFlyerfan
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I could have played goal on that team and they'd win gold. And I can't play goal.
JackSlater
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Canada - 2005, obvious.
Russia/USSR - Hard to say, maybe 1989 or even 1978. Both teams were the class of their tournament, both had great top end talent with Makarov/Fetisov and Fedorov/Bure/Mogilny.
Sweden - 1993. Mostly a one line team, though Jonsson was a quality defenceman, but probably the tournament's best ever line. Otherwise Sweden has loads of very good but not great teams.
USA - Probably 2013 despite some early stumbles. Dominant in the big games. USA 2017 would easily be best with everyone available.
Czechs/Slovaks - 1990. I know that the Czechs won consecutive tournaments a decade later but the early 2000s was a bigtime lull for the tournament and sample sizes are so small in this tournament. 1990 Czechs were way more talented. The early 2000 Czech teams were very smart though. The strength of the early 1990s Czech teams was shown later on at the 1998 Olympics.
Finland - This was the toughest, as I'm not sure Finland has ever had a particularly great team at this tournament. I'll go 2016 based on talent available.
Russia/USSR - Hard to say, maybe 1989 or even 1978. Both teams were the class of their tournament, both had great top end talent with Makarov/Fetisov and Fedorov/Bure/Mogilny.
Sweden - 1993. Mostly a one line team, though Jonsson was a quality defenceman, but probably the tournament's best ever line. Otherwise Sweden has loads of very good but not great teams.
USA - Probably 2013 despite some early stumbles. Dominant in the big games. USA 2017 would easily be best with everyone available.
Czechs/Slovaks - 1990. I know that the Czechs won consecutive tournaments a decade later but the early 2000s was a bigtime lull for the tournament and sample sizes are so small in this tournament. 1990 Czechs were way more talented. The early 2000 Czech teams were very smart though. The strength of the early 1990s Czech teams was shown later on at the 1998 Olympics.
Finland - This was the toughest, as I'm not sure Finland has ever had a particularly great team at this tournament. I'll go 2016 based on talent available.
The Blue Baron
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This was the top Team Canada with Goaltending being the only kinda weakness. Skater roster was absolutely loaded like no other!!
Cheers
Yozhik v tumane
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Fjorden
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For Norway. This years team 2024 is by good margin the best ever. It has the top-end talent like Brandsegg Nygård and Stian Solberg. Adequate depth with many players in canadian, Swedish and american jr.league/college league, and a couple of players in men's league EHL in Norway and Hockeyallsvenskan in Sweden.
2006 with 86/87 generation was also good by norwegian standards with Mats Zuccarello later in NHL and guys like Mathis Olimb, Jonas Holøs and Lars Haugen that played in KHL. But the depth wasn't very good compared to the 2024 roster.
Always exciting seeing nations rise. I've always wanted to see Norway do well. We need the Scandinavian nations all being power houses of hockey!
Breakers
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Fjorden
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I think we have a fluke year though. The 2004 generation is unique, the same group that got us promoted to the u18 top division, and the u20 top division.
For Switzerland: On paper its probably the 2015 team. Meier, Fiala, Malgin, Pius Suter, Siegenthaler, and Mirco Müller all became NHL regulars or even stars at some point of their careers. Their performance was pretty lackluster for the talent level though as they lost to Denmark.
If you measure it by performance on the ice I'd say its either the 2010 edition (featuring Josi, Sbisa, Niederreiter) or the 2017 team (led by Hischier and Siegenthaler).
I am not old enough to remember the 1998 team but I wouldn't put it at the same level as the three teams mentioned before just based on what the roster looks like. There are a few NLA notables on it but only Aebischer and maybe Riesen were truly outstanding players. They must have been hard carried by the former to make it that far.
If you measure it by performance on the ice I'd say its either the 2010 edition (featuring Josi, Sbisa, Niederreiter) or the 2017 team (led by Hischier and Siegenthaler).
I am not old enough to remember the 1998 team but I wouldn't put it at the same level as the three teams mentioned before just based on what the roster looks like. There are a few NLA notables on it but only Aebischer and maybe Riesen were truly outstanding players. They must have been hard carried by the former to make it that far.
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- Sep 29, 2016
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The 2015 team had very poor goaltending. The SIHF is traditionally too hesitant to select double underager goalies. Van Pottelberghe would have been a better option.
We see it with the current team as well. Doesn't get much worse than Grüter or Beglieri...still the SIHF didn't select a single one of the fantastic 06 goalie prospect. According to the list the SIHF published they wouldn't even be emergency opions. That's friggen Metzger. And if, for some reason, we need two goalies they'd most certainly call Loris Uberti
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Staniowski
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Yes, and it's likely their best-ever team would've been the following year, 1991, when Jagr, Reichel, Holik, and Nedved were in the NHL, and Palffy, Rucinsky, Slegr, Stumpel, and Straka were on the team. That would be a powerful team if everybody eligible was there.
NordiquesForeva
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For Canada, I'd rank them as:
1. 2005
2. 2015
3. 1995
If the trend holds, we should have a great team in Ottawa in 2025!
1. 2005
2. 2015
3. 1995
If the trend holds, we should have a great team in Ottawa in 2025!
Mathieukferland
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If 2022 isn’t cancelled I would have them right near the top. They beat a full strength Finland in the summer with 3 guys in the NHL and 9 players missing from the winter, the depth of that age group was insane
