Your top 5 favorite international games.

[canucksfan]

What are your favorite international games you like watching?

1.1972 Summit Series Game 8- I can watch this game over and over again. It's great hockey and a great comeback by the Canadians. The intensity is high. From Parise trying to take off the refs head to Gilbert and Mishakov's fight. The best moment however, is when Henderson scores the winning goal.

2.1987 Canada Cup Final Game 3- Best hockey I have ever seen. I haven't seen the 87 Canada cup games in a while. Like the game 8 of the 72 Summit Series, Canada comes back in this one also. Moreover, it's a late goal by Mario and Canada wins.

3.1987 Canada Cup Final Game 2- Unlike game 3, Canada didn't come back, they blew the lead late in the third period. However, again Mario scores but this time in double overtime.

4.2002 Winter Olympics Gold Medal game- Canada hadn't won an olympic gold medal in men's ice hockey for 50 years. Unlike Nagano, Canada had a terrible start to the Salt Lake olympics. They made to the finals however, and played the USA. It was a great game and what I will remember was the Canadian fans singing "Oh Canada" towards the end of the game.

5.2005 Gold Medal Game World Juniors- Canada just dominated the whole tournament. They only allowed one even strength goal the whole tournament. I started really watching the World Juniors in 1998 and since then Canada hadn't won a gold medal so seeing them win was kind of special. Canada just dominated the Russians. It wasn't a great game but I love to watch it.

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[Rather Gingerly 1*]

'76 Canada Cup - Sittler scores in overtime

 

[Chili]

1. New Year's Eve 1975 Red Army vs Habs

 

[Pepper]

USA-Canada '96 World Cup - that was greatness.

Finland - Sweden Nagano '98 - the longest 12 seconds in history of hockey, I went through like 5 strokes during those secs.

 

[octopi]

Hmmm...

The last few games of the 1998 Olympics(Could have used more goals, tho...but then again, Hasek was the stuff off legend)

The last few games of the 2002 Olympics(You go,Yzerman, Sakic!)

The 2005 WJHC pretty good, but a bit lopsided

I think Russia won in 2003, that was much closer and pretty good as well...

 

[Ludwig Fell Down]

What are your favorite international games you like watching?

1.1972 Summit Series Game 8- I can watch this game over and over again. It's great hockey and a great comeback by the Canadians. The intensity is high. From Parise trying to take off the refs head to Gilbert and Mishakov's fight. The best moment however, is when Henderson scores the winning goal.

2.1987 Canada Cup Final Game 3- Best hockey I have ever seen. I haven't seen the 87 Canada cup games in a while. Like the game 8 of the 72 Summit Series, Canada comes back in this one also. Moreover, it's a late goal by Mario and Canada wins.

3.1987 Canada Cup Final Game 2- Unlike game 3, Canada didn't come back, they blew the lead late in the third period. However, again Mario scores but this time in double overtime.

4.2002 Winter Olympics Gold Medal game- Canada hadn't won an olympic gold medal in men's ice hockey for 50 years. Unlike Nagano, Canada had a terrible start to the Salt Lake olympics. They made to the finals however, and played the USA. It was a great game and what I will remember was the Canadian fans singing "Oh Canada" towards the end of the game.

5.2005 Gold Medal Game World Juniors- Canada just dominated the whole tournament. They only allowed one even strength goal the whole tournament. I started really watching the World Juniors in 1998 and since then Canada hadn't won a gold medal so seeing them win was kind of special. Canada just dominated the Russians. It wasn't a great game but I love to watch it.

I like your list, but I would switch 2 and 3 (games 2 and 3 of the '87 Canada Cup. I thought Game 2 was a much better game, less clutching and grabbing than game 3.

 

[GameFace247SON]

1994 Gold Medal, Canada v. Sweden

This game is etched in my mind, if only for Peter Forsberg's shootout goal. One of my lasting childhood memories.

 

[John Flyers Fan]

Canada Cup 87 Finals - games 1, 2 & 3

World Cup of Hockey - semi-finals - Canada - Sweden

Miracle on Ice - 1980 - US-USSR

 

[Douggy]

- Canada/USA, World Cup 96
- Sweden/Belarus, Olympics 02 - I dont want to pick on the Swedes but I love a See-Saw battle and I love cheering for the underdog.

 

[Big Phil]

Canada/USA '96 World Cup. Game 3 had to have been the finest performance you'll ever see from a goalie. Richter earned that MVP. How Canada lost that game is something
Canada/USA '02 Olympics. This was revenge for '96. Even though we had beaten them in '98. Still it felt good to beat the USA on home ice.
Canada/Russia '84 Canada Cup semi final. Those Isles on that Canadian team still had some life in them
Canada/Russia '72 Summit Series Game 8. Pure tense game.
Canada/Russia '87 Canada Cup final Games 1, 2 and 3. Game 2 was perhaps the finest exhibtion of excitement you'll ever see in a game. If that was the last game I ever saw in my life then I'd tell God to take me now!

Canada/Russia '02 GOld Medal Game WJC, lotsa of goals in this game, I didnt like how it ended up though but still very exciting

Canada/Russia '05 WJC Gold Medal game, sure it was 6-1 but watching the best WJC team ever stomp the next best team was pure thrills for me. It didnt hurt that it was Russia, a pain in our neck for over 30 years

USA/Russia '80 Olympics. The Miracle on Ice game was a great game to watch when you look at the circumstances. Political and on the ice. There's never been a bigger upset in Hockey. How could you not love that Hockey story?

Canada/Czech '04 World Cup semi final. This game kept you on the edge of your seat. Who here in Canada wasnt scared to death from the tying goal on into OT? I know I was!

 

[God Bless Canada]

I've long maintained that Canada/USSR at the 1991 WJC in Saskatoon is vastly underrated. This was the last epic game between Canada and the USSR. (The USSR was split up a year later). The game had it all: great goaltending, great goals, physical play and a terrific finish. Slaney's goal is my all-time favourite WJC moment.

This was before the gold medal game, but this was a gold medal game. Winner wins gold. If Canada ties, they get bronze. If they lose, there was a chance they wouldn't medal at all on home ice.

If I had to pick 5, it would be:
1. Game 8, Canada/USSR, 1972.
2. Entire final from the 1987 Canada Cup.
3. Canada/USA, gold medal game, 2002.
4. Canada/USSR, WJC, 1991.
5. Canada/Sweden, World Cup semi-final, 1996.

 

[Bring Back Bucky]

My favorite game has to be the 84 Canada/USSR semi-final. Coffey breaking up the 2 on 1 and lugging the puck up the ice for the Bossy tip-in. I can still feel the excitement from that one...

 

[Oilers1*]

1. Canada-USA, World Cup '96- I still remember one of the CBC guys prefacing a question to Chelios between periods by saying, 'I think the zamboni only has to clean one side of the ice. . .' Canada was insanely dominant over the US for long stretches but Richter was simply astonishing. And those two teams were really starting to hate each other by that third game, too (IMO, International hockey has lost something by going with a one game final format lately); I remember Chelios literally throwing himself at Lindros, shift after shift. . .and how the two of them took off-setting minors and Lindros just jawed away at Chelios to the point where Chelly got up and had the box door half open before he thought better of it. Just a great moment that spoke to the intensity of the whole matchup. The only thing that series was missing was a happy ending (for me, anyways).

2. Canada-USA, Olympics '02- I was so tired of seeing Canada come up just short and some many things seemed to be pointing to a US victory. . .I think I had a minor heart attack when Amonte scored early in the first. But after so many struggles for Canada, watching them crank it up in the third and pull away for the Americans was more satisfying than a thousand dramatic victories.

3. Canada-Sweden, World Cup '96- I feel like this is the forgotten game in International Hockey. Some of the best hockey I've ever seen; a little bit of everything including a dramatic OT victory.

4. Canada-Czech Republic, World Cup '04- Much like the above game, an exciting, back-and-forth semi-final game ending in overtime.

5. Canada-Russia, World Juniors '05- Kinda like the 2002 Olympics. Canada had blown so many Gold Medal WJC games, it was unreal. I was kind of nervous that Malkin or Ovechkin was going to break loose and kill 'em, but Team Canada proved that, as a team, they were simply in another league.

 

[Peter25]

What about these games:

- 1981 Canada Cup final USSR - Canada

- 1979 Challence Cup

- 1987 Rendez Vous

 

[God Bless Canada]

Can someone please explain to me how the Canada's obliteration of Russia at this year's WJC was better than the Canada-USSR clash of 1991 in Saskatoon? Is it a reflection of the fact you haven't seen the game? Honestly, I'd rate Canada's losses to Russia in 1999 and 2002 as better games than the 2005 WJC gold medal exhibition.

1981 Canada Cup gold medal game was a blowout.

Challenge Cup and Rendez-Vous were all-star games. Need I say more?

1995 WJC game between Canada and the Czechs is considered by some to be the greatest game in tournament history.

Difference between the Canada-Sweden game in 1996 and the Canada-Czech game in 2004 is the 1996 game went longer, and there were so many great moments for both teams to score. That Canada-Sweden game is the best game from the two World Cups.

As much as I loathe games that end in a shootout, the 1994 World Championship final between Canada and Finland is one of my all-time favourites. (It's probably the only game with a shootout that I actually watch again).

 

[KariyaIsGod*]

I like your list, but I would switch 2 and 3 (games 2 and 3 of the '87 Canada Cup. I thought Game 2 was a much better game, less clutching and grabbing than game 3.

I whole heartedly agree.

Game 2 was the best hockey game I've ever watched at any level. Just outstanding.

 

[Wisent]

One of the most incredible games I saw was the quarterfinal of the 2003 world championships between Finland and Sweden.

 

[canucksfan]

Can someone please explain to me how the Canada's obliteration of Russia at this year's WJC was better than the Canada-USSR clash of 1991 in Saskatoon? Is it a reflection of the fact you haven't seen the game? Honestly, I'd rate Canada's losses to Russia in 1999 and 2002 as better games than the 2005 WJC gold medal exhibition.

I agree the 1991 game was a better game to watch. It was a great game. However, I like watching the 2005 game better than the 1991 game.One reason being I didn't see the 1991 game live, where the 2005 game I did. I have seen the 1991 game three times.The main reason I like the 2005 game is because I was so sick of Canada losing in the gold medal game. We finally got our revenge against the Russians for 99, 02 and 03.

 

[Injektilo]

I'm only gonna speak of the games i actually saw, so the 87 series won't be included even though I think it's probably the most exciting hockey i've ever seen...

Obviously, there is a Canadian bias here...

5. Canada-Slovakia 05 WHC - I listened to the first period in my car while driving around for work, and the caught the last two periods at my girlfriends house. An amazing back and forth game with a sweet penalty shot save and a game winning goal on a blast coming down the wing. Maybe it's just that I missed top-level hockey too much at that point, but this game made me miss the NHL more than anything else all season, coming right at the time the playoffs should have been in full swing. And the day after my birthday as I recall...

4. Canada-Russia 05 WJC - Not the closest game, but I include it because I watched the game at a bar with a bunch of friends and strangers, everyone wearing Team Canada paraphanelia and drinking lots of pitchers (while spilling them with every goal). I probably have fonder (if fuzzy) memories of the atmosphere than the actual game.

3. Canada-Czech Rep 04 World Cup - So many freaking heart attacks. Out played, but the hockey gods owed us after the 98 Olympics.

2.Canada-Sweden 94 Gold Medal game - I was still pretty young, but I remember convincing my parents to let me skip church to watch the game. My family had just returned from living overseas for four years, so I was still getting the hang of hockey again, but I followed that team for the whole two weeks. My first broken heart, I suppose.

1. Canada - US Gold Medal game 2002 - My favourite memory from my first year of university. Watching the game with 40 other people in the lounge of my dorm. Kicking over my giant slurpee everytime Canada scored. The feeling of relief as Iginla and Sakic scored in the third to put it away. And the the impromptu parades through the downtown, hanging out car windows with the flag. What else but hockey could bring a scenario like that about? What else but hockey could have at the very least 1/3 of the population (And it was probably well more than 1/3rd) doing exactly the same thing across the whole country?

 

[Fan.At]

Austria - Canada at the WC 04 in Prague. it ended in a 2-2 tie and I think i was 10 years older when i left the sazka arena after that game. very exciting matchup.

 

[Pepper]

One of the most incredible games I saw was the quarterfinal of the 2003 world championships between Finland and Sweden.

You're dreaming, that never happened.