1996 World Cup Documentary
- Thread starter jghockey
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Big Phil
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- Nov 2, 2003
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No, but I'd like to see it. It's been 22 years, I have gotten over that loss and recognize it now as some insanely entertaining hockey that I wish would be played in international tournaments with that sort of passion nowadays.
Pominville Knows
Registered User
This was the tournament that really got me hooked on hockey. Big Phil is fully correct in that it was some great hockey being played, not just by USA and yes Canada, but Sweden, Finland, i think Russia to some extent, Slovakia was not discriminated against like in the following Olympics, and Germany beat the Czechs with like 7-1. Good stuff!
NHL Network aired it again a few days ago. Definitely a fun look back. At least for me, there was a little bit more intensity/hatred than there were in subsequent Olympic/WC tournaments.
Off the top of my head, the following were used as talking heads: Lou Lamoriello (GM), Ron Wilson (coach), Tony Amonte, Brett Hull, Bill Guerin, Mike Richter, Keith Tkachuk, Doug Weight, Eric Lindros, Theo Fleury. Probably forgot a few others.
Various guys talked about the 1980 Miracle team being an influence. Amonte told a story about Ron Wilson hyping up the team before the deciding game by trying to draw parallels between this team and the 1980 team. Amonte jokingly asked "Can I be Mike Eruzione?" Wilson replied with "Well, you're both ugly, Italian, and went to BU. So why not?"
Off the top of my head, the following were used as talking heads: Lou Lamoriello (GM), Ron Wilson (coach), Tony Amonte, Brett Hull, Bill Guerin, Mike Richter, Keith Tkachuk, Doug Weight, Eric Lindros, Theo Fleury. Probably forgot a few others.
Various guys talked about the 1980 Miracle team being an influence. Amonte told a story about Ron Wilson hyping up the team before the deciding game by trying to draw parallels between this team and the 1980 team. Amonte jokingly asked "Can I be Mike Eruzione?" Wilson replied with "Well, you're both ugly, Italian, and went to BU. So why not?"
As USA fan it might be a bigger victory than 1980 just because we finally had our best out there and we beat the best. However we lucked out in a way by Canada not having Lemieux,McInnis, Bourque, and Kairiya.
Nathaniel Skywalker
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- Oct 18, 2013
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If Lemieux was there would have been a different story for Canada. Twice while Lemieux was the best player in the world 91, 96 he didn’t participate in the Canada cup.
NyQuil
Big F$&*in Q
I don't like to use injury absences as an excuse when it comes to a tournament that is not systematically set up to exclude professionals (e.g. World Championships, Olympics up until 1998).
We had our best there and it should have been enough.
You can play "what-if" scenarios about missing guys but ultimately we had a roster that was good enough to win and they choked in the end.
Vanzig
Registered User
The World Cup 1996 was a downer for TEAM CANADA fans, Had Bourque and Lemieux decided to play (and both were injury free) and decided to turn their back on Team Canada It would have been Team Canada most likely to come out on top, but Team USA played awesome and RICHTER was Hot. It boiled some Canadians when they saw a Photo of BOURQUE and LEMIEUX playing Golf while the guy’s who love to play for their Country for Free was trying to Win the Gold.
On a side note it was also a bit controversial when MESSIER said he found it hard to play against his NY Ranger Teammates in the Tournament which might have led to his non participation in the 1998 Olympics.
Never less it helped the AMERICAN’s and other than the high stick Goal by HULKL it was a great series.
On a side note it was also a bit controversial when MESSIER said he found it hard to play against his NY Ranger Teammates in the Tournament which might have led to his non participation in the 1998 Olympics.
Never less it helped the AMERICAN’s and other than the high stick Goal by HULKL it was a great series.
It only LOOKS like a high stick until you realize the little known fact that Brett was 4 and a half feet tall.
The Panther
Registered User
Team Canada did kinda choke there. The final game was a toss-up, but some poor coaching by Sather (why was he there to begin with?) and some timely plays by Hull and others made the US deservedly win.
Yeah, Bourque and Lemieux... I mean, Bourque was starting to get up there and Mario had had injuries and so on... It struck me as odd that Mario wasn't arsed in 1996 but then he was so eager in 2002.
Anyway, full marks to the US for that win.
Yeah, Bourque and Lemieux... I mean, Bourque was starting to get up there and Mario had had injuries and so on... It struck me as odd that Mario wasn't arsed in 1996 but then he was so eager in 2002.
Anyway, full marks to the US for that win.
Vanzig
Registered User
Totally, Just like RUSSIA in 1981 the Team USA of 1996 deserved to Win.
I agree with your points on SATHGER being the Coach and as always some of the Picks were wrong (as always with Team Canada). Plus Sather putting “Damphousse & Linden” on Gretzky’s Line was a Joke.
Team Canada did Not Play their Best & we’re Flat in Game #2 & #3
It should have been a better Team and a Better Line Combination.
Gretzky - Lindros - Fleury
Brind’Amour - Sakic - Messier
Primeau - Yzerman - Shanahan
C. Lemieux - Linden - Verbeek
The Panther
Registered User
This does look better, although I think Verbeek (if he must be on the team) should play with Messier, as they had amazing chemistry during 1995-96.
I would have liked to see Gretzky play with Yzerman and Shanahan.
JackSlater
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- Apr 27, 2010
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Canada played well for most of game 3, in fact I would say that it was Canada's best game against USA and probably the only game that they outplayed USA. It just didn't go Canada's way in that game.
The last time international hockey was fun to watch even if we lost. With the exception of the 02 gold match.
Didn't even watch the recent world cup, micky mouse tournament.
Didn't even watch the recent world cup, micky mouse tournament.
Pominville Knows
Registered User
A whole lot of smothering going on nowadays! Canada has more or less perfected the game, to everyones including their own's chagrain.
Vanzig
Registered User
Ya i know what u mean about VERBEEK with MESSIER,
Gretzky did play with Shanahan and Yzerman in 1998 Olympics for a Game or so on the Third Line but on the Big Open Ice they didn’t gel as some would think (or they didn’t play long enough in the tournament)
I mean Crawford put Gretzky as the 13th Forward (not even on ANY of the 4 Line) some Games and of course didn’t allow us to see the Greatest Player Ever and All Time Leading Goal/Assists/Point Scorer a chance at Hasek (even though he always played for Team Canada in the Big Boy Tournaments).
I still HATE Crawford for that. But USA played great.
This also reminds me how tough tournaments are to predict. Pretty much the same US roster would go 1-3 in the Nagano Olympics 15 months later.
Was goaltending considered a shaky spot for Team Canada throughout the tourney? Cujo had not yet reached his prime and there were a LOT of other options.
Pominville Knows
Registered User
Unfortunately it does not seem to have been that many options on that roster, but Joseph had most certainly reached at least his prime with a couple of high award placings by then even though the season just before was not one of them. But besides all that, a 2.31 GAA does not seem too bad in a tournament i remember as fairly offensive minded. Canada's semi against Sweden was spectacular.
Ace Card Bedard
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TheGoldenJet
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Yep, also Russsia missing Bure, Zhamnov, Malakhov, Konstantinov, Mironov, and Zubov.
Big Phil
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You would. Especially Game 3. I don't know if you could find a game where a goalie played better. With the stakes as high as they were and Canada was just flying that game, peppering Richter with shots and a ton of high quality ones too. Lots of jaw dropping saves too. Yzerman got robbed blind in the 1st period but the biggest one was Damphousse on a breakaway in the 2nd period. He makes a move where Ricther basically has to turn into a pretzel to save it and he does.
Unreal performance and time has healed a lot of wounds since then for me where I can look at it with a more objective lens.
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