Best national team ever

[VMBM]

Some basic information about the candidates I chose (presented in chronological order):

1972 Team Canada

Best wins: vs. USSR 4-1, 4-3, 6-5
Key players: Phil Esposito, Paul Henderson, Brad Park, Bobby Clarke, Yvan Cournoyer, Serge Savard...

1976 Team Canada

Best wins: vs. USSR 3-1, vs. CSSR 6-0, 5-4 OT
Key players: Rogatien Vachon, Bobby Orr, Denis Potvin, Gil Perreault, Bobby Hull, Darryl Sittler...

1979 Soviets

Best wins: vs. NHL All Stars 5-4, 6-0; vs. CSSR 11-1
Key players: Vladislav Tretiak, Mikhailov-Petrov-Kharlamov, Valeri Vasiliev, Helmut Balderis, Sergei Kapustin, Sergei Makarov...

1981 Soviets

Best wins: vs. Sweden 13-1; vs. CSSR 4-1 ('81 CC SF); vs. Team Canada 8-1
Key players: Vladislav Tretiak, KLM + Fetisov & Kasatonov, Shalimov-Shepelev-Kapustin, Alexander Maltsev...

1987 Team Canada

Best wins: vs. CSSR 5-3; vs. USSR 6-5 OT, 6-5
Key players: Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Grant Fuhr, Mark Messier, Ray Bourque, Paul Coffey...

1991 Team Canada

Best wins: vs. Sweden 4-0; vs. USA 4-1, 4-2
Key players: Bill Ranford, Wayne Gretzky, Steve Larmer, Al McInnis, Mark Messier, Paul Coffey...

1998 Czechs

Best wins: vs. USA 4-1; vs. Canada 2-1; vs. Russia 1-0
Key players: Dominik Hasek...

2002 Team Canada

Best wins: vs. Finland 2-1; vs. Belarus 7-1; vs. USA 5-2
Key players: Martin Brodeur, Mario Lemieux, Steve Yzerman, Paul Kariya, Joe Sakic...

My own choice is the 1979 Soviets. Vote & discuss!

Click to read more...

 

[Canadiens Fan]

1976 Team Canada was in, my mind the greatest team ever assembled. Wouldn't it be quite the dream match to have seen them and the 1979 Russian National Team face off ??

 

[Sergei Makarov]

Team Canada' 87 was a joke. Without the referees, that team wouldn never have reached the final of the Canada Cup. Most overrated team ever.

The best team of all time was any soviet team from 1981-1990. Period.

 

[VMBM]

1976 Team Canada was in, my mind the greatest team ever assembled. Wouldn't it be quite the dream match to have seen them and the 1979 Russian National Team face off ??

I would have even settled for seeing that Team Canada face a Soviet team that had Mikhailov, Petrov, Kharlamov, Shadrin and Yakushev (Kharlamov was the only one who had a legimate reason for missing the tournament). Even though USSR were not on great form in 1976-77 (in fact, they might still have missed the finals), it would have given the tournament more notoriety/star power, no question.

Hell, I'd love to have seen a Czechoslovak team that had great goal-tending [in the finals]. Well, Dzurilla did play well in the 2nd final, but the damage was (sort of) already done.

 

[Merya]

1972 USSR summit team should be part of the choices, since which was the better team is a toss up.
I'd also like to nominate 2006 Finnish Olympics team as a semi-serious candidate, just for the TEAM aspect. (not collection of individuals)

 

[Hawkey Town 18]

1972 USSR summit team should be part of the choices, since which was the better team is a toss up.
I'd also like to nominate 2006 Finnish Olympics team as a semi-serious candidate, just for the TEAM aspect. (not collection of individuals)

It does seem to me that the Finn always have great chemistry and team play (at least since the NHLers started playing in the Olympics), unlike some of the other countries that have had difficulty getting great individuals to play well together. I'm not saying I would include them on this list, just a general observation. Anyone have any knowledge or theories as to why this is?

 

[VMBM]

1972 USSR summit team should be part of the choices, since which was the better team is a toss up.
I'd also like to nominate 2006 Finnish Olympics team as a semi-serious candidate, just for the TEAM aspect. (not collection of individuals)

I just put the 1972 Team Canada there, because they won the most legendary [international] hockey series ever. Personally, I think that just about any later Canadian team [that played in Canada Cups etc.] is better than them.

I also think that later Soviet teams (1978-83 in particular; 1 bad showing isn't gonna change that) were way better than the 1972 team. Especially their defensive play improved hugely (their defense in the early '70s was basically, "let Tretiak take care of business").

Finland was easily the most consistent team in the 2006 tournament, but unfortunately they played probably their worst game in the final, and Sweden were deserving winners (in that game). Somehow I have quite a bitter taste in my mouth when thinking about the 2006 Winter Olympics and the whole athmosphere there, as far as hockey is concerned. Luckily Canada, unlike Italy, is a true hockey country... I haven't been this excited about international hockey for a long time!

 

[PlagerBros*]

How can you compare the Soviet teams to the Canadian ones? On one hand you have an all-star team that pretty much played and trained together 11 months of the year and on the other you have an all-star team that was together for a month, at most.

 

[Oilers1*]

Team Canada' 87 was a joke. Without the referees, that team wouldn never have reached the final of the Canada Cup. Most overrated team ever.

The best team of all time was any soviet team from 1981-1990. Period.

Based on what, exactly?

There were two best-on-best tournaments during that period and they went one-for-one (your typical Russian whining aside). And then they got crushed in '91 (convenient cut-off point, btw).

 

[Vladsky]

Based on what, exactly?

There were two best-on-best tournaments during that period and they went one-for-one (your typical Russian whining aside). And then they got crushed in '91 (convenient cut-off point, btw).

1981 - Soviets crush Canada
1984 - Canada edges Soviets
1987 - Don Koharski
1981 - Soviets send in second squad.

 

[Vladsky]

My choice would be any Soviet lineup between 1978 and 1985. Era of total Soviet domination (minus the Miracle on Ice, of course).

 

[VMBM]

How can you compare the Soviet teams to the Canadian ones? On one hand you have an all-star team that pretty much played and trained together 11 months of the year and on the other you have an all-star team that was together for a month, at most.

Your point is...?

I mean, there seem to be a lot of people, who think that some of those "teams that were together for a month, at most" were still better than the best Soviet teams... not my opinion, but there you go.

And don't forget that Canada ever so often had the advantage of home-ice and NHL refs/reffing. There was no 'Soviet Cup' but rather this thing called 'Canada Cup' - if I remember correctly.

 

[alexanderovechkin8]

1987

 

[FinnGoalie]

It does seem to me that the Finn always have great chemistry and team play (at least since the NHLers started playing in the Olympics), unlike some of the other countries that have had difficulty getting great individuals to play well together. I'm not saying I would include them on this list, just a general observation. Anyone have any knowledge or theories as to why this is?

In the best of the best tournaments, Finns never match other top teams with four 1st lines, but that may very well be the "secret".
Quite many posters stated in the Olympics forum that when you actually look at the Finnish roster, it's constructed like normal NHL team, not an all star team. You don't find 90pt NHL player from the Finnish roster playing in 4th line for 7mins/game. Because of the limited depth, Finns actually are forced to pick fitting role players.

This year, Jussi Jokinen's absence was hard to swallow for Finnish fans, but it was "team first" and he simply didn't have a fitting role.

Well, as far as theories go, it's all based on Finnish culture and character. Traditionally, the team always comes before individuals. Actually, deep down, Finnish culture secretly even loathes individualistic approach (might sound a bit harsh..).

Without trying to sound patriotic or anything, but the Winter War (WW2) against Russia resembles the Finnish determination and devotion for the "greater good", at least in many Finn's minds. (you might need to check some details from history to elaborate)


As for the person who brought up Finns here though, best teams win something and Finns haven't done that. And winning matters and is remembered.

 

[Psycho Papa Joe]

Best assembly of talent I've seen - 1976 Team Canada

Best play as a team I've seen - 1981 CCCP

I got to go with the 81 team, because if you could magically have a game between them and the 76 team, I think the 81 team wins due to superior chemistry.

1987's Team Canada had Mario and Wayne at their best, but that defense leaves alot to be desired.

 

[Oilers1*]

1981 - Soviets crush Canada
1984 - Canada edges Soviets
1987 - Don Koharski
1981 - Soviets send in second squad.

lol, so the Soviets got 1-4 in that period against the best competition and manage to lose to a bunch of American college players and they were the best international team ever???

I shouldn't be responding to this. You are obviously trolling because no one could be that stupid.

 

[Big Phil]

1981 - Soviets crush Canada
1984 - Canada edges Soviets
1987 - Don Koharski
1981 - Soviets send in second squad.

Someone always seems to bring up the refereeing in 1987. Look, watch all three games. There is diving going on, not only on the Russian side either but the Canadian side. At the end of the day if you take all three games in that series you will see that the powerplays are virtually even. Calls went against both sides in Game 3 as well. One player that never gets his due in this tournament is Fuhr. Without his heroics in Game 2 overtime there is no 3rd game.

But I will just end with this. The Soviets were a great team. A dangerous team. And a fun team to watch. That whole tournament was epic and the best hockey I have ever seen. But a Canadian team that is doused with Gretzky, Lemieux, Messier, Hawerchuk, Gilmour, Gartner, Goulet, Propp, Anderson, Coffey, Bourque, Murphy and Fuhr does NOT need help from the officiating.

 

[Big Phil]

My pick is the 1976 Canadians. Too much talent on that team and a wealth of players in their primes. Plus that defense is stacked.

 

[Blades of Glory]

I know you already know this, but the 1998 Czechs?

 

[Zine]

Best team on paper - 1976 Canada

Best team based on performance - 1979 CCCP

 

[Dark Shadows]

My pick is the 1976 Canadians. Too much talent on that team and a wealth of players in their primes. Plus that defense is stacked.

This is my choice as well.

 

[SCORE4]

1976

Team Canada 1976 .... The DEFENCE .... Orr, Potvin, Robinson, Lapointe, Savard .... not to mention Park had he been available .... No contest ....

 

[PlagerBros*]

Your point is...?

I mean, there seem to be a lot of people, who think that some of those "teams that were together for a month, at most" were still better than the best Soviet teams... not my opinion, but there you go.

And don't forget that Canada ever so often had the advantage of home-ice and NHL refs/reffing. There was no 'Soviet Cup' but rather this thing called 'Canada Cup' - if I remember correctly.

My point is pretty obvious since I posted it directly.

So what if people claim the Canadian teams were better? It has nothing to do with my point.

Do you honestly think playing in another country trumps being a team for 11 months out of the year? That is asinine and you know it.

 

[finchster]

1981 - Soviets crush Canada
1984 - Canada edges Soviets
1987 - Don Koharski
1981 - Soviets send in second squad.

I know the score was 8-1 in the final but Canada had beaten the Soviets 7-3 in round robin play that year; it is not like the Soviets were impervious to a bad game, which is what Mike Liut had. Mike Liut was also one of the worst starting goaltenders to suit up for Canada. He came off an outstanding year where he was voted second in hart voting to Gretzky but could never regain that form again.

When you add up the goal totals of both games it is rather close 11-8

 

[tommygunn]

The 1978 Soviets were a better team than the 1979 and 1981 squads, IMO.

'79 team no Fetisov or Maltsev
'81 team no Kharlamov, etc.