Forsberg's 1994 "Golden Goal"

[Sonic Disturbance]

Hey guys,

I was born in 1992 in China, so I wasn't exactly too aware of hockey at this time . I'm just really curious to why Peter Forsberg's (who happens to be my favourite player) 1994 goal is considered such a "classic hockey moment". I mean yes, he did score in the shootout with an unusual move to seal the victory but my main confusion is that the 1994 Olympics was not even close to a best-on-best. From what I've read, I remember Team Canada having an 18-year old Paul Kariya, Petr Nedved (He's Canadian?) and Corey Hirsch in net. I remember Sweden having Forsberg and a washed-up Hakan Loob and that's it. I mean, except for the "Miracle on Ice" Olympics, none of the previous hockey tournaments in the Olympics are really mentioned very much at all? Why was this goal such a big deal? He scored on Corey FREAKING Hirsch! It almost seems that the 1994 win is eclipsing the 2006 win, which I find weird. And the Lidstrom goal in 2006 is not even close to being as famous as the 1994 Forsberg goal.

Thanks.

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[Teus]

In Sweden, the Olympics was highly regarded even with the NHL players missing, just like with the World Championships. Plus the Olympics got its own special "aura". Nowadays maybe the kids here in Sweden dream more about playing in the NHL, winning the Cup etc, but back then it was all about being the hero on the national team.

Adding to that it was scored by Forsberg, which I think is the main reason why people outside Sweden remember the goal so well. The golden boy in Sweden, who went on to have an amazing international/NHL career. I don't think it would be remembered by many outside Sweden, if for example Roger Hansson or Jonas Bergqvist were the ones that scored it. A combination of it being scored by Forsberg, the way he scored and the moment he scored it (regardless of how you rank the Olympics pre-1998) made it memorable.

The reason why it sometimes get more attention than the 2006 goal is probably because it was more spectacular. It is what people remember of the 1994 tournament. On the other hand, I think people's memories of the 2006 Olympics varies a lot. People got their own special moments. The 3-2 goal was a great moment (with all the Swedish legends involved), some other might be remembering the debate whether Sweden lost on purpose against Slovakia. Personally I remember Lundqvist's save at the end of the final and Sundin with the gold medal the most.

Also want to add that attention/hype doesn't necessary mean "which team was the best/which accomplishment was the best". People usually complain about the attention/hype surrounding Forsberg and I think the 1994 goal fits him so well because of that. It kind of set the tone for his career, which might have been a bit overhyped but still incredibly entertaining with a lot of success...just like the goal.

 

[Tawnos]

It was still best of the best, just the amateur best. Keep in mind that this is only the second Olympic tournament widely regarded as being played on a level playing field, with Russia no longer icing a roster of players who would be pros elsewhere, and even with that, the 92 Unified team was still drawn from the whole of the Soviet Union. 8 of the previous 10 Gold Medals had been won by the Soviets/Unified. It was the first time since 1960 that neither of the teams winning to Gold or Silver were Soviet bloc. In addition, Corey Hirsch was a very highly thought of prospect at the time. Don't mistake not being an NHL goalie with not being a great amateur goaltender. I still maintain that if he hadn't been coming up behind Richter, Vanbiesbrouck and Healy and had actually gotten a chance to develop at all at the NHL level, he would've been a starter in the league.

Also, how many times do events like that end in a shootout? Almost never.

 

[Pear Juice]

The Olympic gold medal is, short of possibly the FIFA World Cup which we have never won, the greatest achievement possible in any kind of sports in Sweden. Forget professional leagues, world chamionships, individual accomplishments, world records, etc. The Olympics are on a completely different level. And Peter Forsberg secured that gold medal with a spectacular goal in a penalty shootout. It's that simple, really. Sure Lidström decided the 06 finals with a nice goal, but in all honesty it's not nearly as iconic as that penalty. If anything deserves more attention than it got it's Tommy Salo's final slide save on Kariya's following penalty.

Forsberg's goal was one of the candidates for the greatest Swedish sports moment of all time in a poll in 2001 at the annual Swedish sports awards. Other candidates were Kurt Hamrin's goal in the 1958 FIFA World Cup, Björn Borg's 5th victory in the 1980 Wimbledon and Ingemar Johanssons 1959 heavyweight championship title. Curiously enough, what finally topped that list happened just months after Forsbergs goal in another penalty shootout, when Thomas Ravelli made a fantastic save in the 1994 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals.

In retrospect, the 2006 gold might be considered a greater team achievement. But for iconic value, few things can top that penalty shot.

 

[plusandminus]

Hey guys,

I was born in 1992 in China, so I wasn't exactly too aware of hockey at this time . I'm just really curious to why Peter Forsberg's (who happens to be my favourite player) 1994 goal is considered such a "classic hockey moment". I mean yes, he did score in the shootout with an unusual move to seal the victory but my main confusion is that the 1994 Olympics was not even close to a best-on-best. From what I've read, I remember Team Canada having an 18-year old Paul Kariya, Petr Nedved (He's Canadian?) and Corey Hirsch in net. I remember Sweden having Forsberg and a washed-up Hakan Loob and that's it. I mean, except for the "Miracle on Ice" Olympics, none of the previous hockey tournaments in the Olympics are really mentioned very much at all? Why was this goal such a big deal? He scored on Corey FREAKING Hirsch! It almost seems that the 1994 win is eclipsing the 2006 win, which I find weird. And the Lidstrom goal in 2006 is not even close to being as famous as the 1994 Forsberg goal.

Thanks.

It was Sweden's first ever Olympic gold medal in ice hockey.

That Forsberg scored the game winner, the way he did, also made it special. He's been an icon and idol ever since he started getting noticed nation wide in the early 1990s.

 

[nutbar]

It was a very even tournament and there was lots of drama throughout.

Slovakia was very strong (Palffy, Satan, Stasny) but lost to a no-name Russian team in the quarter-finals in overtime who were being coached by Viktor Tikhonov for the last time.

Finland was also very good and were led by Koivu, Peltonen, Lehtinen but gave up a 2-0 lead to Canada in the semis and lost 5-3.

The US had one of their many off-years in the Olympics. Outside of Todd Marchant and Mike Dunham I don't remember much.

 

[Lexus]

The goal is on a freakin' stamp!

 

[Jonimaus]

The Olympic gold medal is, short of possibly the FIFA World Cup which we have never won, the greatest achievement possible in any kind of sports in Sweden. Forget professional leagues, world chamionships, individual accomplishments, world records, etc. The Olympics are on a completely different level. And Peter Forsberg secured that gold medal with a spectacular goal in a penalty shootout. It's that simple, really. Sure Lidström decided the 06 finals with a nice goal, but in all honesty it's not nearly as iconic as that penalty. If anything deserves more attention than it got it's Tommy Salo's final slide save on Kariya's following penalty.

Forsberg's goal was one of the candidates for the greatest Swedish sports moment of all time in a poll in 2001 at the annual Swedish sports awards. Other candidates were Kurt Hamrin's goal in the 1958 FIFA World Cup, Björn Borg's 5th victory in the 1980 Wimbledon and Ingemar Johanssons 1959 heavyweight championship title. Curiously enough, what finally topped that list happened just months after Forsbergs goal in another penalty shootout, when Thomas Ravelli made a fantastic save in the 1994 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals.

In retrospect, the 2006 gold might be considered a greater team achievement. But for iconic value, few things can top that penalty shot.

This is true.

After the Bronze in the football WC, the 1994 gold is probably the most loved sporting moment in Swedish history.

 

[The Kingslayer]

because it was Canada, it was the Gold medal game and it was Peter Forsberg.

 

[jepjepjoo]

The goal is on a freakin' stamp!

 

[vippe]

That's a really cool stamp

 

[begbeee]

Slovakia was very strong (Palffy, Satan, Stasny) but lost to a no-name Russian team in the quarter-finals in overtime who were being coached by Viktor Tikhonov for the last time.

no-one would forget the name Nikolishin

 

[Pear Juice]

That's a really cool stamp

Maybe I'm not detecting sarcasm. But I think it looks horrible. The reason the Forsberg one looks great is that it's an artists rendition and not an actual photograph.

 

[buffalowing88]

Maybe I'm not detecting sarcasm. But I think it looks horrible. The reason the Forsberg one looks great is that it's an artists rendition and not an actual photograph.

The Finnish one is sorta unattractive but I have a bigger discrepancy (and really it's just nitpicking) with the Forsberg one. That stamp really makes it look as though the goalie has that attempt going right to his mit. I realize that's the point of great shootout/penalty shot goals, the ability to trick the goalies, but Forsberg's finish was a few more inches wide of the goalies mitt from what I remember.

 

[matnor]

The Finnish one is sorta unattractive but I have a bigger discrepancy (and really it's just nitpicking) with the Forsberg one. That stamp really makes it look as though the goalie has that attempt going right to his mit. I realize that's the point of great shootout/penalty shot goals, the ability to trick the goalies, but Forsberg's finish was a few more inches wide of the goalies mitt from what I remember.

Actually he shot it right under the glove of Hirsch. I remember thinking that Hirsch stopped the shot and first after I heard the commentators did I understand the goal went in.

 

[feffan]

Actually he shot it right under the glove of Hirsch. I remember thinking that Hirsch stopped the shot and first after I heard the commentators did I understand the goal went in.

Same story here. Still get a small version of that "one-second-stomach-ache" every time I see it from the on-ice-perspective. From above (29s mark...) is another story:

 

[McGuillicuddy]

It was still best of the best, just the amateur best.

Precisely.

In addition, Corey Hirsch was a very highly thought of prospect at the time. Don't mistake not being an NHL goalie with not being a great amateur goaltender.

Nope sorry. No deal. It's still Corey Hirsch.

 

[albertGQ]

Didn't they allow pros in 94?
Wasn't Glenn Anderson on this team? If not, I'm sure he was on the 92 team.

 

[Pear Juice]

Actually he shot it right under the glove of Hirsch. I remember thinking that Hirsch stopped the shot and first after I heard the commentators did I understand the goal went in.

Yup. I absolutely thought he saved the penalty. Forsberg just merely tapped it in under Hirsch's glove.

 

[begbeee]

Didn't they allow pros in 94?
Wasn't Glenn Anderson on this team? If not, I'm sure he was on the 92 team.

They allowed something like "re-amateured" players - from the top of my head - Peter Nedved, Chris Kontos and Peter Stastny had quite successful NHL seasons under their skates.

 

[Theokritos]

Actually, professional hockey players were allowed to play in the Olympic Games from 1988 on. No need for pros to become amateurs again ever since.

But I don't think Glenn Anderson was on the 1994 Team.