Canada Cup—Page 2

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The Great One and the New One

The 1987 tournament was a breakout performance for Mario Lemieux. Canada went undefeated in the round-robin but had tied both Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union.

The Canadians rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Czechs in their semi-final, while the Soviets doubled Sweden 4-2 in the other semi-final contest.

The best-of-three final began on September 11, 1987, at the Montreal Forum, where the Soviets edged the hosts 6-5. Two nights later in Hamilton, Lemieux ended a classic game on a feed from Wayne Gretzky at 10:06 of the second overtime for a 6-5 Canadian win.

With 1:26 remaining in the third and final game on September 15, Lemieux again converted a Gretzky pass for a 6-5 Canada Cup-winning victory. Lemieux’s 18 points were second only to Gretzky’s 21. The 1987 event would mark the last time Gretzky suited up for Team Canada as a member of the Oilers.

Triple Crown

A back injury would prevent Mario Lemieux from participating in the 1991 tournament. The Canadians defeated Sweden 4-0 in one semi-final while the United States downed Finland 7-3 in the other.

For the first time in tournament history, there would be an all-North American final. The Americans had lost to Canada during the round-robin and were seeking revenge.

However, Canada would not be denied, scoring a 4-1 win in the first game followed by a 4-2 triumph in game two. Despite missing the final game after suffering a cross-check from American defenceman Gary Suter, Wayne Gretzky won his fourth straight tournament scoring title, collecting 12 points in seven games.

American icons

The World Cup of Hockey was staged in August and September of 1996. The tournament was a successor to the Canada Cup.

Like its predecessor, it was played before the NHL’s regular season, allowing top professional players to represent their countries. Canada and the United States won their semi-final games and met in a best-of-three final.

Former Oilers forward Doug Weight helped the Americans to their first tournament title. Brett Hull scored the decisive goal in the third game.

Goaltender Mike Richter was a standout for Team USA, receiving MVP honors. Glen Sather was the Canadian coach and general manager.

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