International Impact

Watching Canada compete for international hockey supremacy brings out pride and passion from coast to coast. From the famous 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union to the dramatic win over the United States at the 2002 Olympics, Canadians have endless enthusiasm for cheering on their country, particularly when it comes to hockey. Many of those teams have included a healthy supply of Albertans or Edmonton Oilers. Glen Sather of High River, Alberta, coached Team Canada to the 1984 Canada Cup championship. That team also included eight members of the Edmonton Oilers. In 1995, Alberta hosted the World Junior Hockey Championships. Team Canada, which included Oilers mainstay Ryan Smyth of Banff, clinched the gold medal in Red Deer. In 2002, under the guidance of executive director Wayne Gretzky, Team Canada won its first Olympic gold medal in hockey since 1952, when the Edmonton Mercurys performed the feat. In this section we will highlight just a few of these monumental accomplishments.

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