In just a couple of weeks, we'll officially be fifteen years removed from one of the most memorable international competitions in recent history. That event - the 1996 World Cup of Hockey - propelled the sport to the worldwide stage, giving the sport a much needed boost on a national and international level in terms of exposure and relevance.
My affection for that historic competition is pretty well documented around here, but with a new crop of younger hockey fans coming into the mix, I thought there would be no better time than now than to throw it back to the mid '90s, giving the next generation a taste of what the sport is all about.
Comparing Olympic competition to the National Hockey League in this era is like apples and oranges. Sure, teams in both competitions have that incredible urge and desire to bring home a championship, but the kind of animosity and contempt that often fuels spectacular play has really been missing on the international stage over the years.
At the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, the United States and Canada gave North America a reason to tune in on four separate occasions. See, players for both sides turned what was once a friendly rivalry into a downright bloodbath, scratching and clawing for every inch of the ice. It's not a complete surprise that such motivation translated well on the ice, as the two sides gave the fans in attendance and those watching at home a reason to be enthralled.
In hindsight, the competition as a whole really had to be thankful for the fireworks between the two sides in the round-robin part of the competition. When the U.S. and Canada met for the first time, the two teams got into it, launching into a full-scale brawl. The big exclamation point - U.S.' 5-3 win aside - was unquestionably Keith Tkachuk breaking Claude Lemieux's beak, setting the tone for what would be a memorable championship series. And yet, the most intriguing moment remained Scott Stevens and Billy Guerin tangling, teammates of the New Jersey Devils at the time.
The chances you see two guys on the same NHL roster tossing the gloves for their respective countries against one another? Slim and none. But, that was the '96 World Cup of Hockey in a nutshell.
As alluded to earlier, both teams did advance into the championship series, a best of three played in the cities of Philadelphia, PA and Montreal, QC. After the early win, many expected the United States to walk through the first game played on home ice, but Canada brought the kind of fire and tenacity their country expected all tournament long, winning 4-3 in OT. The game winner was provided by the legendary Steve Yzerman, beating Mike Richter on an awkward-angle rip.
Down 1-0, the United States would have to win back-to-back games in the ever-raucous Montreal. Impossible? Hardly. Improbable? Absolutely. Fully aware that the odds were stacked against them, the U.S. came out firing in game two, trouncing the Canadians by a final score of 5-2. Still, the game was far closer than the score indicated, and the kind of chippy play and up-and-down action that fans became accustomed to was once again front and center.
With the series even at one, both teams stepped up their play for the decisive game three. Although a 'home' game for the United States, this too was played at the Molson Centre, meaning the wild fans in Montreal were bound to give their home country a slight edge. Game three was another incredible goaltending battle between Mike Richter of Team USA, and Curtis Joseph of Team Canada. CuJo was 5-1-0 coming into the affair, but Richter was the better man this night, as his team pulled off another 5-2 victory. And quite frankly, Team USA needed that captivating effort by Richter, as the Canadians - for a large part of the game - were the more dominant club.
There's no denying the turning point of the decisive game three. That was Mike Richter's highway robbery - seen at 4:00 - on Vincent Damphousse. Sprung by a brilliant lead pass, Damphousse blew by the sleeping Brian Leetch and took it right in on Richter. But, as we've come to learn about Richter, the guy had an affinity for great saves, and his stop of Damphousse would turn the tide in favor of the U.S.
At the end of the tournament, Mike Richter (Tournament MVP) and Curtis Joseph (Leading Goaltender) both hoisted some individual hardware.
The all-star team included Brett Hull(USA), Mats Sundin(SWE), John LeClair(USA), Calle Johansson(SWE), Chris Chelios(USA), and Mike Richter(USA).
Brett Hull lead the tournament in scoring with eleven points (7G/4A) in seven games played, with John LeClair's ten points (6G/4A) finishing in second. For Canada, Wayne Gretzky (3G/4A), Paul Coffey (0G/7A), and Theoren Fleury (4G/2A) all cracked the top-ten.
While the games may seem but a distant memory to some, I hope that the fifteen minute replays provided by YouTube can let all of you relive one of the more fascinating displays of international hockey.
Ottawa Senators Blogger • 
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