Canada Cup of 1976
The Canada Cup of 1976 was a prestigious international ice hockey tournament that showcased national teams from Canada, the Soviet Union, the United States, Czechoslovakia, Finland, and Sweden. Organized by Hockey Canada, the NHL, and the NHL Players Association, the tournament was rooted in the growing rivalry between Canada and the Soviet Union, particularly following the dramatic Summit Series in 1972. Games were primarily held in Montreal and Toronto, alongside a few matches throughout the United States and other Canadian cities.
The Canadian team featured several hockey legends, including Bobby Orr, Bobby Hull, and Guy Lafleur, under the coaching of Scotty Bowman. The tournament culminated in a best-of-three final against Czechoslovakia, where Canada emerged victorious, securing a 6-0 win and a thrilling overtime victory. Bobby Orr, despite recent injuries, was named the most valuable player, highlighting his enduring talent. The tournament not only reinforced Canada's professional hockey dominance but also laid the groundwork for future international competitions, evolving into the World Cup of Hockey by 1996. The Canada Cup of 1976 remains a significant moment in hockey history, underscoring the sport's competitive spirit and international appeal.
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Subject Terms
Canada Cup of 1976
The Event World hockey tournament
Date September 2-15, 1976
The Canada Cup was the first of a series of international tournaments featuring the top professional hockey players in the world.
Following the 1950’s, the Soviet Union had striven to challenge Canada for supremacy in hockey. The Soviets had won gold medals in every Olympics after 1964. Canada had withdrawn from the amateur World Championships after a dispute about professional participation. The thrilling Canadian-Soviet Summit Series in 1972 had stimulated demand for world competition at the top professional level. In 1976, Hockey Canada, the National Hockey League (NHL), and the NHL Players Association organized a tournament featuring national teams from Canada, the Soviet Union, the United States, Czechoslovakia, Finland, and Sweden. Round-robin eliminations were mostly played in Montreal and Toronto, with some games elsewhere in Canada and the United States.
The star-studded Canadian team included Bobby Orr, Bobby Hull, Bobby Clarke, Phil Esposito, Guy Lafleur, Gilbert Perreault, Darryl Sittler, Marcel Dionne, Pete Mahovlich, Denis Potvin, and goaltender Rogie Vachon. Coach Scotty Bowman was assisted by Don Cherry. Sweden’s team featured the great Borje Salming. Czechoslovakia included the three Stastny brothers: Peter, Marian, and Bohuslav. The generic United States team included Robbie Ftorek.
The Soviets were tough, but the Canadians outshot them 43-28 in the last round-robin game and outscored them 3-1. Coach Viktor Tikhonov and Soviet goaltender Vladimir Tretiak were not quite yet the legendary figures they were to become. Canada lost only one round-robin game, a 1-0 squeaker to Czechoslovakia and their unorthodox goaltender, Vladimir Dzurilla. The Czechs also lost only one round-robin game, 2-1 to Sweden, so they played Canada in the best-of-three final round.
The first game of the finals was no contest, with Canada winning 6-0 in Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. Dzurilla gave up four goals in the first period, yielding the net to Jiri Holecek. Holecek surrendered two early goals to start the second game, and Dzurilla returned to hold the Canadians to a 4-4 tie at the end of regulation play in the Montréal Forum. Halfway through the overtime period, Sittler streaked down the left side, faked a strong slap shot to get Dzurilla down on his knees, and scored the winning goal in the wide-open right side of the net.
Orr, playing in his last international competition, was named the most valuable player of the tournament. He tied teammate defenseman Potvin and Soviet forward Zhluktov for the scoring lead with nine points. Zhluktov’s points were all in one game. Orr had played only ten games in the preceding NHL season because of knee injuries but was in all seven tournament games.
Impact
The Canada Cup of 1976 began a series of world competitions held every three to five years, before being reorganized in 1996 as the World Cup of Hockey. Although the Soviets dominated the Olympics and the World Junior Championships, Canada proved its superiority at the professional level.
Bibliography
Diamond, Dan, ed. Total Hockey: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Hockey League. Kansas City, Mo.: Andrews McMeel, 1998.
Housa, Patrick, and Joe Pelletier. The World Cup of Hockey. Toronto: Warwick, 2002.
Mahovlich, Ted. Triple Crown Marcel Dionne. Toronto: HarperCollins Canada, 2004.