Canada national men's ice hockey team

Team Jersey
Association
Hockey Canada
Current Olympic/World Cup coach
Pat Quinn, 2002-
Current national team coach
Ken Hitchcock 2008-
Most games
Sean Burke: 156
Most points
Cliff Ronning: 156
First game
Canada 8 - 1 Switzerland  (Les Avants, Switzerland; January 10, 1910)
Largest win
Canada 47 - 0 Denmark  (Stockholm, Sweden; February 12, 1949)
Largest defeat
Soviet Union 11 - 1 Canada  (Vienna, Austria; April 24, 1977)
Summit Series, Canada Cup and World Cup
Winners: 6 - 1972, 1976, 1984, 1987, 1991, 2004
Olympics
Gold medalists: 7 - 1920, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1948, 1952, 2002
World Championships
Gold medalists***: 18 - 1930, 1931, 1934, 1935, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1950, 1951, 1955, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1994, 1997, 2003, 2004, 2007
International competition
Current record: (W-L-T) 840-398-118
* Includes Professional ice hockey world championships and the 1998 and 2002 Olympics only ** Includes Olympics, World Championships, World Cups, Canada Cups, and Summit Series' *** Excludes six Gold medals won in years when the World Championships and Olympics were the same tournament. (1920-1948)

The Canadian national ice hockey team is the national men's ice hockey team of Canada. The team is overseen by Hockey Canada, a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation, and participates in international competitions. From 1920 until 1963, Canada's international representation was by Senior Amateur Club teams. Canada's national men's team was founded in 1963 by Father David Bauer as a part of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association, playing out of the University of British Columbia.^[1]

The nickname "Team Canada" was christened for the 1972 Summit Series and has been frequently used to refer to the Canadian National Team ever since. Canada has been one of the leading national ice hockey teams in international play, winning the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union, four of five Canada Cups dating back to 1976, winning the 2002 Winter Olympics, three recent IIHF World Championships and the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.

Canada has a total of 574,125 players registered nationwide, 1.76% of its population. The current coach is Ken Hitchcock. Canada is currently ranked first in the IIHF World Ranking.

History

From 1920 until 1963, the Senior Amateur Club teams representing Canada, were usually the most recent Allan Cup champions. The last senior team to win a gold medal at the World Championship was the Trail Smoke Eaters in 1961.

Following the 1963 World Championships, Father David Bauer founded the national team as a permanent institution. The new permanent national team first competed at the 1964 Winter Olympics. Since 1964, the national team has one Olympic gold medal, and five world championship wins.

Before the emergence of the Soviet Union, Canada dominated hockey, winning six out of seven golds at the Olympics before 1956 and 13 world championship gold medals before 1961. From 1954 to 1991, Canada was able to win only four World Championships and no Winter Olympic Gold medals when the Soviet, Czechoslovak, and Swedish teams dominated. This was in part because Canada's best professional players were unable to attend these events as they had commitments with their respective National Hockey League teams.

Canada withdrew from official IIHF events in 1970 and the National Team programme was suspended after they were refused permission to use semi-professional players at the world championship. Canada returned to the IIHF in 1977 after a series of negotiations between IIHF President Dr. Sabetzki and top officials of professional ice hockey in Canada and the United States of America. Canadians and Americans were allowed to enhance their world championship teams with professional players; and the world championships were scheduled as late as possible to ensure more players would be available from among the NHL teams eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs.

In return, a competition for the "Canada Cup" was to be played every four years on North American territory with the participation of Canada, the United States, and the four strongest European national teams, including professionals.

In 1983, Hockey Canada began the "Programme of Excellence", whose purpose was to prepare a team for the Winter Olympics every four years. This new National Team played a full season together all over the world against both national and club teams, and often attracted top NHL prospects, veteran pros with NHL experience and, in a few cases, current NHLers who were holding out in contract disputes. This programme was discontinued in 1998, when the NHL began shutting down to allow its players to compete.

Retired numbers

19. Steve Yzerman
66. Mario Lemieux
99. Wayne Gretzky

List of teams representing Canada from 1920 to 1963

Coaches

List of coaches of the Canada national men's ice hockey team.

Competition achievements

Olympic Games

All Olympic ice hockey tournaments between 1920 and 1968 also counted as World Championships.^[2]

^† Disputed

Further information: Ice hockey at the 1964 Winter Olympics

Summit Series

• 1972 - Won
• 1974 - Lost

Canada Cup

• 1976 - Won championships
• 1981 - Lost Final
• 1984 - Won championships
• 1987 - Won championships
• 1991 - Won championships

World Cup of Hockey

• 1996 - Lost, Final
• 2004 - Won the World Cup

World Championships

All Olympic ice hockey tournaments between 1920 and 1968 also counted as World Championships.^[2] The 1920 Olympics were the first world championship. IIHF World Championships were not held during the Winter Olympic years of 1980, 1984 or 1988.^[2]

Spengler Cup

Spengler Cup victories for Team Canada have occurred in 1984, 1986, 1987, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003 and 2007. In this tournament, Canada competes against European club teams, not against national teams. These opposing teams often have Canadians on their rosters. Canada used to be represented by the standing national team at this event, but since its dissolution is usually made up of Canadians playing in European leagues.

Rosters

Main article: List of Canadian national hockey team rosters

2008 World Championship roster

Goaltenders

30. Cam Ward - Carolina Hurricanes
31. Pascal Leclaire - Columbus Blue Jackets
32. Mathieu Garon - Edmonton Oilers

Defencemen

2. Dan Hamhuis - Nashville Predators
4. Jay Bouwmeester - Florida Panthers
8. Brent Burns - Minnesota Wild
22. Duncan Keith - Chicago Blackhawks
24. Steve Staios (A) - Edmonton Oilers
52. Mike Green - Washington Capitals
55. Ed Jovanovski - Phoenix Coyotes

Forwards

9. Derek Roy - Buffalo Sabres
10. Patrick Sharp - Chicago Blackhawks
12. Eric Staal - Carolina Hurricanes
14. Chris Kunitz - Anaheim Ducks
15. Dany Heatley - Ottawa Senators
16. Jonathan Toews - Chicago Blackhawks
19. Shane Doan (C) - Phoenix Coyotes
21. Jamal Mayers - St. Louis Blues
25. Jason Chimera - Columbus Blue Jackets
26. Martin St. Louis (A) - Tampa Bay Lightning
51. Ryan Getzlaf - Anaheim Ducks
61. Rick Nash - Columbus Blue Jackets
91. Jason Spezza - Ottawa Senators

2006 Olympic roster

Goaltenders

30. Martin Brodeur - New Jersey Devils
1. Roberto Luongo - Vancouver Canucks
35. Marty Turco - Dallas Stars

Defencemen

4. Rob Blake (A) - Los Angeles Kings
3. Jay Bouwmeester* - Florida Panthers
52. Adam Foote - Colorado Avalanche
24. Bryan McCabe** - Toronto Maple Leafs
44. Chris Pronger (A) - Anaheim Ducks
6. Wade Redden - Ottawa Senators
28. Robyn Regehr - Calgary Flames

Forwards

14. Todd Bertuzzi - Anaheim Ducks
9. Shane Doan - Phoenix Coyotes
33. Kris Draper - Detroit Red Wings
21. Simon Gagne (A) - Philadelphia Flyers
15. Dany Heatley - Ottawa Senators
12. Jarome Iginla (A) - Calgary Flames
40. Vincent Lecavalier - Tampa Bay Lightning
61. Rick Nash - Columbus Blue Jackets
39. Brad Richards - Dallas Stars
91. Joe Sakic (C) - Colorado Avalanche
94. Ryan Smyth - Colorado Avalanche
26. Martin St. Louis - Tampa Bay Lightning
97. Joe Thornton - San Jose Sharks

Reserves

• Dan Boyle*** - Tampa Bay Lightning
• Jason Spezza - Ottawa Senators
• Eric Staal - Carolina Hurricanes

*Was on the reserves replacing Bryan McCabe; replaced Scott Niedermayer - Anaheim Ducks

**Was on the reserves; replaced Ed Jovanovski - Phoenix Coyotes

***Replaced Jay Bouwmeester who was on the reserves replacing Bryan McCabe - Toronto Maple Leafs

See also

• Canadian national women's hockey team
• List of Team Canada captains

References

External links

• Meltzer, Bill NHL.com article on 2007 IIHF World Championship gold medal. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
• Hockey Canada home page
• CNNSI's 2002 hockey coverage
• Canada On Ice - The World Hockey Championships, 1920-2008

National sports teams of Canada A1GP • Australian football • Bandy • Baseball • Basketball • Cricket (men – women) • Davis Cup • Fed Cup Field hockey (men – women) • Ice hockey (men – men's U-20 – women • women's U-18) • Rugby union (sevens) • Soccer (men – men's youth – women) • Volleyball (men – women) • Water polo (men – women) Summer Olympics • Winter Olympics • Commonwealth Games • Pan Am Games