Canada Cup

The Canada Cup was a best-on-best international tournament held five times between 1976 and 1991, and the first event to put full-strength NHL and Soviet teams on the ice together on a regular basis. Canada won four of the five editions and the Soviet Union won in 1981. The Canada Cup was replaced by the World Cup of Hockey in 1996.

What it was	Best-on-best international tournament, played in the NHL off-season
Editions	Five: 1976, 1981, 1984, 1987, 1991
Winners	Canada in 1976, 1984, 1987 and 1991; the Soviet Union in 1981
Replaced by	The World Cup of Hockey, from 1996
Famous moment	The 1987 final against the Soviet Union — all three games ended 6-5
The goal	Gretzky to Lemieux with 1:26 left in Game 3
Created by	Alan Eagleson, with Hockey Canada and the NHLPA

What Gretzky told Lemieux before the Canada Cup final

One legend on another legend!

Steve Yzerman nearly got beaten up by a Team Canada coach

He was not happy!

Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky for Team Canada during the 1987 Canada Cup

How Wayne Gretzky changed Mario Lemieux’s entire career

What a story about the legendary Canada Cup 1987

This happened after Wayne Gretzky scored on cocky goalie

He got what he deserved straight away

How the Green Unit ended up drinking beers at Wayne Gretzky

The ’87 Canada Cup produced some of the greatest hockey ever displayed, and the three-game final between the Soviet Union and Team Canada was one for the ages. Team Canada had NHL star players like ...

Wayne Gretzky rebelled against Keenan in the 1987 Canada Cup

Wayne Gretzky is the best to ever do it. You can make a strong argument for Mario Lemieux, but Gretzky is still widely considered the goat, and if you just look at his stats, it’s ...

When 18-year-old Eric Lindros took aim at NHLs most hated player

The 1991 Canada Cup was special for many reasons, and Eric Lindros was one of them. Four years earlier, the legendary Canada Cup of 1987 produced some unforgettable moments, but it wasn’t as magical this ...

When a poor Swede got in the way of a shot so hard it broke both his mask and face, in the 1991 Canada Cup

Tommy Soderstrom was a special goalie. He played in the NHL in the 90s and had a certain swagger to him. He never put tape on his stick, and it wasn’t much that got him ...

When Wayne Gretzky refused to share a room with Eric Lindros

During the early 90s, Eric Lindros was all but popular in the town of Quebec. He was chosen first overall in the 1991 draft, but he refused to play for the Nordiques, and after months ...

When Wayne Gretzky lost control of his body fluids

There aren’t a lot of secrets of Wayne Gretzky. Everyone within the world of sports knows just how superior ”The Great One” actually was, and the unreal numbers he put up. Gretzky ended up with ...