Quote:
Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger
CP tends to skew a little older so I absolutely am surprised to see anyone say that 2002 isn’t a top three moment. With the only possible arguments to surpass it being 1972 and 1987. And don’t get me wrong I have a lot of love for 2010. To me it currently sits for behind those three hockey games.
I would also add Yzerman to your list of storylines. He’s often overlooked because of Lemieux and the Sakic connection with Iginla. But Stevie Y had a monster tournament on one leg.
I was watching a little bit of that four nations documentary on CBC. I was actually kind of interested until about 10 minutes in one of the pundits they were interviewing said that four nations was the fourth most important hockey game in Canadian history after 1972, 1987, 2010.
After he said something so monumentally idiotic I turned the channel. If they’re going to interview people who don’t know anything about hockey then I have no interest in watching. It’s not like he was young either the guy was for sure in his 40s.
With the 50 year drought, 96 collapse, 98 failure, 2002 felt like our legitimacy as a hockey power was in question and on the verge of proving over.
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I’m gonna quote myself to add some more.
1996 World Cup was an interesting tourney. The first best on best since 87. Canada riding a high in junior championships. The double overtime vs Sweden was imo one of the most exciting international games Canada ever played. It was like an OT game 7.
The 98 Olympics were of course a huge disappointment.
Fast forward to 2002 and our junior team by this point hadn’t won gold since 97. We also hadn’t won a senior men’s world championship since 97. Then to finish 3rd in our group after getting whipped by Sweden, barely beating Germany and tying the Czechs.
Gretzky’s speech was front page news across the country because it felt like our program was in complete turmoil. All our stars were chokers and our best player ever couldn’t manage/select a roster for ####.
Many, many coaches in sports history have played the “us against the world” tactic and Wayne’s rant was perhaps the best ever. It wasn’t just us against the world. It was the world against us. The entire country rallied around the team. It was constantly compared to the 72 Esposito speech. Instead of dumping on our team we needed to rally around them. Support swelled and the team responded.
Someone earlier said the game wasn’t really close. Couldn’t be further from the truth. USA went ahead 1-0 and was 2-2 late in the 2nd until Canada pulled ahead.
Even at 4-2, after the late collapse at the 96 World Cup where Canada allowed a last second goal to tie, it felt like anything could happen.
It’s part of the reason Cole’s call of the sakic breakaway was so monumental. The entire country finally experienced collective ecstasy and relief that we would win.