Quote:
Originally Posted by CroFlames
The Russians are 7-time Olympic champions so it's not like they've never won. Their gold medal drought is not as long as Canada's 50 year long drought (they last won in 1988).
Canadian smugness when it comes to international hockey is embarrassing sometimes. Are we forgetting 1998 and 2006?
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Canada should be smug about International hockey, the Russians professionals won because Canada could not send pros at that time. Those 7 golds are about equivalent to gold medals in the Olympic soccer tournament, a second rate prize that shows potential.
Also during the Red Army's best period of success they lost to a couple of junior/college teams(USA in 1960 and 1980) and a team of fat, out of shape Canadians in 1972 playing without their three best players(Orr, Hull, and Howe). I would say that in the pro era and the future it looks to me like the bigger challenge will come from Sweden, Finland, and some of the other European teams.