1996 World Cup Of Hockey Rosters
The World Cup of Hockey is an international ice hockey tournament that takes place every four years, and it's considered one of the most prestigious international hockey events. In 1996, the World Cup of Hockey returned after a hiatus of twelve years. Hosted in North America, the tournament included six teams: Canada, the United States, Russia, Sweden, Finland, and a combined team of Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Canada
Canada's roster for the 1996 World Cup of Hockey was a star-studded lineup, featuring some of the biggest names in hockey. With a mixture of veterans and young players, the team had high expectations coming into the tournament.
The roster included:
- Wayne Gretzky
- Mario Lemieux
- Joe Sakic
- Eric Lindros
- Brendan Shanahan
- Steve Yzerman
- Paul Coffey
- Ray Bourque
- Scott Niedermayer
- Chris Pronger
- Curtis Joseph
- Ed Belfour
Canada went undefeated in the tournament, winning all eight of their games, including a 3-2 victory over the United States in the championship game.
United States
The United States put together a strong team for the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, hoping to improve on their fourth-place finish in the previous tournament in 1981. The team featured a mix of NHL veterans and up-and-coming young players.
The roster included:
- Brett Hull
- Mike Modano
- Jeremy Roenick
- Joel Otto
- Brian Leetch
- Gary Suter
- Chris Chelios
- Brian Rafalski
- Mike Richter
- John Vanbiesbrouck
The United States played well in the tournament, ultimately reaching the championship game, where they fell to Canada 3-2.
Russia
Russia's roster for the 1996 World Cup of Hockey featured a mix of NHL players and players from Russian hockey leagues. The team had high hopes coming into the tournament, hoping to compete with the North American powerhouses.
The roster included:
- Sergei Fedorov
- Alexei Yashin
- Pavel Bure
- Sergei Zubov
- Darius Kasparaitis
- Vyacheslav Fetisov
- Igor Kravchuk
- Nikolai Khabibulin
Russia played well in the tournament, finishing with a record of 6-2-0, but ultimately fell short of making it to the championship game.
Sweden
Sweden's roster for the 1996 World Cup of Hockey featured several NHL stars, as well as players from Swedish hockey leagues. The team hoped to make a strong showing in the tournament, but faced tough competition from the North American teams.
The roster included:
- Peter Forsberg
- Nicklas Lidstrom
- Mats Sundin
- Niklas Kronwall
- Kenny Jonsson
- Tomas Jonsson
- Tommy Salo
Sweden finished the tournament with a record of 2-5-1, failing to make it to the championship game.
Finland
Finland's roster for the 1996 World Cup of Hockey featured NHL players as well as players from Finnish hockey leagues. The team hoped to make a strong showing in the tournament, but faced tough competition from the North American teams.
The roster included:
- Jari Kurri
- Saku Koivu
- Ville Peltonen
- Teppo Numminen
- Jyrki Lumme
- Juha Ylonen
- Miikka Kiprusoff
Finland finished the tournament with a record of 2-4-2, failing to make it to the championship game.
Czech Republic/Slovakia
The combined team of Czech Republic and Slovakia was added to the 1996 World Cup of Hockey after the split of Czechoslovakia. The team featured NHL stars as well as players from Czech and Slovak hockey leagues.
The roster included:
- Jaromir Jagr
- Petr Nedved
- Zigmund Palffy
- Miroslav Satan
- Robert Reichel
- Jiri Slegr
- Petr Svoboda
- Dominik Hasek
The combined team finished the tournament with a record of 3-4-1, failing to make it to the championship game.
Conclusion
The 1996 World Cup of Hockey was a highly competitive and exciting tournament, featuring some of the biggest names in hockey. Canada ultimately emerged as the champion, but all six teams put up a strong fight. The rosters from each team were stacked with talented NHL players as well as players from local leagues, making for a highly entertaining event for hockey fans around the world.