1998
THE DOMINATOR DOMINATES
defeats
The Olympics, after Canada's first naggings in the late 1960's, had finally conceded to let professionals into the ice hockey tournament. Now there was a new challenge to test the hockey world at the highest level, and more countries than ever would be tested. But in a strange twist of irony that only the sporting world can provide, Canada would miss the championship game for the first time in top level history - while a team with only a handful of NHL players would go on to win it all.
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FINAL
BIG HAT
NAGANO, JAPAN
CZECH REP. 1 - RUSSIA 0
The Olympics had opted for a one game final. The combatants would be the Russians, who embarrased Finland 7-4 in the semi-finals and the Czech Republic, who eeked out a 2-1 win over Canada after an overtime shoot-out round (a system strictly banned in the old Canada Cup tournament).
It was quite a turn around from 1991 when these two countries were both on the bottom of the Canada Cup standing. They were definitely ready to prove their might once more. The Russians came with the duty of holding up their tradition of hockey excellence which dated back to the days of the USSR. The Czechs came with sharp-shooters Jaromir Jagr and Petr Svoboda, world-class goalie Dominik Hasek, and a hunger to prove their own hockey excellence. Svoboda got the goal and Hasek posted the second ever shut-out in a top level final.
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Final Standings
1: Czech Rep.
2: Russia
3: Finland
4: Canada
5: Sweden
6: USA
7: Belarus
8: Kazakhstan
9: Germany
10: Slovakia
11: Italy
12: Austria
13: France
14: Japan
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Czech Rep. Roster
HEAD COACH
Josef Augusta
FORWARDS
Josef Beranek / Jiri Dopita / Jan Caloun / Milan Hejduk / Jaromir Jagr / David Moravec / Pavel Patera / Martin Prochazka / Vaclav Prospal / Robert Reichel / Martin Rucinsky / Martin Straka / Vladimir Vujtek
DEFENSEMEN
Roman Hamrlik / Jiri Slegr / Richard Smehlik / Petr Svoboda
GOALTENDERS
Roman Chechmanek / Dominik Hasek
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