2004
COMPLETING THE PUZZLE
defeats
8 years after it was last held the World Cup was back with a new format, new host cities, and even a new trophy. But with the spectre of an NHL lock-out looming large, and a number of teams entering the tournament depleted by injuries and no-shows, this 7th installment of the Canada/World Cup was perhaps the least anticipated of all the competitions.
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FINAL
AIR CANADA CENTRE
TORONTO, CANADA
CANADA 3 - FINLAND 2
Despite the "World Cup" moniker, Canada once again enjoyed a home-rink advantage throughout the tournament. They entered the championship game by way of a thrilling 4-3 OT win over the Czech Republic - going undefeated through the round-robin and playoffs, and continuing their streak of reaching every Canada/World Cup final. Finland, on the other hand, became the last of the traditional "Big 6" hockey nations to reach any Top Level final, beating the defending Cup-holder Americans 2-1 in a tight semi.
In the 1-game final (the first since 1981), Canada dominated the creative play for a change, while the Fins were the more physical of the two. Canada scored early in each period (under a minute in the 1st and 3rd) but Finland never let it get out of hand, only failing to reply in the 3rd as Canada shut them down for the last 19 minutes. A bit of an anti-climax some would argue, and perhaps fitting for the tournament as a whole. But it served as a long overdue coming-out party for Finland, even if it was crashed in the end. And it reaffirmed the Canadians' place atop the international scene as Team Canada finished the tournament with a perfect record (never even trailing in a game) - the first side ever to accomplish this feat in a Top Level tournament - and added the World Cup to their Canada Cups and Olympic Gold, completing the trophy set.
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Final Standings
1: Canada
2: Finland
3: Czech Republic
4: USA
5: Sweden
6: Russia
7: Slovakia
8: Germany
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Canada Roster
HEAD COACH
Pat Quinn
FORWARDS
Shane Doan / Kris Draper / Simon Gagné / Dany Heatley / Jarome Iginla / Vincent Lecavalier / Mario Lemieux / Kirk Maltby / Patrick Marleau / Brenden Morrow / Brad Richards / Joe Sakic / Ryan Smyth / Martin St. Louis / Joe Thornton
DEFENSEMEN
Jay Bouwmeester / Eric Brewer / Adam Foote / Scott Hannan / Ed Jovanovski / Scott Niedermayer / Wade Redden / Robyn Regehr
GOALTENDERS
Martin Brodeur / Roberto Luongo / Jose Theodore
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