Which Nation got the best ice hockey team at this moment?

Answer 1

G'day AbsoluteMart,

Thank you for your question.

Sweden won the Winter Olympics defeating Finland and won the IIHF. The world rankings show the top three sides as Sweden, the Czech Republic and Canada. Canada was previously the top ranked side.

The most prominent ice hockey nations are Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden and the United States. While there are 64 total members of the International Ice Hockey Federation, those seven nations have dominated ice hockey. Of the sixty medals awarded in men's competition at the Olympic level from 1920 on, only six did not go to one of those countries (or a former entity thereof, such as Czechoslovakia or the Soviet Union) and only one such medal was awarded above bronze.

Ice is the official national winter sport of Canada, where the game enjoys immense popularity, and also the most popular sport in Finland. Six of the thirty NHL franchises are based in Canada, but Canadians currently outnumber Americans in the league by a ratio of almost three to one, and about thirty percent of the league's players are non-North Americans. The sport's popularity in the U.S. is concentrated in certain regions, notably the Northeast, the Upper Midwest, and Alaska. This geographic concentration helps to make ice hockey the least watched major sport in the United States, however it is by far the most watched in Canada. Nonetheless, in certain major U.S. cities (notably Buffalo, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, Chicago, Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, and Denver) it is still a major competitor to basketball for winter sports fans.

The annual men's Ice Hockey World Championships are highly regarded by Europeans, but they are less important to North Americans because they coincide with the Stanley Cup playoffs. Consequently, Canada and the United States, and other countries with NHL players have never been able to field their best possible teams because many of their players are playing for the Stanley Cup. Furthermore, for many years professionals were barred from play, so Canada and the United States were further hampered. Now that many Europeans play in the NHL, the world championships no longer represent the best of any nation's players.

Hockey has been played at the Winter Olympics since 1924 (and at the summer games in 1920). Canada won six of the first seven gold medals. The United States won their first gold medal in 1960. The USSR won all but two Olympic ice hockey gold medals from 1956 to 1988 and won a final time as the Unified Team at the 1992 Albertville Olympics. Since all players in the communist system were "amateurs," the USSR's elite national team was the best the country had to offer, while the best Americans, Swedes, Finns, and Canadians were professionals and thus barred from Olympic competition. Nonetheless, U.S. amateur college players defeated the heavily favored Soviet squad on the way to winning the gold medal at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics. This "Miracle on Ice" launched a surge of newfound popularity for a game about which many Americans had not cared much.

The 1972 Summit Series established Canada and the USSR as a major international ice hockey rivalry. It was followed by five Canada Cup tournaments, where the best players from every hockey nation could play. This tournament later became the World Cup of Hockey, played in 1996 and 2004. Canada won in 2004 and the U.S. in 1996. Since 1998, NHL professionals have played in the Olympics as well, so that the best in the world have had more opportunities to face off.

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Regards

Answer 2

Canada

Answer 3

Seemingly, Canada - but why didn't they do better than they did at the Olympics?

Canada have much more talent than Sweden and Finland. Canada didn't have an important player in Niedermayer. But Finland didn't have an important player in Kiprusoff.

I think the last Olympics was just a bad time for Canada and a good time for Sweden and Finland. The next Olympics, I think Canada will show its strength again.

Answer 4

Canada. We have Sidney Crosby, Joe Thronton, Eric Staal on our team. We've got Chris Pronger, Scott Nidermayer, Dion Phaneuf on defense. And Martin Brodeur and Roberto Lunogo are guarding our nets. Justin Pogge's coming up right now and will be on the team by Vancouver 2010. What other team has our talent and depth?

Answer 5

I would hate to admit this but right now until we have World Cup in 2008 or 2010 Olympics for the Mens, it's the following

Men's
1, Sweden
2. Finland
3. Canada

Women's
1. Canada
2. USA
3. Sweden

Jr's
1. Canada
2. Russia
3. Finland



However based on the balance of the above

1. Canada
2. Sweden
3. Russia

Answer 6

As far as "nations" go, don't leave out Sweden who won the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy!

I think this year's winter olympics were a fluke though.. and I think at the next winter Olympics (Vancouver BC in 2010), I think Canada will take it all on their home ice.

No way they'll ever let another year like this one happen again!

:o)
~ ~ ~

Answer 7

FINLAND!!!! i know, i know, they were defeated by sweden, but sweden cheated by losing a game they could win so that they could play against a 'weaker team' later on and thus ensure a place in the finals. as finland did no such thing, they are actually better.
so finland has got the best hockey team at this moment!

Answer 8

I would love to say Canada, but given our performance at the most recent olymoics, i would say probaly Finland, they have some really good talent, especially in netminders. Hopefully next time around, we will ditch the Bertuzzi's, in favor of the spezza's, staal's and crosby's. The olympics were kinda embarrasing to watch.

Answer 9

Well TECHNICLY its Swedden but Canada has a much deeper hockey program across the nation

Answer 10

Canada Rocks Baby!!!