1991 Canada Cup
Encyclopedia
The 1991 Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament played in September 1991. The finals took place in Montreal
on September 14 and Hamilton, Ontario
on September 16, and were won by Canada
. The Canadians defeated the USA in a two game sweep, to win the fifth and final Canada Cup. The tournament would be replaced by the World Cup of Hockey
in 1996.
Of the five Canada Cup tournaments, this is the only one in which a team went undefeated, with two ties. Canada compiled a record of six wins and two ties in eight games. The first tie was a stunning 2-2 result with underdog Finland
on the opening day of the tournament, who got spectacular goaltending from Markus Ketterer
. Finland surprised many by finishing in third place in the round robin; the first time they had ever qualified for the semi-finals in the history of the Canada Cup. The Americans were also very strong, as they iced their best international line-up to date. They went a perfect 5-0 against European competition in the tournament, while losing three times to Canada. The team representing the USSR was relatively weak compared to past tournaments, it did not have many of it's top stars due to severe political turmoil at home, many players declining to play for the team, and purposely left off the roster (such as Pavel Bure
, Vladimir Konstantinov
, etc.) for fears of defection. It was not known until weeks before the start of the tournament that they would even send a team. This was the final major senior event in which a team representing the USSR would play.
Game 1 of the final is best remembered for the vicious check from behind on Wayne Gretzky
by American defenseman Gary Suter
, which knocked the Canadian captain out of the tournament and forced him to miss the first month of the NHL season. Game 2 was tied until late in the third period when Steve Larmer
scored the tournament winner on a short-handed breakaway.
Finals (best-of-3)
Top Goalie: Bill Ranford
, Canada (1.75 GAA)
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
on September 14 and Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
on September 16, and were won by Canada
Canadian national men's hockey team
The Canadian national ice hockey team is the ice hockey team representing Canada. The team is overseen by Hockey Canada, a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation, and participates in international competitions. From 1920 until 1963, Canada's international representation was by senior...
. The Canadians defeated the USA in a two game sweep, to win the fifth and final Canada Cup. The tournament would be replaced by the World Cup of Hockey
World Cup of Hockey
The World Cup of Hockey is an international ice hockey tournament. Inaugurated in 1996, it is the successor to the previous Canada Cup, which ran from 1976 to 1991...
in 1996.
Of the five Canada Cup tournaments, this is the only one in which a team went undefeated, with two ties. Canada compiled a record of six wins and two ties in eight games. The first tie was a stunning 2-2 result with underdog Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
on the opening day of the tournament, who got spectacular goaltending from Markus Ketterer
Markus Ketterer
Markus Ketterer is a retired professional ice hockey player who played in the SM-liiga and also the Swedish Elitserien. He played for Jokerit, TPS as Färjestads BK, the latter with which he became champion in 1997. He was inducted into the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame in 2005.-External links:*...
. Finland surprised many by finishing in third place in the round robin; the first time they had ever qualified for the semi-finals in the history of the Canada Cup. The Americans were also very strong, as they iced their best international line-up to date. They went a perfect 5-0 against European competition in the tournament, while losing three times to Canada. The team representing the USSR was relatively weak compared to past tournaments, it did not have many of it's top stars due to severe political turmoil at home, many players declining to play for the team, and purposely left off the roster (such as Pavel Bure
Pavel Bure
Pavel Vladimirovich Bure is a retired Russian professional ice hockey right winger. Nicknamed "The Russian Rocket" for his speed, Bure played for 12 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers...
, Vladimir Konstantinov
Vladimir Konstantinov
Vladimir Nikolaevich Konstantinov is a Russian retired professional ice hockey player who played his entire National Hockey League career with the Detroit Red Wings. Previously, he had played for Soviet club CSKA Moscow...
, etc.) for fears of defection. It was not known until weeks before the start of the tournament that they would even send a team. This was the final major senior event in which a team representing the USSR would play.
Game 1 of the final is best remembered for the vicious check from behind on Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
by American defenseman Gary Suter
Gary Suter
Gary Lee Suter is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman. He played his junior hockey for the Dubuque Fighting Saints, high school hockey at Culver Military Academy and then moved on to the University of Wisconsin–Madison...
, which knocked the Canadian captain out of the tournament and forced him to miss the first month of the NHL season. Game 2 was tied until late in the third period when Steve Larmer
Steve Larmer
Steven Donald Larmer is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward.Steve played in the NHL for the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers. He won the 1983 Calder Memorial Trophy as well as being named to the NHL All-Rookie Team that year...
scored the tournament winner on a short-handed breakaway.
Standings
| Team | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 21 | 11 | 8 | ||
| 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 15 | 8 | ||
| 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 13 | –3 | 5 | |
| 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 17 | –4 | 4 | |
| 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 3 | |
| 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 18 | –7 | 2 |
Round-robin
- August 31, TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
: Canada 2-2 Finland - August 31, Pittsburgh: United States 6-3 Sweden
- August 31, SaskatoonSaskatoonSaskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
: Czechoslovakia 5-2 Soviet Union
- September 2, HamiltonHamilton, OntarioHamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
: Canada 6-3 United States - September 2, MontrealMontrealMontreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
: Sweden 3-2 Soviet Union - September 2, Saskatoon: Finland 1-0 Czechoslovakia
- September 5, Toronto: Canada 4-1 Sweden
- September 5, Detroit: United States 4-2 Czechoslovakia
- September 5, Hamilton: Soviet Union 6-1 Finland
- September 7, Montreal: Canada 6-2 Czechoslovakia
- September 7, ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
: United States 2-1 Soviet Union - September 7, Hamilton: Finland 3-1 Sweden
- September 9, QuebecQuebec CityQuebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
: Canada 3-3 Soviet Union - September 9, Chicago: United States 4-3 Finland
- September 9, Toronto: Sweden 5-2 Czechoslovakia
Playoff round
Semi-finals| Location | Result |
|---|---|
| Hamilton, Sept. 11, 1991 |  United States 7  Finland 3 |
| Toronto, Sept. 12, 1991 |  Canada 4  Sweden 0 |
Finals (best-of-3)
| Location | Result |
|---|---|
| Montreal, Sept. 14, 1991 | Canada 4 United States 1 |
| Hamilton, Sept. 16, 1991 | Canada 4 United States 2 |
Leading Scorers
| Player | Team | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne Gretzky Wayne Gretzky Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,... |
Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
7 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 2 |
| Steve Larmer Steve Larmer Steven Donald Larmer is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward.Steve played in the NHL for the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers. He won the 1983 Calder Memorial Trophy as well as being named to the NHL All-Rookie Team that year... |
Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
8 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 4 |
| Brett Hull Brett Hull Brett Andrew Hull is a former Canadian-American NHL player and the former Executive Vice President of the Dallas Stars. He is the son of Bobby Hull and nephew of Dennis Hull, both former NHL players. Hull is also known as "The Golden Brett," which is a play off of his father's nickname, "The... |
United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
8 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 0 |
| Mike Modano Mike Modano Michael Thomas Modano, Jr. is a retired American professional ice hockey player, who most notably played for the Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars franchise. He is the all-time goal-scoring and points leader amongst American-born players in the NHL, as well as the last active player in the NHL... |
United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
8 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 2 |
| Mark Messier Mark Messier Mark Douglas Messier is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre of the National Hockey League and current special assistant to the president and general manager of the New York Rangers. He spent a quarter of a century in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and Vancouver... |
Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
8 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Paul Coffey Paul Coffey Paul Douglas Coffey is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey defenceman in the National Hockey League. Known for his speed and scoring prowess, Coffey ranks second all-time among NHL defencemen in career goals, assists, and points, behind Ray Bourque.-Playing career:Coffey was drafted 6th... |
Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
8 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| Craig Janney Craig Janney Craig Harlan Janney is a retired professional ice hockey center who played twelve seasons in the National Hockey League from 1987–88 until 1998–99, when blood clots ended his career prematurely.-Playing career:... |
United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
8 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Jeremy Roenick Jeremy Roenick Jeremy Shaffer "J.R." Roenick is a former American professional ice hockey player who played the majority of his career in the National Hockey League . He played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Phoenix Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks over the course of his 18 NHL... |
United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
8 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Mats Sundin Mats Sundin Mats Johan Sundin is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey player. Originally drafted first overall in 1989, Sundin played his first four seasons in the NHL with the Quebec Nordiques. He was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1994, where he played the majority of his career, serving 11... |
Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
6 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 16 |
| Al MacInnis Al MacInnis Allan MacInnis is a Canadian former ice hockey defenceman who played 23 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Calgary Flames and St. Louis Blues. A first round selection of the Flames in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, he went on to become a 13-time All-Star... |
Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
8 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 23 |
Top Goalie: Bill Ranford
Bill Ranford
William Edward Ranford is a former professional ice hockey goaltender and current goaltending coach for the Los Angeles Kings. He graduated from New Westminster Secondary School in 1985. He was selected in the third round of the 1985 NHL Entry Draft, 52nd overall, by the Boston Bruins...
, Canada (1.75 GAA)
All-star team
- Goaltender: Bill RanfordBill RanfordWilliam Edward Ranford is a former professional ice hockey goaltender and current goaltending coach for the Los Angeles Kings. He graduated from New Westminster Secondary School in 1985. He was selected in the third round of the 1985 NHL Entry Draft, 52nd overall, by the Boston Bruins...
, Canada - Defence: Al MacInnisAl MacInnisAllan MacInnis is a Canadian former ice hockey defenceman who played 23 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Calgary Flames and St. Louis Blues. A first round selection of the Flames in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, he went on to become a 13-time All-Star...
, Canada; Chris CheliosChris CheliosChristos Kostas Tselios is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman. He is currently the Executive Advisor to Ken Holland, the general manager of the Detroit Red Wings, a role that Steve Yzerman held before leaving to become general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning.Chelios played...
, USA - Forwards: Wayne GretzkyWayne GretzkyWayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
, Canada; Mats SundinMats SundinMats Johan Sundin is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey player. Originally drafted first overall in 1989, Sundin played his first four seasons in the NHL with the Quebec Nordiques. He was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1994, where he played the majority of his career, serving 11...
, Sweden; Jeremy RoenickJeremy RoenickJeremy Shaffer "J.R." Roenick is a former American professional ice hockey player who played the majority of his career in the National Hockey League . He played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Phoenix Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks over the course of his 18 NHL...
, USA