Hockey: U.

Hockey: U.S. Wins First World Cup. The following report is from an October 1996 article in the Encarta Yearbook. . Hockey: U.S. Wins First World Cup In a competition formerly known as the Canada Cup, the United States beat the Canadians at their own national game, edging Canada 2 games to 1 in the first World Cup of Hockey. The decisive 5-2 U.S. win on September 14, 1996, came in Montreal, Canada, stunning at home the country generally considered the birthplace of modern ice hockey. It was the biggest international hockey victory for the United States since the near-miraculous gold medal at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games. Since that stunning upset the United States had not managed to earn a medal in the Olympics or World Championships until finally coming up with a bronze at the 1996 World Championships. A U.S. team did manage to finish second to Canada in the 1991 Canada Cup. But this was the breakthrough win, beating the country that had won four of the five Canada Cups held since the aptly named tournament was begun in 1976. Started by executives of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Canada Cup brought the top six national teams in world hockey together in Canada every three to five years to determine the best of the best. Canada emerged victorious in 1976, 1984, 1987, and 1991, losing only to the Soviet Union in the 1981 finals. In 1996 the name was changed to the World Cup of Hockey, and the tournament field was expanded to eight teams. In addition to the United States and Canada, teams from the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Russia, Slovakia, and Sweden participated. Because the tournament is held in the late summer, many stars from the NHL are able to participate, unlike other major international hockey competitions. The U.S. triumph was no fluke. The team was unbeaten in round-robin play, including a 5-3 win over Canada and a 5-2 win over powerful Russia. In the semifinals, the U.S. team beat Russia again by a score of 5-2, while Canada clawed past Sweden, 3-2, in double-overtime. In the finals the two neighboring rivals split the first two games, Canada winning the first in overtime, 4-3, and the United States claiming the second, 5-2. Victory seemed to be in Canada's grasp late in the rubber game, as the Canadians held a 2-1 lead with less than four minutes left in the contest. Then U.S. star Brett Hull knocked in his second goal of the game, deflecting the puck in off his raised stick. After reviewing replays to see if Hull's stick was at a legal height, referees allowed the goal to stand. Less than a minute later, Tony Amonte broke the tie with a goal over the Canadian goalie's pad to give the United States the lead for good. Amonte's goal was also controversial, as Canadian players protested that Amonte had illegally kicked the puck in. The United States added two more goals to finish the scoring after Canada, in a desperate move, pulled out their goalie. Canadian players expressed frustration at losing the World Cup to the United States, especially in a game they seemed to dominate. The U.S. team remained in the game thanks largely to goalie Mike Richter, whose fearless play in the net earned him the most valuable player (MVP) award for the tournament. Richter, the regular New York Rangers goalie in the NHL, was brilliant in stopping 35 Canadian shots in the final game. Source: Encarta Yearbook, October 1996. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.