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History of Olympic Hockey The history of Olympic Hockey started in 1920 at the 1920 Summer Olympic Games in Antwerp, Belgium. In 1924, hockey was moved permanently to the Winter Olympic games which is where it is played today. From the years 1924-1988, the tournament was played using a round-robin series of games first and then ending with the medal rounds. The Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals were awarded based on points accumulated during that round. Hockey at the Olympic games follows the rules of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), which are slightly different then the rules of the NHL. Below I have broken the history of olympic hockey in detail starting from the first Olympic Hockey tournament to the 2010 tournament in Vancouver. 1920: 1920 was the first Olympic hockey tournament. It took place in the 1920 Summer Games in Antwerp, Belgium and was played in the month of April from April 23-29 and seven teams participated. They were Canada,(which sent the Winnipeg Falcons), Czechoslovakia, United States, Switzerland, Sweden, France, and Belgium. Canada dominated the tournament. They out scored their opponents 27-1. The 1920 games were the only time in the history of Olympic hockey that the tournament was held in the summer. GOLD: Canada SILVER: United States BRONZE: Czechoslovakia  1924: The 1924 games were the first Winter games of the Olympics and were held in Chamonix,France. The tournament was played using round-robin format. It consisted of a preliminary round and a medal round. The medals were awarded based on win–loss records during the medal round. This format was used until 1992 Winter Games which were also held in France. Canada, which was represented by the Toronto Granitesm became one of the dominant hockey teams in the history of Olympic hockey, outscoring opponents 110–3. GOLD: Canada SILVER: United States BRONZE: Great Britain
There were eleven teams that participated in the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Canada was given a bye to the medal round and won all of its games by a combined score of 38–0. Canada had one of the most dominating performance in the history of Olympic hockey and took home the Gold for the third straight time. GOLD: Canada SILVER: Sweden BRONZE: Switzerland 1932: The 1932 Winter Games took place in Lake Placid, New York. Four teams completed in the tournament. Canada, United States, Germany and Poland. In the Gold Medal game, Canada played the United States to a draw in a marathon game. The game is called after three scoreless overtime. The only time in the history of Olympic hockey that a game was called after three scoreless overtimes. Canada only needed a win or tie, so they won the Gold and United States the Silver. GOLD: Canada SILVER: United States BRONZE: Germany
The 1936 Winter Olympics took place in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, during a period when the Nazi party was coming into power. The tournament consisted of four groups and fifteen teams. The teams were Canada, United States, Great Britain, Germany, Austria, Latvia, Poland, Italy, Switzerland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Belgium, France, Japan, and Sweden. After four consecutive gold medals and a 20 straight victories in the Olympic Tournament, Canada lost the Gold medal to Great Britain. Out of the 12 team roster for Great Britain, 10 British players lived in Canada. This was the last Winter Olympics before World War II. Because of World War II the 1940 and 1944 Winter Olympics were canceled. GOLD: Great Britain SILVER: Canada BRONZE: United States  1948: The 1948 Winter Olympics took place in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Canada and Czechoslovakia finish with same record, 7-0-1. But Canada won the Gold Medal based on goal differential. It is the only time in the history of Olympic hockey that the Gold medal was determined by goal differential. Canada outscored their opponents 69–5 (a +64 goal differential). The Czechoslovakia team outscored their opponents 80–18 (a +62 goal differential). Canada won the gold by a two-goal margin. The Swiss team earned the bronze medal. GOLD: Canada SILVER: Czechoslovakia BRONZE: Switzerland 1952: The 1952 Winter Olympics took place in Oslo, Norway. Canada won the Gold medal. This would be the last time Canada would win the Gold medal for 50 years. It would end a great run of a dominance and Gold medals for the Canadians, one of the best runs in the history of Olympic hockey. The United States won silver and Sweden won bronze. This was also the year that Finland competed for the first time in the games. GOLD: Canada SILVER: United States BRONZE: Sweden
The 1956 Winter Olympics took place in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. The Soviet Union team dominated the tournament and went undefeated and won its first gold medal. The Soviet Union Gold medal victory was impressive and noteworthy because of how quick they rose to the top in international play since they did not compete in the previous Olympics in 1952. The Soviet Union knew how to play hockey and they would show the rest of the world in the upcoming years when they put together teams that would win Gold Medals easily while becoming the greatest force in the history of Olympic hockey. GOLD: Soviet Union SILVER: United States BRONZE: Canada
The 1960 Winter Olympics took place in Squaw Valley, California in the United States. Canada, the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia and Sweden entered the tournament as the top four teams. But with the home ice, the United States defeated all four teams and won the Gold. Most people tend to forget about the 1960 tournament, and the United States Gold medal win. The 1960 Winter Olympic games are known by hockey historians as the "Forgotten Miracle" or the "Original Miracle on Ice". In the history of Olympic hockey, the 1960 Tournament was very important. It is the first time that the United States team wins Gold in Olympic hockey. Ironically, Herb Brooks, the coach of the 1980 USA "Miracle on Ice" team that won Gold in Lake Placid was the last player cut from the 1960 United States team.  GOLD: United States SILVER: Canada BRONZE: Soviet Union 1964: The 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria saw the Soviet Union win the Gold. It was the start of an era of international dominance for the Soviet Union hockey team that will last nearly three decades from 1964 to 1992. During this time the Soviet Union will not only became the greatest hockey team in the history of Olympic hockey, but the greatest international hockey team of all time. They will win seven Olympic gold medals in eight tries. GOLD: Soviet Union SILVER: Sweden BRONZE: Czechoslovakia
The 1968 Winter Olympics took place in Grenoble, France. 14 teams competed and once again the Soviet Union won the Gold. The 1968 Olympic hockey tournament was the last time the tournament contested for three titles, which were the World Championships, Olympic Championship and European Championship. GOLD: Soviet Union SILVER: Czechoslovakia BRONZE: Canada
The 1972 Winter Olympics took place in Sapporo, Japan. It was the first time in the history of Olympic hockey that Canada did not compete. Canada did not send a team to the 1972 Winter Olympics following a dispute over the use of professional players. Canadians argued that the Soviets and other eastern bloc teams used professional players and were only amateur in name only, thus allowing them to compete in the Olympics and dominate the tournament. Several months later in September 1972, after winning the gold medal, the Soviets play a team of Canadian NHL stars in an exhibition series, known as the "Summit Series". Canada wins the series 4 games to 3, with 1 tie. Although the Canadians win the series the games are very close and the Canadians are shocked how good the Soviets really are. GOLD: Soviet Union SILVER: United States BRONZE: Czechoslovakia 1976: The 1976 Winter Olympics took place Innsbruck, Austria. The Soviet Union once again won Gold. For the second straight Winter Olympics, Canada protested the use of so called "amateur" players by the Soviet Union and Eastern bloc countries and did not send a team. Sweden, Norway, and East Germany joined Canada in the protest and didn't compete in the tournament either. Some people consider the 1976 Winter Olympics compared to other tournaments in the history of Olympic hockey to be the weakest since Canada and Sweden did not participate. GOLD: Soviet Union SILVER: Czechoslovakia BRONZE: West Germany
The 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid New York was the year of the "Miracle on Ice". The Miracle on Ice was one of defining moments not only in the history of Olympic hockey, but in the history of American sports. It is considered as the greatest sports moment of the 20th century and the greatest upset in the history of sports. The USA team defeated the Soviets 4-3. The USA team was made up of college players, while the Soviet Union team was the best hockey team in the world, whose players were better then NHL players and trained religious 11 months out of the year. GOLD: United States SILVER: Soviet Union BRONZE: Finland The video below is the final minute of the game and Al Michaels famous call, "Do you believe in miracles? Yes!"
The 1984 Winter Olympics took place in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. The Soviet Union bounced back from their 1980 Silver medal finish and won the Gold. Czechoslovakia won the Silver and Sweden won the Bronze. GOLD: Soviet Union SILVER: Czechoslovakia BRONZE: Sweden 1988: The 1988 Winter Olympics took place in Calgary, Alberta. The Soviet Union captured their seventh and final Gold medal. Finland captured the Silver, while Sweden took home the Bronze. This would be the last time the "Soviet Union" would win the Gold since Communist fell and the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. It would end the greatest run of dominance, not only in the history of Olympic hockey, but in sports. GOLD: Soviet Union SILVER: Finland BRONZE: Sweden
The 1992 Winter Olympics took place in Albertville, France. The Soviet Union dissolved in December 1991, and a lot of the top Soviet players from previous Olympics left to play in the NHL. Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan competed as one entity, known as the Unified Team. So with the USSR dissolved, the Soviet Olympic team competes under the banner of the "Unified Team" The Unified Team wins its eighth gold medal since 1956, a final victory in one of the greatest championship runs in any sport. In future Olympics, former Soviets republics will compete separately. Canada wins the Silver, while Czechoslovakia wins the Bronze. GOLD: Unified Team SILVER: Canada BRONZE: Czechoslovakia
The 1994 Winter Olympics took place in Lillehammer, Norway. In January 1993, Czechoslovakia split into Czech Republic and Slovakia. Both nations competed in the 1994 Olympics. The Gold medal games was between Sweden and Canada. The score was tied 2-2 after regulation and overtime, which resulted in a shootout. (the first in Olympic hockey). Peter Forsberg of Sweden scored one of the most famous goals in the history of Olympic hockey by faking a forehand shot, then sliding a one-handed backhand shot past goaltender Corey Hirsch. The Swedish postal service in 1995 memorialized Peter Forsberg's game winning shootout goal with a stamp. GOLD: Sweden SILVER: Canada BRONZE: Finland 1998: The 1998 Winter Olympics were held in Nagano, Japan. In 1995, an agreement between the IOC, NHL, NHLPA, and IIHF was made to allow NHL players to compete in the Olympics. 1998 was the first year that NHL players were allowed to compete in the Olympics. Canada, United States, Russia, Finland, Sweden, and Czech Republic were considered the top teams in the tournament. Czech Republic won the Gold medal beating Russia 1-0. Russia ended up with the Silver and Finland beat Canada 3-2 in the Bronze medal game to capture the Bronze. The 1998 Winter Olympics were also the year that Women's Hockey debuted at the games. Canada was favored to win the Gold, but United States took home the Gold. Canada took the Silver and Finland took the Bronze. MENS: GOLD: Czech Republic SILVER: Russia BRONZE: Finland WOMENS: GOLD: United States SILVER: Canada BRONZE: Finland 2002: The 2002 Winter Olympics were held in Salt Lake City, Utah. NHL players once again competed for their respective countries. The United States team was coached by Herb Brooks, who coached the "Miracle on Ice" team in 1980. In the Gold medal game, Canada defeated the United States 5-2 to win their first Gold Medal in the Olympics in 50 years. United States settled for the Silver and Russia took home the Bronze. On the Women's side, Canada rebounded from their 1998 lost to United States and won the Gold. United States captured the Silver and Sweden took the Bronze. MENS: GOLD: Canada SILVER: United States BRONZE: Russia WOMENS: GOLD: Canada SILVER: United States BRONZE: Sweden 2006: The 2006 Winter Olympics were held in Torino, Italy. On the Men's side, Sweden won the Gold. Finland capture Silver and Czech Republic took the Bronze. On the Women's side, Canada took home the Gold, Sweden the Silver, and the United States the Bronze. MENS: GOLD: Sweden SILVER: Finland BRONZE: Czech Republic WOMENS: GOLD: Canada SILVER: Sweden BRONZE: United States 2010: The 2010 Winter Olympics took place in Vancouver, Canada. For the first time, the Olympic hockey games were played on narrower NHL size rinks. The games were thrilling, especially the Gold medal game between Canada and the United States. The United States scored to tie the game 2-2 with less then 24 second left in the 3rd Period. In Overtime, Sidney Crosby beat U.S. goalie Ryan Miller to win the Gold for Canada! The goal set off a frenzy in Canada! The game is considered by many people now as the greatest game in the history of Olympic hockey. The rating for the game were huge. In the United States, the game was the most watched hockey game in the U.S. in 30 years! In Canada, over 26 millions people watched the game. The game was a classic. Canada took home the Gold, United States the Silver and Finland the Bronze. On the Women's side, Canada also played the United States in the Gold medal game and like their men counterparts they also beat the United States to win the Gold. With Canada receiving the Gold, United States took the Silver and Finland the Bronze. MENS: GOLD: Canada SILVER: United States BRONZE: Finland WOMENS: GOLD: Canada SILVER: United States BRONZE: Finland The 2014 games are in Sochi, Russia. This will be the first time in the history of Olympic hockey that the tournament and winter Olympics games will be hosted in the Russian Federation. There are some questions for the 2014 games, such as will NHL players still be able to compete and how to make Women's hockey more competitive since Canada and United States dominated the tournament in Vancouver.
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