Men's ice hockey tournaments have been staged at the Olympic Games since 1920. The men's tournament was introduced at the 1920 Summer Olympics, and permanently added to the Winter Olympic Games in 1924. [1] Canada has participated in 23 of 25 tournaments, sending 44 goaltenders and 348 skaters.
Contents
- Key
- Goaltenders
- Reserve goaltenders
- Skaters
- Reserve skaters
- See also
- Notes
- References
- External links
For the first 40 years of the tournament, Canada did not have a national team, instead choosing to send a club team, typically the Allan Cup winner. [2] In 1960, the Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen became the final club team to represent Canada at the Olympics. In 1962, Canada implemented a national team program, led by Father David Bauer. [3] Between 1920 and 1952, seven Olympic ice hockey tournaments were held and Canada won six gold medals and a silver in 1936. [4] The Soviet Union began competing in 1956 and frequently defeated the Canadian team. The Soviets won seven gold medals in nine tournaments; during that period Canada won a silver and two bronze medals. [5] The Olympic Games were originally intended for amateur athletes, so the players of the National Hockey League (NHL) and other professional leagues were not allowed to compete. [6] Many of Canada's top players were professional, so the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) pushed for the ability to use professional and amateur players. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) refused, and Canada withdrew from the 1972 and 1976 Olympics in protest. [7] [8] In 1986, the IOC voted to allow all athletes to compete in Olympic Games, starting in 1988. [9] [10] The NHL decided not to allow all players to participate in 1988, 1992 or 1994, because doing so would force the league to halt play during the Olympics. An agreement was reached in 1995 that allowed NHL players to compete in the Olympics, starting with the 1998 Games in Nagano, Japan. [11] National teams are coordinated by Hockey Canada and players are chosen by the team's management staff. [12] In 2018 and 2022, NHL players were not allowed to participate. [13] In 2024, the NHL reached an agreement to allow NHL players to once again compete in the Olympics in 2026 and 2030. [14]
Canada has won nine gold, four silver and three bronze medals in men's ice hockey, more than any other nation. [15] [16] 21 players have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, twelve into the IIHF Hall of Fame and eight into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. The Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame has inducted three individuals and five gold medal-winning teams: the 1920 Winnipeg Falcons, 1948 RCAF Flyers, 1952 Edmonton Mercurys and the 2002 and 2010 national teams. One player—Chris Pronger—has played on four teams. Ten others—Rob Blake, Martin Brodeur (named to 4 rosters, but played in 3), Adam Foote, Jarome Iginla, Eric Lindros, Roberto Luongo, Terry O'Malley, Rick Nash, Joe Sakic and Wally Schreiber—have played on three teams. According to the IOC database, 252 men have won medals; 15 players—Brodeur, Patrice Bergeron, Sidney Crosby, Drew Doughty, Ryan Getzlaf, Iginla, Duncan Keith, Roberto Luongo, Patrick Marleau, Nash, Scott Niedermayer, Corey Perry, Pronger, Jonathan Toews and Shea Weber—have won two gold medals. Eight others players—Lindros, Schreiber, Fabian Joseph, Brad Schlegel, Paul Kariya, Ken Laufman, Floyd Martin and Donald Rope—have won two medals. Chris Pronger holds the record for most games played, having dressed for 25 games in four Olympics between 1998 and 2010. Wally Schreiber is second in games played, with 24 games in 1988, 1992 and 1994. Harry Watson leads Canadian Olympians in goals, having scored 36 goals in 1924 (before assists were counted); Walter Halder scored 29 points (21 goals and 8 assists) in 1948; and Ken Laufman recorded 14 assists in 1956 and 1960. [17]
