Ice hockey first appeared at the Olympics in 1920, but it wasn’t until 1936 that a medal round was introduced. The game’s popularity continued to grow. Since then, hockey fans have witnessed some of the sport’s most iconic moments — from Dominik Hasek’s brilliance in 1994 to Sidney Crosby’s golden goal at 2018 PyeongChang.
The Olympic tournament consists of a round-robin series of games and a medal round, followed by a playoff to determine the winner. The medals are awarded based on the number of points scored during the medal round.
In the early years of Olympic ice hockey, the dominant nation was Canada. The great team of the 1940s – including stars like George Armstrong, Tommy Douglas and Bobby Clarke – won seven straight games and outscored opponents by 40-9.
But in 1952 Oslo, the Soviet Union entered the tournament for the first time and immediately dominated with their exceptional skill. Their perfect record – all seven wins and three ties – portended an unmatched reign that would last 36 years, until the collapse of the Soviet Union brought an end to its supremacy.
The Miracle on Ice in 1980 is arguably the greatest moment in the history of Olympic ice hockey. Coach Herb Brooks, a staunch believer in the European style of play, believed his team could win against the mighty Soviets in the medal round. But the Americans were down 3-0 after the first period, and trailing 4-0 after the second. That’s when Brooks changed tactics, putting his best players on the front lines and taking the game to the Soviets.