How Canada's Arrogance Cost Them the World Cup of Hockey

In 1996, Canada entered the first-ever World Cup of Hockey with a roster stacked with legends—Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Steve Yzerman, and more. This team was built to dominate, but instead, they barely survived the round robin, played an all-time classic against Sweden, and then faced off against the United States in a dramatic three-game final. What should have been a coronation turned into one of the most shocking upsets in international hockey history. How did a team this talented fall short? Let’s break down Canada’s 1996 World Cup of Hockey, from their surprising roster decisions to their heartbreaking defeat in the final. 00:00 Intro 00:27 Part One: the buildup 03:15 Part Two: round robin 07:40 Part Three: the greatest game nobody remembers 10:57 Part Four: the final