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Originally known as the Canada Cup, this tournament was created by the NHL, NHLPA, and Hockey Canada in 1976 and gave NHL players a chance to represent their respective countries. The first five Canada Cup tournaments (1976, 1981, 1984, 1987, and 1991) saw Team Canada and the United States face off against the four best European national teams based on the results of the most recent World and European Championships.
The name and format of the tournament was changed to the World Cup of Hockey in 1996, with the world's eight best national teams (Canada, the USA, Russia, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic) meeting in August-September of that year. The teams were divided into two groups of four, one playing its preliminary round-robin series in Europe and the other in North America. The top three teams from each group advanced to the playoffs, which were all played in North America. The first-place team in each group received a bye through the first playoff round, while the teams that finished second met the teams that finished third in the other group. Winners of the one-game series advanced to the semifinals with the first-place teams. Semifinal winners then met in a best-of-three final. The original tournament in 1996 saw the United States beat Canada in the finals. It is planned to continue holding the World Cup of Hockey every four years. |
