>>> Mike Machnik <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>> "Tonight in Montreal, Team USA defeated Team Canada, 5-2, in
>>> Game 3 to take the inaugural World Cup.  Over the history of the
>>> sport of ice hockey, very few international tournaments have ever
 
> Joan M. King <[log in to unmask]> 09/19/96 02:00am >>>
> This World Cup for ice hockey is not the real inaugural World Cup.
> Women have been playing in their World Ice Hockey Cup for ...
 
The European mens teams have been playing World Cup hockey for
many years now. In fact, the U.S. and Canada used to send teams but
stopped in the late 50's/early 60's. Once upon a time, U.S. and Canada
used to send student teams (100% amateur) and they used to win
handily. Then the European teams started to improve with national
squads full of "military" players. Of course, these skaters only real
responsiblility was to play hockey and these squads became pretty
powerful as we know. Well, our North American teams wanted to send
some professional players because our student teams were getting
beat, however Russia, Czechoslavakia, etc. wouldn't allow this ....
claiming their teams were "amateurs". So we stopped sending teams.
However, they've still been competing all these years and just recently,
we've re-entered the tournament.
 
I'd be interested in any other history posters may have on these
"student" teams we used to send.
 
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