Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics – Men's tournament

The men's ice hockey tournament at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, was the 19th Olympic Championship. The Czech Republic, which emerged from the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993, won its first winter gold medal, becoming only the seventh nation to win Olympic ice hockey gold. The tournament, held from February 7 to February 22, was played at the Big Hat and Aqua Wing arenas.

1998 Winter Olympics
Men's Ice Hockey
Tournament details
Host country Japan
Dates7–22 February
Teams14
Venue(s)Big Hat, Aqua Wing Arena (in 1 host city)
Final positions
Champions  Czech Republic (1st title)
Runner-up  Russia
Third place  Finland
Fourth place Canada
Tournament statistics
Matches played35
Goals scored210 (6 per match)
Scoring leader(s) Teemu Selänne
(10 points)
1994
2002

This was the first Olympics in which the National Hockey League (NHL) took a break (17 days, from February 8 to February 24) allowing national teams to include NHL players from each country. [1][2] Unlike basketball's Dream Team in 1992, where the players stayed in a hotel in Barcelona due to security concerns,[3] NHL players stayed in the Olympic Village due to improved security measures.[4]

The Canadian team, despite a strong start in the round robin, lost their semifinal match against the Czech Republic in a shootout, and played a lackluster bronze medal game, disappointing Canadians who wished for Wayne Gretzky to get an Olympic medal. In the final match, the Czech Republic shut-out Russia to win the gold medal, in large part due to a sterling performance by Dominik Hašek.[5]

Qualification

Preliminary round

Group A

Top team (shaded) advanced to the first round.

Team GP W L T GF GA GD Pts
 Kazakhstan 32011411+35
 Slovakia 31119903
 Italy 3120111102
 Austria 3012912−32

All times are local (UTC+9).

7 February 1998
16:00
Italy 3–5
(3–1, 0–1, 0–3)
 KazakhstanThe Big Hat, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 8,634
7 February 1998
16:00
Austria 2–2
(1–0, 1–2, 0–0)
 SlovakiaAqua Wing Arena, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 4,315
8 February 1998
14:00
Austria 5–5
(2–2, 2–1, 1–2)
 KazakhstanThe Big Hat, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 9,410
8 February 1998
18:00
Slovakia 4–3
(1–2, 3–1, 0–0)
 ItalyThe Big Hat, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 8,620
10 February 1998
14:00
Slovakia 3–4
(1–1, 1–0, 1–3)
 KazakhstanAqua Wing Arena, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 3,659
10 February 1998
18:00
Italy 5–2
(2–0, 2–0, 1–2)
 AustriaThe Big Hat, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 8,473

Group B

Top team (shaded) advanced to the first round.

Team GP W L T GF GA GD Pts
 Belarus 3201144+105
 Germany 321079−24
 France 312058−32
 Japan 3021510−51

All times are local (UTC+9).

7 February 1998France 0–4
(0–1, 0–1, 0–2)
 BelarusAqua Wing Arena, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 3,419
7 February 1998Germany 3–1
(0–0, 1–0, 2–1)
 JapanThe Big Hat, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 9,861
9 February 1998Germany 2–8
(0–2, 2–3, 0–3)
 BelarusThe Big Hat, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 8,063
9 February 1998Japan 2–5
(2–1, 0–1, 0–3)
 FranceThe Big Hat, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 9,930
10 February 1998Japan 2–2
(1–1, 1–1, 0–0)
 BelarusThe Big Hat, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 3,659
10 February 1998France 0–2
(0–0, 0–1, 0–1)
 GermanyAqua Wing Arena, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 3,916

Consolation round

13th place match

All times are local (UTC+9).

12 February 1998Japan 4 – 3 (SO)
(1–2, 1–0, 1–1, 0–0, 1–0)
 AustriaThe Big Hat, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 9,495

11th place match

All times are local (UTC+9).

12 February 1998France 5–1
(1–0, 0–0, 4–1)
 ItalyThe Big Hat, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 8,854

9th place match

All times are local (UTC+9).

12 February 1998Germany 4–2
(0–1, 1–1, 3–0)
 SlovakiaThe Big Hat, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 8,670

First round

Group C

Team GP W L T GF GA GD Pts
 Russia 3300156+96
 Czech Republic 3210124+84
 Finland 3120119+22
 Kazakhstan 3030625−190

All times are local (UTC+9).

13 February 1998
14:45
Czech Republic 3–0
(0–0, 1–0, 2–0)
 FinlandAqua Wing Arena, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 5,050
13 February 1998
18:45
Russia 9–2
(2–1, 5–0, 2–1)
 KazakhstanAqua Wing Arena, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 3,752
15 February 1998
13:45
Russia 4–3
(1–2, 2–1, 1–0)
 FinlandThe Big Hat, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 9,894
15 February 1998
18:45
Czech Republic 8–2
(1–0, 3–2, 4–0)
 KazakhstanThe Big Hat, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 9,975
16 February 1998
15:45
Finland 8–2
(3–1, 1–0, 4–1)
 KazakhstanAqua Wing Arena, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 5,544
16 February 1998
18:45
Czech Republic 1–2
(0–0, 1–0, 0–2)
 RussiaThe Big Hat, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 9,847

Group D

Team GP W L T GF GA GD Pts
 Canada 3300123+96
 Sweden 3210117+44
 United States 3120810−22
 Belarus 3030415−110

All times are local (UTC+9).

13 February 1998
14:45
Sweden 4–2
(1–2, 2–0, 1–0)
 United StatesThe Big Hat, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 9,985
13 February 1998
18:45
Canada 5–0
(2–0, 2–0, 1–0)
 BelarusThe Big Hat, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 9,960
14 February 1998
14:45
United States 5–2
(2–1, 1–0, 2–1)
 BelarusThe Big Hat, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 9,975
14 February 1998
18:45
Sweden 2–3
(1–0, 0–3, 1–0)
 CanadaThe Big Hat, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 9,945
16 February 1998
13:45
Canada 4–1
(1–0, 2–0, 1–1)
 United StatesThe Big Hat, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 10,076
16 February 1998
18:45
Sweden 5–2
(2–0, 1–1, 2–1)
 BelarusAqua Wing Arena, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 4,235

Final round

  Quarterfinals Semifinals Gold medal game
                           
  C1  Russia 4  
D4  Belarus 1  
  C1  Russia 7  
  C3  Finland 4  
D2  Sweden 1
  C3  Finland 2  
    C1  Russia 0
  C2  Czech Republic  1
  D1  Canada 4  
C4  Kazakhstan 1  
  D1  Canada 1 Bronze medal game
  C2  Czech Republic  2  
C2  Czech Republic  4 D1  Canada 2
  D3  United States 1   C3  Finland 3

Quarter-finals

All times are local (UTC+9).

18 February 1998
14:45
Czech Republic 4–1
(0–1, 3–0, 1–0)
 United StatesThe Big Hat, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 9,822
18 February 1998
14:45
Russia 4–1
(1–0, 1–0, 2–1)
 BelarusAqua Wing Arena, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 4,628
18 February 1998
18:45
Canada 4–1
(2–1, 2–0, 0–0)
 KazakhstanThe Big Hat, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 9,602
18 February 1998
18:45
Sweden 1–2
(0–0, 0–0, 1–2)
 FinlandAqua Wing Arena, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 5,044

Semi-finals

All times are local (UTC+9).

20 February 1998
14:45
Canada 1–2 SO
(0–0, 0–0, 1–1, 0–0)
(SO: 0–1)
 Czech RepublicThe Big Hat, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 9,854
20 February 1998
18:45
Russia 7–4
(2–0, 2–3, 3–1)
 FinlandThe Big Hat, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 9,640

Bronze medal game

All times are local (UTC+9).

21 February 1998
15:15
Canada 2–3
(1–2, 1–0, 0–1)
 Finland The Big Hat, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 9,875

Gold medal game

All times are local (UTC+9).

22 February 1998
13:45
Russia 0–1
(0–0, 0–0, 0–1)
 Czech Republic The Big Hat, Nagano, Japan
Attendance: 10,010

Statistics

Average age

Team Canada was the oldest team in the tournament, with an average age of 30 years. Team Kazakhstan was the youngest, averaging 26 years and 11 months. The gold medal-winning Czech Republic team averaged 27 years and 2 months. The tournament average was 28 years and 1 month.[6]

Leading scorers

Rank Player GP G A Pts PIM
1  Teemu Selänne (FIN) 546108
2  Saku Koivu (FIN) 628104
3  Pavel Bure (RUS) 69092
4  Aleksandr Koreshkov (KAZ) 73692
5  Philippe Bozon (FRA) 45274
6  Konstantin Shafranov (KAZ) 74376
7  Dominic Lavoie (AUT) 45168
8  Jere Lehtinen (FIN) 64262
9  Alexei Yashin (RUS) 63360
10  Serge Poudrier (FRA) 62464
11  Sergei Fedorov (RUS) 61568

Medal-winning rosters

Gold: Silver: Bronze:
 Czech Republic (CZE)
Josef Beránek
Jan Čaloun
Roman Čechmánek
Jiří Dopita
Roman Hamrlík
Dominik Hašek
Milan Hejduk
Milan Hnilička
Jaromír Jágr
František Kučera
Robert Lang
David Moravec
Pavel Patera
Libor Procházka
Martin Procházka
Robert Reichel
Martin Ručínský
Vladimír Růžička-C
Jiří Šlégr
Richard Šmehlík
Jaroslav Špaček
Martin Straka
Petr Svoboda
 Russia (RUS)
Pavel Bure-C
Valeri Bure
Oleg Chevtsov
Sergei Fedorov
Sergei Gonchar
Alexei Gusarov
Valeri Kamensky
Darius Kasparaitis
Andrei Kovalenko
Igor Kravchuk
Sergei Krivokrasov
Boris Mironov
Dmitri Mironov
Alexei Morozov
Sergei Nemchinov
Mikhail Shtalenkov
German Titov
Andrei Trefilov
Alexei Yashin
Dmitri Yushkevich
Valeri Zelepukin
Alexei Zhitnik
Alexei Zhamnov
 Finland (FIN)
Aki-Petteri Berg
Tuomas Grönman
Raimo Helminen
Sami Kapanen
Saku Koivu-C
Jari Kurri
Janne Laukkanen
Jere Lehtinen
Juha Lind
Jyrki Lumme
Jarmo Myllys
Mika Nieminen
Janne Niinimaa
Teppo Numminen
Ville Peltonen
Kimmo Rintanen
Teemu Selänne
Ari Sulander
Jukka Tammi
Esa Tikkanen
Kimmo Timonen
Antti Törmänen
Juha Ylönen

Source:

  • Gold – "Team members CZECH REPUBLIC". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 2009-07-29.
  • Silver – "Team members Russia". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 2009-07-29.
  • Bronze – "Team members Finland". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 2009-07-29.

Roster notes

Several of general manager Bobby Clarke's selections for Team Canada were controversial. Eric Lindros was named captain over longtime leaders such as Wayne Gretzky, Steve Yzerman, and Ray Bourque (Clarke at the time was general manager of Lindros's NHL team, the Philadelphia Flyers).[7] Rob Zamuner was a surprise pick, while Mark Messier and Scott Niedermayer were omitted.[8] Japanese fans were disappointed when their adopted hero, Paul Kariya, a Canadian of Japanese heritage and one of Canada's best stars, failed to make the Games due to a head injury sustained from a crosscheck by Gary Suter during regular season NHL play.[9][10][11]

Memorably, during the shootout in their semifinal match against the Czech Republic, Canadian coach Marc Crawford opted to have defenceman Ray Bourque shoot in the shootout instead of high-scoring forwards Wayne Gretzky and Steve Yzerman. Hockey commentators alternatively criticized Crawford's decision (Bourque, like the other four Canadian shooters, failed to score) or praised it on the grounds that Bourque was one of hockey's most accurate shooters at the time and Gretzky had always been surprisingly mediocre on breakaways.[12][13]

Controversy

Swedish player Ulf Samuelsson was discovered to have applied for American citizenship. Under Swedish law at the time, when one acquires a foreign passport, their citizenship is annulled. Samuelsson was ejected after having played the first game against Belarus, although Sweden kept their points from the win. The Czech National Olympic Committee felt that Sweden should lose the points and filed a protest with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which was rejected.[14][15]

Final rankings

Team
 Czech Republic
 Russia
 Finland
4th Canada
5th Sweden
6th United States
7th Belarus
8th Kazakhstan
9th Germany
10th Slovakia
11th France
12th Italy
13th Japan
14th Austria

These standings are presented as the IIHF has them,[16] however both the NHL an IOC maintain that all quarterfinal losers are ranked equal at 5th.[17][18]

References

  1. https://www.olympedia.org/results/20713
  2. https://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_1998_games.html
  3. Richardson, Steve (26 July 1992). "Dream Team Besieged by Everyone, Defends Staying Outside Village". Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  4. Wilbon, Michael (13 February 1998). "There Are Many Teams in This Dream". Washington Post. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  5. Jason Pirodsky (February 28, 2018). "New Doc Recounts Czech Republic's 1998 Olympic Hockey Gold in Nagano". The Prague Reporter.
  6. https://www.quanthockey.com/olympics/en/teams/team-canada-players-1998-olympics-stats.html
  7. MacGregor, Roy (1998-02-04). "All eyes on Eric: Is 24-year-old Eric Lindros ready to carry Canada's hockey hopes?".
  8. Willes, Ed (1997-11-30). "HOCKEY; Gretzky In, Messier Out As Canada Picks Team". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
  9. "Gary Suter hangs up skates". CBC News. September 10, 2002.
  10. http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1998/Czechs-Win-Hockey-Gold/id-1b8a324826480f0298c434dd488e0645
  11. "Winter Sports / Road To Nagano – Street Crashes, Expected To Be OK For Olympics – Binding Problem At 75 Mph Leaves Her With Concussion". The Seattle Times. 1 February 1998.
  12. Robinson, Alan (20 February 1998). "Angry US Hockey Players Trash Rooms". Associated Press. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  13. Mike Brophy (February 3, 2017). "'98 problems: How it all went wrong for Canada's Olympic hockey team in Nagano". CBC Sports.
  14. Podnieks & Szemberg 2008, Story #72–Reporter's scoop reveals that Samuelsson is not a Swede in Nagano-98.
  15. Boyd, William (2006). All Roads Lead to Hockey. U of Nebraska Press. p. 82. ISBN 0803262523. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  16. IIHF Media Guide and Record Book (2011) p. 118
  17. National Hockey League Official Guide and Record Book (2002) p.13
  18. LA84 foundation Official Report of the XVIII Olympic Winter Games p.168
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