Men’s ice hockey became an Olympic sport in 1920, and Canada overshadowed the competition for several decades, winning nearly all of the tournaments until the rise of the mighty Soviet “Big Red Machine” in 1956. The Soviet Union ruled the sport for the second half of the 20th century.

The Early Years

The first Olympic men’s ice hockey tournament was actually held during the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium. The Winter Olympics, which began in 1924 in Chamonix, France, included a men’s ice hockey tournament, and it has been part of the Winter Games ever since.

Canada dominated the early years of Olympic ice hockey, winning the gold medal in five of the first six tournaments. But its domination was not to last. From the mid-50s through the late 1980s, the Soviet Union owned Olympic ice hockey, winning seven gold medals over the course of nine Olympic tournaments. (The U.S. won gold in 1960 and 1980 when college players defeated the USSR in the “Miracle on Ice.”)

“The Soviets structured their elite league to ensure the national team’s success in international competition,” John Soares noted in a 2008 article in the Brown Journal of World Affairs. The International Olympic Committee would not allow professional athletes to compete in ice hockey until 1986, and the National Hockey League did not give the green light for its players to take part in the Games until 1998.

‘Amateur’ Professionals

Because of sports regulations, only amateurs could compete in Olympic ice hockey for most countries. The Soviets, by contrast, developed what was essentially a professional Olympic ice hockey team, though the country, as Soares noted, did not call it that:

All Soviet athletes were classified as amateurs, and many of the best hockey players in the Soviet Union were designated as professional military officers, even though they trained full-time in their sport and received compensation that placed them among the elites in Soviet society.

Allowing the Soviets to field ice hockey teams composed of full-time athletes helped them to run roughshod over their Olympic opponents.

After the USSR broke up in 1991, some of the nations that had comprised the Soviet Union began to field their own teams. Nevertheless, the Commonwealth of Independent States, which was made up of most of the countries of the former USSR, managed to win gold in 1992.

Starting in 1998, teams from other countries, boosted by the inclusion of NHL players, began to take their turns atop the medal podium. In 2017, however, the NHL reversed its decision and prohibited its players from participating in Olympic hockey. The winning team in 2018 was made up of independent athletes from Russia, who were allowed to compete even though their country was officially banned from the Olympic Games because of a doping scandal.

Year Gold Silver Bronze

1920 Canada United States Czechoslovakia

1924 Canada United States Great Britain

1928 Canada Sweden Switzerland

1932 Canada United States Germany

1936 Great Britain Canada United States

1948 Canada Czechoslovakia Switzerland

1952 Canada United States Sweden

1956 Soviet Union United States Canada

1960 United States Canada Soviet Union

1964 Soviet Union Sweden Czechoslovakia

1968 Soviet Union Czechoslovakia Canada

1972 Soviet Union United States Czechoslovakia

1976 Soviet Union Czechoslovakia West Germany

1980 United States Soviet Union Sweden

1984 Soviet Union Czechoslovakia Sweden

1988 Soviet Union Finland Sweden

1992 CIS Canada Czechoslovakia

1994 Sweden Canada Finland

1998 Czech Republic Russia Finland

2002 Canada United States Russia

2006 Sweden Finland Czech Republic

2010 Canada United States Finland

2014 Canada Sweden Finland

2018 Olympic Athletes from Russia Germany Canada

Hockey History: The Time Line, 1917-1945

Photos of Famous People in Figure Skating

1980 Olympic Hockey: Team USA Roster

World Junior Hockey Championships

The Women’s Olympic All-Around Champions

Men’s Artistic Gymnastics

Women’s Artistic Gymnastics

Famous Olympic Pair Skaters

The History of Ice Hockey

Most Stanley Cup Wins by Team

A Handy Introduction to the Sport of Gymnastics

Famous Male Golfers

Biography of Mary Lou Retton, Olympic Gymnastics Champion

Olympic Discus Throw Rules

Why the Montreal Canadiens Are Called the Habs

Famous Men in Olympic Figure Skating

Home

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LiveAbout is part of the Dotdash Meredith publishing family.

When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Cookies Settings Reject All Accept Cookies

Men’s ice hockey became an Olympic sport in 1920, and Canada overshadowed the competition for several decades, winning nearly all of the tournaments until the rise of the mighty Soviet “Big Red Machine” in 1956. The Soviet Union ruled the sport for the second half of the 20th century.

The Early Years

The first Olympic men’s ice hockey tournament was actually held during the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium. The Winter Olympics, which began in 1924 in Chamonix, France, included a men’s ice hockey tournament, and it has been part of the Winter Games ever since.

Canada dominated the early years of Olympic ice hockey, winning the gold medal in five of the first six tournaments. But its domination was not to last. From the mid-50s through the late 1980s, the Soviet Union owned Olympic ice hockey, winning seven gold medals over the course of nine Olympic tournaments. (The U.S. won gold in 1960 and 1980 when college players defeated the USSR in the “Miracle on Ice.”)

“The Soviets structured their elite league to ensure the national team’s success in international competition,” John Soares noted in a 2008 article in the Brown Journal of World Affairs. The International Olympic Committee would not allow professional athletes to compete in ice hockey until 1986, and the National Hockey League did not give the green light for its players to take part in the Games until 1998.

‘Amateur’ Professionals

Because of sports regulations, only amateurs could compete in Olympic ice hockey for most countries. The Soviets, by contrast, developed what was essentially a professional Olympic ice hockey team, though the country, as Soares noted, did not call it that:

All Soviet athletes were classified as amateurs, and many of the best hockey players in the Soviet Union were designated as professional military officers, even though they trained full-time in their sport and received compensation that placed them among the elites in Soviet society.

Allowing the Soviets to field ice hockey teams composed of full-time athletes helped them to run roughshod over their Olympic opponents.

After the USSR broke up in 1991, some of the nations that had comprised the Soviet Union began to field their own teams. Nevertheless, the Commonwealth of Independent States, which was made up of most of the countries of the former USSR, managed to win gold in 1992.

Starting in 1998, teams from other countries, boosted by the inclusion of NHL players, began to take their turns atop the medal podium. In 2017, however, the NHL reversed its decision and prohibited its players from participating in Olympic hockey. The winning team in 2018 was made up of independent athletes from Russia, who were allowed to compete even though their country was officially banned from the Olympic Games because of a doping scandal.

Year Gold Silver Bronze

1920 Canada United States Czechoslovakia

1924 Canada United States Great Britain

1928 Canada Sweden Switzerland

1932 Canada United States Germany

1936 Great Britain Canada United States

1948 Canada Czechoslovakia Switzerland

1952 Canada United States Sweden

1956 Soviet Union United States Canada

1960 United States Canada Soviet Union

1964 Soviet Union Sweden Czechoslovakia

1968 Soviet Union Czechoslovakia Canada

1972 Soviet Union United States Czechoslovakia

1976 Soviet Union Czechoslovakia West Germany

1980 United States Soviet Union Sweden

1984 Soviet Union Czechoslovakia Sweden

1988 Soviet Union Finland Sweden

1992 CIS Canada Czechoslovakia

1994 Sweden Canada Finland

1998 Czech Republic Russia Finland

2002 Canada United States Russia

2006 Sweden Finland Czech Republic

2010 Canada United States Finland

2014 Canada Sweden Finland

2018 Olympic Athletes from Russia Germany Canada

Hockey History: The Time Line, 1917-1945

Photos of Famous People in Figure Skating

1980 Olympic Hockey: Team USA Roster

World Junior Hockey Championships

The Women’s Olympic All-Around Champions

Men’s Artistic Gymnastics

Women’s Artistic Gymnastics

Famous Olympic Pair Skaters

The History of Ice Hockey

Most Stanley Cup Wins by Team

A Handy Introduction to the Sport of Gymnastics

Famous Male Golfers

Biography of Mary Lou Retton, Olympic Gymnastics Champion

Olympic Discus Throw Rules

Why the Montreal Canadiens Are Called the Habs

Famous Men in Olympic Figure Skating

When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Cookies Settings Reject All Accept Cookies

Men’s ice hockey became an Olympic sport in 1920, and Canada overshadowed the competition for several decades, winning nearly all of the tournaments until the rise of the mighty Soviet “Big Red Machine” in 1956. The Soviet Union ruled the sport for the second half of the 20th century.

The Early Years

The first Olympic men’s ice hockey tournament was actually held during the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium. The Winter Olympics, which began in 1924 in Chamonix, France, included a men’s ice hockey tournament, and it has been part of the Winter Games ever since.

Canada dominated the early years of Olympic ice hockey, winning the gold medal in five of the first six tournaments. But its domination was not to last. From the mid-50s through the late 1980s, the Soviet Union owned Olympic ice hockey, winning seven gold medals over the course of nine Olympic tournaments. (The U.S. won gold in 1960 and 1980 when college players defeated the USSR in the “Miracle on Ice.”)

“The Soviets structured their elite league to ensure the national team’s success in international competition,” John Soares noted in a 2008 article in the Brown Journal of World Affairs. The International Olympic Committee would not allow professional athletes to compete in ice hockey until 1986, and the National Hockey League did not give the green light for its players to take part in the Games until 1998.

‘Amateur’ Professionals

Because of sports regulations, only amateurs could compete in Olympic ice hockey for most countries. The Soviets, by contrast, developed what was essentially a professional Olympic ice hockey team, though the country, as Soares noted, did not call it that:

All Soviet athletes were classified as amateurs, and many of the best hockey players in the Soviet Union were designated as professional military officers, even though they trained full-time in their sport and received compensation that placed them among the elites in Soviet society.

Allowing the Soviets to field ice hockey teams composed of full-time athletes helped them to run roughshod over their Olympic opponents.

After the USSR broke up in 1991, some of the nations that had comprised the Soviet Union began to field their own teams. Nevertheless, the Commonwealth of Independent States, which was made up of most of the countries of the former USSR, managed to win gold in 1992.

Starting in 1998, teams from other countries, boosted by the inclusion of NHL players, began to take their turns atop the medal podium. In 2017, however, the NHL reversed its decision and prohibited its players from participating in Olympic hockey. The winning team in 2018 was made up of independent athletes from Russia, who were allowed to compete even though their country was officially banned from the Olympic Games because of a doping scandal.

Year Gold Silver Bronze

1920 Canada United States Czechoslovakia

1924 Canada United States Great Britain

1928 Canada Sweden Switzerland

1932 Canada United States Germany

1936 Great Britain Canada United States

1948 Canada Czechoslovakia Switzerland

1952 Canada United States Sweden

1956 Soviet Union United States Canada

1960 United States Canada Soviet Union

1964 Soviet Union Sweden Czechoslovakia

1968 Soviet Union Czechoslovakia Canada

1972 Soviet Union United States Czechoslovakia

1976 Soviet Union Czechoslovakia West Germany

1980 United States Soviet Union Sweden

1984 Soviet Union Czechoslovakia Sweden

1988 Soviet Union Finland Sweden

1992 CIS Canada Czechoslovakia

1994 Sweden Canada Finland

1998 Czech Republic Russia Finland

2002 Canada United States Russia

2006 Sweden Finland Czech Republic

2010 Canada United States Finland

2014 Canada Sweden Finland

2018 Olympic Athletes from Russia Germany Canada

Men’s ice hockey became an Olympic sport in 1920, and Canada overshadowed the competition for several decades, winning nearly all of the tournaments until the rise of the mighty Soviet “Big Red Machine” in 1956. The Soviet Union ruled the sport for the second half of the 20th century.

The Early Years

The first Olympic men’s ice hockey tournament was actually held during the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium. The Winter Olympics, which began in 1924 in Chamonix, France, included a men’s ice hockey tournament, and it has been part of the Winter Games ever since.

Canada dominated the early years of Olympic ice hockey, winning the gold medal in five of the first six tournaments. But its domination was not to last. From the mid-50s through the late 1980s, the Soviet Union owned Olympic ice hockey, winning seven gold medals over the course of nine Olympic tournaments. (The U.S. won gold in 1960 and 1980 when college players defeated the USSR in the “Miracle on Ice.”)

“The Soviets structured their elite league to ensure the national team’s success in international competition,” John Soares noted in a 2008 article in the Brown Journal of World Affairs. The International Olympic Committee would not allow professional athletes to compete in ice hockey until 1986, and the National Hockey League did not give the green light for its players to take part in the Games until 1998.

‘Amateur’ Professionals

Because of sports regulations, only amateurs could compete in Olympic ice hockey for most countries. The Soviets, by contrast, developed what was essentially a professional Olympic ice hockey team, though the country, as Soares noted, did not call it that:

Allowing the Soviets to field ice hockey teams composed of full-time athletes helped them to run roughshod over their Olympic opponents.

After the USSR broke up in 1991, some of the nations that had comprised the Soviet Union began to field their own teams. Nevertheless, the Commonwealth of Independent States, which was made up of most of the countries of the former USSR, managed to win gold in 1992.

Starting in 1998, teams from other countries, boosted by the inclusion of NHL players, began to take their turns atop the medal podium. In 2017, however, the NHL reversed its decision and prohibited its players from participating in Olympic hockey. The winning team in 2018 was made up of independent athletes from Russia, who were allowed to compete even though their country was officially banned from the Olympic Games because of a doping scandal.

Year Gold Silver Bronze

1920 Canada United States Czechoslovakia

1924 Canada United States Great Britain

1928 Canada Sweden Switzerland

1932 Canada United States Germany

1936 Great Britain Canada United States

1948 Canada Czechoslovakia Switzerland

1952 Canada United States Sweden

1956 Soviet Union United States Canada

1960 United States Canada Soviet Union

1964 Soviet Union Sweden Czechoslovakia

1968 Soviet Union Czechoslovakia Canada

1972 Soviet Union United States Czechoslovakia

1976 Soviet Union Czechoslovakia West Germany

1980 United States Soviet Union Sweden

1984 Soviet Union Czechoslovakia Sweden

1988 Soviet Union Finland Sweden

1992 CIS Canada Czechoslovakia

1994 Sweden Canada Finland

1998 Czech Republic Russia Finland

2002 Canada United States Russia

2006 Sweden Finland Czech Republic

2010 Canada United States Finland

2014 Canada Sweden Finland

2018 Olympic Athletes from Russia Germany Canada

  • Hockey History: The Time Line, 1917-1945

  • Photos of Famous People in Figure Skating

  • 1980 Olympic Hockey: Team USA Roster

  • World Junior Hockey Championships

  • The Women’s Olympic All-Around Champions

  • Men’s Artistic Gymnastics

  • Women’s Artistic Gymnastics

  • Famous Olympic Pair Skaters

  • The History of Ice Hockey

  • Most Stanley Cup Wins by Team

  • A Handy Introduction to the Sport of Gymnastics

  • Famous Male Golfers

  • Biography of Mary Lou Retton, Olympic Gymnastics Champion

  • Olympic Discus Throw Rules

  • Why the Montreal Canadiens Are Called the Habs

  • Famous Men in Olympic Figure Skating

Hockey History: The Time Line, 1917-1945

Hockey History: The Time Line, 1917-1945

Photos of Famous People in Figure Skating

Photos of Famous People in Figure Skating

1980 Olympic Hockey: Team USA Roster

1980 Olympic Hockey: Team USA Roster

World Junior Hockey Championships

World Junior Hockey Championships

The Women’s Olympic All-Around Champions

The Women’s Olympic All-Around Champions

Men’s Artistic Gymnastics

Men’s Artistic Gymnastics

Women’s Artistic Gymnastics

Women’s Artistic Gymnastics

Famous Olympic Pair Skaters

Famous Olympic Pair Skaters

The History of Ice Hockey

The History of Ice Hockey

Most Stanley Cup Wins by Team

Most Stanley Cup Wins by Team

A Handy Introduction to the Sport of Gymnastics

A Handy Introduction to the Sport of Gymnastics

Famous Male Golfers

Famous Male Golfers

Biography of Mary Lou Retton, Olympic Gymnastics Champion

Biography of Mary Lou Retton, Olympic Gymnastics Champion

Olympic Discus Throw Rules

Olympic Discus Throw Rules

Why the Montreal Canadiens Are Called the Habs

Why the Montreal Canadiens Are Called the Habs

Famous Men in Olympic Figure Skating

Famous Men in Olympic Figure Skating

Home

Entertainment

Careers

Activities

Humor

About Us Advertise Careers Privacy Policy Editorial Guidelines Contact Terms of Use EU Privacy

LiveAbout is part of the Dotdash Meredith publishing family.

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Home

Entertainment

Careers

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Humor

About Us Advertise Careers Privacy Policy Editorial Guidelines Contact Terms of Use EU Privacy

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LiveAbout is part of the Dotdash Meredith publishing family.

When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Cookies Settings Reject All Accept Cookies