Canada Cup

Canada Cup
Canada Cup in the Hockey Hall of Fame
SportIce hockey
Founded1976 (1976)
First season1976
Ceased1991 (1991)
Replaced byWorld Cup of Hockey
No. of teams6
CountryCanada
Last
champion(s)
Canada (4 titles)
(1991)

The Canada Cup (French: Coupe Canada) was an invitational international ice hockey tournament held on five occasions between 1976 and 1991. The brainchild of Toronto lawyer Alan Eagleson, the tournament was created to meet demand for a true world championship that allowed the best players from participating nations to compete regardless of their status as professional or amateur. It was sanctioned by the International Ice Hockey Federation, Hockey Canada and the National Hockey League. Canada won the tournament four times, while the Soviet Union captured the championship once. It was succeeded by the World Cup of Hockey in 1996.