Rare footage: Olympic hockey heats up Saskatoon in 1988
Saskatchewan has played host to plenty of high-level hockey over the years, but few top the rivalry between Canada and the Soviet Union.
You wouldn’t have expected both nation's men's Olympic hockey teams to be facing off in Saskatchewan. However, Olympic hockey has been played in our province, sort of.
We found rare footage of Olympic hockey teams playing games in Saskatoon in 1988.
That year, the Canadian men’s Olympic hockey team faced off against the Soviet Union and Sweden in a pre-tournament series just days before the Calgary Olympics.
The games were some of the first to be played at the new Saskatchewan Place arena in Saskatoon, known today as SaskTel Centre.
This was before NHL players paused their season to play in the Olympics, so fans saw a Canadian Olympic roster that included Trent Yawney, Marc Habsheid, and Goaltender Andy Moog.
The Soviet Union had a stacked roster that included the likes of Igor Larionov, Alexander Mogilny, and Valeri Kamenski.
Both teams lit the lamp early, each getting a goal within the first two minutes. But Canada would get two unanswered goals after that and hang onto a 3-2 victory.
One day later, Canada’s Olympic team faced off against team Sweden.
This match was also a back-and-forth battle, where the teams exchanged two goals throughout the game, with the final score being a 2-2 tie.
Canada went into the Calgary Olympics but finished off the podium in fourth place behind Sweden, Finland, and the Soviet Union.
But those rare opportunities to see Olympic hockey in Saskatchewan, gave fans plenty to cheer about, with many showing their Canadian hockey pride.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Speaker kicks Poilievre out of Commons over unparliamentary comments
Speaker Greg Fergus kicked Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre out of the House of Commons during question period today.
Man dies after suffering cardiac arrest while waiting in ER, widow wants investigation
When an ambulance took David Lippert to the hospital in March of 2023, the 68-year-old Kitchener, Ont., executive was hoping to find out why he was feeling weak and unable to walk. Some 24 hours later, he was found unresponsive in the ER.
Baby, grandparents among 4 people killed in wrong-way police chase on Ontario's Hwy. 401
A police chase which started with a liquor store robbery in Bowmanville Monday night ended in tragedy some 20 minutes later when a suspect fleeing police entered Highway 401 in the wrong direction and caused a pileup which killed an infant and the child's grandparents, as well as the suspect, investigators say.
Freeland previews omnibus budget bill, proposed capital gains tax change left out
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will be tabling yet another omnibus bill to pass a sweeping range of measures promised in her April 16 federal budget, though left out of the legislation will be the government's proposed capital gains tax change.
Air Canada walks back new seat selection policy change after backlash
Air Canada has paused a new seat selection fee for travellers booked on the lowest fares just days after implementing it.
McGill requests 'police assistance' over pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University says it has 'requested police assistance' about the pro-Palestinian encampment on its lower field.
Judge raises threat of jail in hush money trial as he holds Trump in contempt, fines him US$9,000
Donald Trump was held in contempt of court Tuesday and fined US$9,000 for repeatedly violating a gag order that barred him from making public statements about witnesses, jurors and some others connected to his New York hush money case. And if he does it again, the judge warned, he could be jailed.
Court upholds Milwaukee police officer's firing for posting racist memes after Sterling Brown arrest
The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a former Milwaukee police officer was properly fired for posting racist memes related to the arrest of an NBA player that triggered a public outcry.
Witness details deadly wrong-way police chase on Ontario's Hwy. 401
A driver who witnessed a wrong-way police pursuit on Highway 401 moments before a fatal crash said he was hoping the chase would have been called off before lives were lost.