The 1996 World Cup of Hockey Team cemented itself in U.S. hockey history thanks to the success it enjoyed at the inaugural World Cup of Hockey. Behind the guidance of Head Coach Ron Wilson, Team USA finished the tournament 6-0-1-0 (W-OTW-OTL-L) and outscored its opponents, 37-18.

After claiming an impressive 5-3 victory over Canada to open the tournament, the United States swept round-robin play before defeating Russia, 5-2, in the semifinals. In the best-of-three championship series against Canada, the U.S. dropped the opener by a 4-3 count in overtime in Philadelphia before winning a memorable pair of 5-2 victories in Montreal to secure the country’s greatest tournament victory since the 1980 Miracle on Ice. In the third and decisive game, the U.S. received spectacular goaltending from tournament MVP Mike Richter and rallied from a 2-1 deficit in the third period by scoring four goals in the final 3:18 of the game with Tony Amonte accounting for the game-winner.

Forward Brett Hull, defenseman and captain Brian Leetch, and Richter, put forth performances that ensured a U.S. player finished first in nearly every statistical category. Hull paced all skaters with seven goals and 11 points while Leetch shared the tournament lead in assists with seven, and Richter’s .923 save percentage was the best among starting netminders. To date, 16 members from Team USA’s 1996 World Cup of Hockey squad have been inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.