+ Canada Cup 1976
The first tournament goes down in Swedish hockey history as the moment when we realized how great Börje Salming was in Toronto. NHL matches were not broadcast on Swedish TV channels and few Swedish exports were there. So, the Swedish Toronto icon stepped onto the ice at Maple Leafs Gardens – and the cheering would never end. A shy Salming stared down at the ice while the Toronto fans cheered during the player presentation before the premiere against the USA, Swedish victory 5–2.
Tre Kronor missed the final after a disastrous loss to Finland, where a 4–1 lead ultimately became a loss with 6–8.
Salming became the Swedish scoring king with seven points (four goals + three assists) in five matches.
Final (best of three): Canada–Czechoslovakia 2–0 in matches.
+ Canada Cup 1981
High expectations beforehand – but a Swedish fiasco on site. There was only one Swedish victory, 5–0 against Finland, and next-to-last place in the group stage for national team coach Anders "Ankan" Parmström's team. Despite stars like Pelle Lindbergh, Salming, Kent Nilsson, and Anders Hedberg.
Hedberg became the Swedish scoring king with four goals and two assists in five matches.
Final (one match): Soviet–Canada 8–1.
+ Canada Cup 1984
Tre Kronor's only final spot so far, and players like Hedberg and Kent Nilsson got revenge for the 1981 tournament.
National team coach Leif Boork received criticism when, in the second final match against Canada, after losing the first, he sent in players who had not gotten any playing time under the motto "everyone should get to participate".
When Canada led 6–1, he took out and replaced third goalkeeper Göte Wälitalo, and the Swedes scored four straight goals, but failed to reach overtime. So, it became a Canadian final victory in two straight matches.
Kent Nilsson became the Swedish scoring king with eleven points (3+8). Thomas Steen scored the most goals in the tournament with seven goals.
+ Canada Cup 1987
Sweden got a travel schedule that was a complete scandal, and the team traveled back and forth between eastern and western Canada. National team coach Tommy Sandlin threatened with a future boycott and said: "This cup is the most unsportsmanlike thing you can imagine".
Sweden was eliminated against the Soviet Union in the semifinal, and Mikael Andersson became the top scorer in Blue and Yellow with six points (1+5).
Final (best of three) Canada–Soviet 2–1 (all matches ended 6–5).
+ Canada Cup 1991
The fifth and final tournament under that name. Sweden was eliminated in the semifinal against Canada with 0–4.
A young Mats Sundin, 20 years old, became the top scorer with six points on six matches, two goals and four assists.
Final (best of three): Canada–USA 2–0.
+ World Cup 1996
For the first time, the tournament was also played on European soil with a European group alongside the North American one.
Sweden won the European group, but was eliminated against Canada in the semifinal in Philadelphia after a thriller (2–3).
In the second overtime period, Johan Garpenlöv had a breakaway, but shot into the post and instead, Theo Fleury scored for Canada shortly after.
Canadian Sportsnet has called the match "the forgotten World Cup classic" and believes it is one of the best national team matches played.
Mats Sundin became the top Swedish scorer with seven points (4+3) on four matches.
Final (best of three): USA–Canada 2–1 in matches.
+ World Cup 2004
A Swedish fiasco tournament where the blue and yellow stars were booed out of the Globen Arena.
A lackluster and equally chanceless Sweden was defeated by the Czech Republic in the quarterfinal with 1–6 – and never got to travel to North America.
Fredrik Modin had a fantastic tournament and won the tournament scoring title with eight points (4+4) on four matches. But his performance was completely forgotten after the quarterfinal fiasco.
National team coach Hardy Nilsson received massive criticism, refused to resign, but was eventually fired.
Final (one match): Canada–Finland 3–2.
+ World Cup 2016
Most recently, it happened, and several were critical of the NHL's grip on creating two "made-up teams", the European team and a U23 team from North America, alongside the USA, Canada, Sweden, Finland, Russia, and the Czech Republic.
Sweden was eliminated in the semifinal against the European team after overtime.
Nicklas Bäckström (2+2) and Erik Karlsson (1+3) scored four points on four matches and became the top Swedish scorers in Toronto.
Final (best of three): Canada–European team 2–0 in matches.
