1981 Canada Cup - Legacy

Legacy

Tournament organizer Allan Eagleson, lamenting the rapidly increasing costs of hosting such an event, speculated that the 1981 Canada Cup could be the last. Noting that some costs had increased up to 200% over what was paid in 1976, Eagleson speculated that a third Canada Cup might have to be held in a different format. Organizers were also disappointed in tournament attendance. The two games scheduled to be held in Quebec City were transferred to Ottawa after only 300 tickets were pre-sold for the round robin game between Czechoslovakia and Sweden and 1,000 for the semi-final game. Low ticket sales also led to fears that the games scheduled for Winnipeg would also be moved, but the investments the television partners had made in rental equipment to broadcast the games from Winnipeg prevented a switch. Adding to Eagleson's woes, Toronto Maple Leafs owner Harold Ballard refused to allow any games to be held in Maple Leaf Gardens as a result of his hatred of the Soviet Union.

Strong support in Montreal, and the response in Ottawa after the games were moved to the national capital left Eagleson increasingly confident in the tournament's future. The 1981 Canada Cup turned a profit of about C$1 million to be split between Hockey Canada and the National Hockey League Players Association pension fund, one third that of the 1976 tournament. Shortly after the tournament ended, Eagleson confirmed he intended to hold a third Canada Cup. He noted that Canada's loss in the final played a role in his decision: "As far as I am concerned personally, it's probably preferable that we lost. I think if we had won, I'd have said, 'To hell with it'."

The fate of the championship trophy itself was the subject of controversy after Canadian hockey officials prevented the Soviet team from taking the trophy back to the Soviet Union. As he took the Cup from the Soviets at the airport, Eagleson claimed that the trophy was intended to remain in Canada at all times. The decision upset the Soviets who claimed that Eagleson's decision was made "in violation of the traditions existing at international competitions". Also disappointed in Eagleson's action was a trucker from Winnipeg, George Smith, who organized a fundraising campaign that raised enough money to create a replica trophy that was given to Soviet officials at their embassy in Ottawa. Soviet officials praised the sportsmanship of the Canadian people as they accepted the replica.