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1981 Canada Cup Story
After a five-year-hiatus, the Canada Cup competition resumed in 1981 as the six most powerful hockey nations again vied for international supremacy.
The mighty Soviet Union would head up the challenge to holders Team Canada in the tournament which would also include teams from Czechoslovakia, Sweden, Finland and the United States.
Of particular interest to North American hockey fans was that nearly half of the total line-up of talent from all six squads were property of NHL clubs. All together, some 60 NHL stars (22 Canadians, 22 Americans, 12 Swedes and 4 Finns) participated for their respective homelands.
With only eight players returning from their 1981 Canada Cup team and just eleven from the 1979 Challenge Cup, the Soviets still managed to sport a star-studded line-up. The emergence of several talented youths was largely responsible for strengthening the squad.
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