Cortina 1956 Winter Olympics: Ice Hockey's Mind-Boggling Tournament

The ice hockey tournament at the Cortina 1956 Winter Olympics had been Canada's playground. The country had won six out of seven Olympic ice hockey tournaments and were ready to capture another gold medal, but they had two things playing against them in these Games: A team that lost several members due to professionalism, and the formidable Soviet Union. This tournament consisted of a round robin group stage, followed by a round robin final tournament with the top six teams. The round robin format and the way the games played out meant a myriad of possibilities for the podium. The potential to have to go to Plan C to break a tie. It all came down to the final day of play, and what we would think would be the gold medal game turned out to be anything but. Listen on to hear how it all played out, and who were the surprise medalists at these Games. For a transcript and complete list of sources used in this episode, visit: https://flamealivepod.com. You can watch the Cortina Canadians documentary trailer here. Thanks so much for listening, and until next time, keep the flame alive! Photo: Wikimedia Commons via Picryl *** Keep the Flame Alive: Games History Moment with hosts Jill Jaracz & Alison Brown is released monthly. In 2026, these episodes explore the 7th Winter Olympic Games at Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy in 1956. Look for our regular episodes every week, with daily editions during the Olympics and Paralympics. Support the show: http://flamealivepod.com/support Bookshop.org store: https://bookshop.org/shop/flamealivepod Merch: https://flamealivepod.dashery.com Hang out with us online: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flamealivepod Insta: http://www.instagram.com/flamealivepod X: http://www.twitter.com/flamealivepod Facebook Group: hhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/flamealivepod Newsletter: Sign up at https://mailchi.mp/ee507102fbf7/flamealivepod VM/Text: (208) FLAME-IT / (208) 352-6348