From time to time, TheIHLC.com will feature detailed recaps and boxscores of some of the most legendary games in international hockey history, considered to be “IHLC Classics.” Today, in honour of Czech Independence Day this Wednesday, we look back at the Czech’s first Olympic title, shocking the world at the first “open” Olympics for NHL players.

🇨🇿 Czechia 1-0 Russia 🇷🇺
Olympic Gold Medal Game
Nagano Wakasato Tamokuteki Sports Arena, Nagano 🇯🇵
Sunday, 22 February 1998

Although the Czech Republic could not have won gold at the 1998 Olympics without goalie Dominik Hašek, it was Petr Svoboda of the Czech Republic who was the final hero of the tournament, the first Olympics which included full participation of NHL players.

Hašek had led the team to the Gold medal game by stopping all five Canadian players in a semi-finals shootout win, but it was Svoboda who scored the lone goal in the final game of the Olympics against Russia.
Continue reading →