Ranking the biggest moments in USA vs. Canada hockey history: Overtime thrillers and championship showdowns

Hockey fans know very well how heated the rivalry is between the United States and Canada. The two countries first faced one another for a championship in the gold medal match of the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium (yes, you read that correctly). Canada prevailed and it would take the Americans another 40 years to earn the gold medal over their neighbors to the North in the 1960 Winter Games.

Team Canada leads the all-time series in quite dominant fashion but Saturday's renewal of the best-on-best rivalry saw Team USA top the Maple Leaf 3-1 in the round-robin of the NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off. It was the first time the two had played since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and will quickly be added to the list of iconic moments birthed from the rivalry.

Ranking the 3 biggest moments in USA-Canada hockey history

There are many great moments from the USA-Canada hockey rivalry but three stand out above the rest. Let's take a look at the most iconic and reminisce in the memories and lore of those times.

3. 1991 Canada Cup - Canada gets revenge after Gary Suter injures Wayne Gretzky

This is where the rivalry truly erupted. During Game 1 of the 1991 Canada Cup Final (best-of-three series), American defenseman Gary Suter came in from behind and cross-checked Canadian super star Wayne Gretzky into the boards. Gretzky hit the glass head first and had to be attended to by trainers, eventually being helped off the ice and ruled out for the rest of the tournament.

Needless to say, animosity towards Suter and Team USA was at an all-time high and truly sparked the hatred Canadians have when the two meet in this sport. Canada swept the Americans in two games (4-1, 4-2) to claim yet another title over Team USA.

2. 1996 World Cup of Hockey - Team USA defeats Team Canada in Montreal final

The 1996 World Cup of Hockey, to this day, remains the crown jewel in Team USA's history against the Canadians. The Great White North took Game 1 of the championship round in overtime 4-3 but the Americans forced a deciding match with an emphatic 5-2 victory in Game 2. But when all hope looked lost, that's when the Miracle on Ice part two happened.

Down 2-1 late in the third period of Game 3, Team USA erupted to score four goals in the final 3:18 of regulation for another 5-2 win and a rare championship over its Canadian rivals. That's still the last time America has won an NHL-sanctioned, best-on-best international tournament. Fans will be hoping this year's squad will break that 29-year streak on Thursday.

1. 2010 Winter Olympics - Sidney Crosby scores 'The Golden Goal' in Vancouver OT

The 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York remain the last time Team USA has won a gold medal. Fans most recognize those Games for the original "Miracle on Ice" when the Americans topped the mighty Soviet Union in the semifinals and then Team Finland in the gold medal match.

The 2010 Games in Vancouver are the closest the team has come since then to climbing the Olympic mountain top but they are best known for Team Canada's clutch overtime victory in the final over Team USA. Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby slipped the puck past American goalie Ryan Miller, known as "The Golden Goal," to earn Canada's first Olympic gold medal since the 2002 Salt Lake City Games.

Thursday's 4 Nations Face-Off championship match between the two nations is sure to provide another moment to add to the annals of this legendary rivalry. Hockey fans will have a lot to enjoy in the first best-on-best championship matchup between Team USA and Team Canada since that 2010 gold medal game.