Only Vancouver four years ago had better puck representation when seven hockeyists held their nation’s flag. Interestingly, the only two female hockey players to act as flag bearers are Canadian. Prior to Hayley Wickenheiser last night, Danielle Goyette carried the flag in 2006.

Additionally, the participation of Vladislav Tretiak in the lighting of the cauldron marked only the third time hockey had been involved. In 2002, the 1980 Miracle on Ice team had the honours in Salt Lake City, and in 2010 it was Wayne Gretzky.

Herewith is a complete history of hockey’s flag bearers.

Chamonix 1924
Canada—Ernie Collett
Sweden—Ruben Rundquist (official)
United States—Clarence "Taffy" Abel

St. Moritz 1928
Canada—Red Porter
Sweden—Viking Harbom (official)

Lake Placid 1932
Canada—Harold “Hack” Simpson
Germany—Martin Schrottle
Poland—Jozef Stogowski

Garmisch-Partenkirchen 1936
Canada—Walter ”Pud” Kitchen
Latvia—Leonids Vedejs

St. Moritz 1948
Canada—Hubert Brooks
Czechoslovakia—Vladimir Zabrodsky

Oslo 1952
Czechoslovakia—Vaclav Bubnik
Switzerland—Uli Poltera

Cortina d’Ampezzo 1956
Czechoslovakia—Vaclav Bubnik

Squaw Valley 1960
Australia—Vic Ekberg
Czechoslovakia—Jan Starsi
Soviet Union—Nikolai Sologubov
Sweden—Einar Granath

Innsbruck 1964
Hungary—Lajos Koutny

Grenoble 1968
None

Sapporo 1972
None