50 Years Ago

[Darts]

The Soviet Red Army versus the Good Guys in hockey. 50 years later, the Red Army killing the Good Guys.
Edit: Although the teams were assembled, the first official game was actually on September 2, 1972.
Paul Henderson - 1972 Summit Series Game 8, Goal 11 - Bing video

 

[unassuming]

It is the biggest emotional sporting event I have ever experienced.
For the final game, we were let out of school early to watch it at home!!

The series was only a huge deal for Canada and the USSR, the rest of world was focussed on the Black September terrorist murders of Israeli athletes at the Munich summer games.

 

[unassuming]

I suggest that all of you young'uns that never saw the series to watch it, watch it in sequence, games 1 to 8, they are all on youtube.

 

[jalimon]

I think the US hockey gold medal of 1980 is a bigger deal.

That was nuts!

 

[funstick]

I think the US hockey gold medal of 1980 is a bigger deal.

That was nuts!

To Americans yes, but I am quite certain that most Canadians view the 1972 Summit Series as more important.

 

[unassuming]

The '72 series was significant in the fact that European hockey caught up to Canadian hockey, we were suppose to be the best players on the planet.

Phil Esposito said something to the effect of "there is not one NHL team that wouldn't pay a Russian player a million dollars a season to play for their team"

 

[tml]

Sorry. There were no black, Asian, female, Indigenous, or LGBTQ2 players on the roster. Paul Henderson is a monster for leading a team of white priviledge and misogyny to victory over a group of non-English speaking foreigners.

 

[jalimon]

To Americans yes, but I am quite certain that most Canadians view the 1972 Summit Series as more important.

it was a wake up call. a discovery that Russian player were talented while half of canadian players were just trying to hurt them.

 

[bluecolt]

I suggest that all of you young'uns that never saw the series to watch it, watch it in sequence, games 1 to 8, they are all on youtube.

Can you believe that the CBC did not keep a copy of the First Canada-Soviet series? Most of the video tape was recorded over. It just showed the disdain the CBC had for jocks and entertainment for the average citizen. The Youtube games were reconstructed from private sources, some fans and whatever the CBC still had that was not destroyed. Note that in 1972, there were no home VCR machines, internet, DVDs or cellphones.

 

[unassuming]

Pretty Good CBC made for tv film about the series, cool how they found actors that looked like the players

 

[Ref]

Pretty Good CBC made for tv film about the series, cool how they found actors that looked like the players

Not a bad film and yes, an amazing job of casting the players.

Some things I have never thought of or knew:

* That guy who had some sort of legal challenge against Russia before the first game and took all of their equipment. That took balls at the time and it worked.

* The three guys who left the team in Moscow (Hadfield, Martin and Guevremont). Must have sucked for them not to be part of that comeback. I wonder how they were perceived by the guys who stuck it out in Moscow. I imagine there was no respect towards those guys.

* For Phil and Tony to have been able to enjoy the experience as brothers.

* Many of the guys did not like each other on Team Canada due to their on-ice relationships as foes in the NHL.

* I have not seen or heard of any documentaries from the Russian perspective. The closest I found was a documentary featuring interviews with some of the Russians players.

* The series changed how the game would be played on both sides of the Atlantic.

* Tretiak has been considered one of the best goalies of all time, however his GAA was 3.88 and he had a losing record. Dryden sucked and Tony O had a GAA of 3.25 and a 2 - 1 record.

* Team Canada played team Czechoslovakia two days after game 8. It ended in a 3 - 3 tie. The Czech's were the reigning World Champions having beaten Russia in the last World Championship. It was not a full roster for Team Canada. The full game link here -

* Team Canada only led the series for 34 seconds.

 

[unassuming]

Before Canada played the final 4 games in Moscow, during the 2 week break, they played 2 exhibition games vs Sweden . The games were to get the Canadians accustomed to the bigger European rinks. The first game ended in a 4-4 tie, Canada won the 2nd game 4-1. The most important thing about these games for Leafs fans was the discovery of Borje Salming by Leaf's scout Gerry Mcnamara, who was initially interested in Inge Hammarstrom. A year later Salming and Hammarstrom were both Leafs.

Canada vs Sweden game 2

 

[Darts]

"Tretiak has been considered one of the best goalies of all time,"
The Habs drafted Tretiak but Russia wouldn't release him."

 

[Ref]

Before Canada played the final 4 games in Moscow, during the 2 week break, they played 2 exhibition games vs Sweden . The games were to get the Canadians accustomed to the bigger European rinks. The first game ended in a 4-4 tie, Canada won the 2nd game 4-1. The most important thing about these games for Leafs fans was the discovery of Borje Salming by Leaf's scout Gerry Mcnamara, who was initially interested in Inge Hammarstrom. A year later Salming and Hammarstrom were both Leafs.

Canada vs Sweden game 2

The movie and videos mentioned that the advance scouting on the Russians was horrid. Canada thought it was going to be similar to an all star game - Fun loving , laughs and try not to run up the score kind of thing. The players did not take it seriously.

I am thinking that it may have been McNamara doing the advance scouting.

Talk about calling that one wrong.

I watched some of the clips of the games in Sweden. A lot of nasty stick work by both teams.

I have to give Salming credit. Not only was he an excellent player, he took a lot of physical and emotional abuse from the players of that era.

 

[shack]

* For Phil and Tony to have been able to enjoy the experience as brothers.

Probably similar to the Mahovlich brothers.

 

[The Oracle]

"Tretiak has been considered one of the best goalies of all time,"
The Habs drafted Tretiak but Russia wouldn't release him."

Phil Esposito said he was a sieve in an interview I once saw.

Said he was over rated. You gotta love Phil....

 

[shack]

Phil Esposito said he was a sieve in an interview I once saw.

Said he was over rated. You gotta love Phil....

What I'd heard was Tretiak played his absolute best against Canada but was mediocre against most other competitors.

 

[unassuming]

When Tretiak was scouted in a game before the series, the scouts were not impressed , he allowed like 7 goals. They did not know that it was the day after his wedding, he was hung over.

 

[shack]

Or as Foster Hewitt pronounced his name, he was "Tetriak".

 

[Ref]

The first real match of best on best was the 1976 Canada Cup.

Probably one of the strongest national teams ever.

The style of play from Canada changed dramatically. They were fast, talented and highly skilled as opposed to being grinders.

Below is a link of the round robin game against Russia - Really good hockey. Comparing that game to any of the games from 1972 and you see a completely different game from Canada.

There were only 5 players on 1976 team from the 1972 team, which is a big change in only 4 years. Many new young stars in the game. The 1976 team was far superior (talent wise) to the 1972 team.

Amazing to see how small Vachon looked in goal. When he crouched down in goal he could fit in the net.