MILESTONES BETWEEN THE SUMMIT SERIES AND THE CANADA CUP


1974
Not to be outdone by the NHL, the upstart World Hockey Association puts together their own "Team Canada" to challenge the Soviets in a copycat 8 game series. Everyone expects this B-level Team Canada to go down to the Russians, and they do. The USSR wins the series with 4 wins, 1 loss, and 3 ties. However, in a strange way, the series actually showed off the strength and depth of the Canadians better than the original Summit Series. Firstly, by the WHA Team Canada beating a full Soviet side once and tying them 3 times, and secondly by the fact the two leading scorers in the series were Canada’s 35 year old Bobby Hull and 46 year old Gordie Howe.

1975

Two top Russian club teams, Central Red Army and the Soviet Wings, tour Canada and the USA playing an eight-game exhibition series with various NHL teams. This was almost like a mini-Summit Series since all the players on the Russian teams were Russian and all the players on the NHL teams were Canadian. The highlight of the series was when the Central Red Army and the soon to be Stanley Cup champion Montreal Canadiens, played what many hockey experts consider to be the most perfect ice hockey game ever. Les Canadiens were offensively spectacular (as always), out-shooting the Russians 38-13. The Red Army goalie Vladislav Tretiak was equally spectacular in net (as always), and when all was said and done the two clubs ended up tied, 3-3.

Later on, Tretiak admitted to wanting to leave the USSR to play in the NHL for Montreal. It was then discovered that the Canadiens attempted to smuggle Tretiak out of Russia so that he could. Although that scheme never materialized it was clear that top level international competition had been embraced on both sides of the Iron Curtain.

1976

A far less gracefull display of hockey was put on at the Philadelphia Spectrum on January 11th when the Red Army returned to play an exhibition game with the Philadelphia Flyers, better known those days as the Broad Street Bullies. The Russians came obviously unprepared for the style of play that the all Canadian team brought to the table. Midway through the first period Valery Kharlamov was once again the object of agression from Candian players as he was checked from behind by Flyer defenseman Ed Van Impe. When no penalty was called Red Army coach Konstantin Loktev took his goalie off the ice. When Loktev was assessed a delay of game penalty he ordered his whole team off the ice and left for the locker room to a chorus of boos from the fans. The Russians eventually came back, but the damage was done. The Flyers had introduced the Soviets to a whole new hockey reality, and bullied their way to a 4-1 victory.

Things had certainly heated up in international ice hockey. But up untill now the only competition was between Canada and the USSR. There were now other countries that felt they had achieved the level of hockey expertise in order to play with the masters. The Canada Cup tournament would give them that opportunity, and set the stage for top level hockey to grow and thrive around the world.

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