THE SUMMIT SERIES
And so it was deemed that between September 2 and September 28 of 1972, for the first time in history, the two greatest hockey nations on earth would play each other with the best players they could muster. The National Hockey League would put together a team of professional Canadian hockey players and the Soviet Union would put together the very best team they could, and they would play an 8 game Summit Series, with four games in Canada and four games in Russia, and the country which won the series would be entitled to call themselves the Undisputed Champion of Ice Hockey.
The team Canada iced was a juggernaut, with some 15 future Hall-of-Famers in the line-up. However, not a single Canadian had had any previous international experience. The Soviet team had only one Hall of Fame player, goalie Vladislav Tretiak, but 13 of the players had just played in the Sapporo Olympics and 7 of them had played against Canada in the 1968 Olympics. The hockey world’s suspicions had been confirmed: while Canada had never put out a team of their very best, the Soviets always used their best players.
Despite this fact, there was no doubt in the minds of the North American press that Canada would steam-roll the "mediocre" Russian side.
"8-0 Canada," predicted Fran Rosa of the Boston Globe, "and that’s also the score of the first game."
In fact, the NHLers were so confident they never bothered to request the assistance of Canada’s two living hockey legends, Gordie Howe and Bobby Hull, or anyone else who was playing in the rival World Hockey Association. No-one seemed that worried either that the best Defenseman of all time (and some would argue the best all-around player period), Bobby Orr, was unable to join Team Canada due to injury. It was going to be a blow out for sure, so the Canadians, who had just got off of their NHL vacations, trained very little before the series, and thought of it even less. But while Team Canada was slacking off and placing bets on themselves, the Soviets were preparing for what they knew was going to be the contest of their lives, and trained for it with that in mind.
Each of the following written game summaries is from the website A September To Rember
GAME ONE
LE FORUM DE MONTREAL
MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA
USSR 7- CANADA 3
Everything was going according to plan when Phil Esposito scores 30 seconds into the game for Team Canada and Paul Henders makes it 2-0 at the 6:32 mark. But the nerves of the Soviets quickly settled, and they ended up embarassing an out-of-shape and arrogant NHLers by a 7-3 score. With the score tied at 2 entering the second period. Valeri Kharlamov dazzled the audience with speed and finesse, scoring two goals to pretty much clinch the victory. Bobby Clarke, Canada's game MVP, scored in the third period for a glimmer of hope, but the Soviets answered with three unanswered goals. Canada out shot the Soviets 32-30, but were stone-walled by Vladislav Tretiak in what proved be just a tease of the frustration that would lie ahead for the Canadian squad.
GAME TWO
MAPLE LEAF GARDENS
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA
Canada 4 - USSR 1
Game number two will be forever known as "Brother Night." With Canada's arrogant thoughts of easily crushing their communist counterparts, Team Canada simply had to win this game to restore confidence in the Canadian people, and themselves. And win they did. They dominated the Soviets but have trouble beating the mighty Vladislav Tretiak. After a scoreless first period, Phil Esposito, the undisputable leader of Team Canada, opened the scoring in the second period. Yvon Cournoyer used his blazing speed to make the Russian defense look slow on an early powerplay marker in the third period, but the Big Yak, Alexander Yakushev, pulled CCCP within one just 4 minutes later on a powerplay. On the same powerplay, Pete Mahovlich scored what was perhaps the most remarkable goal in the series. With Canada two men short, "Pete Mahov" picked up a Phil Esposito clearing attempt just inside the center line. Faking his patented slapshot, Mahovlich deked a Soviet defender and drives in alone on Tretiak. He faked a forehand shot, went to his backhand, and while falling on top of Tretiak managed to slip the puck into the net. Big Brother Frank Mahovlich cemented the win two minutes later with a game clinching goal. Led by Phil Esposito's inspiration and Tony Esposito's stellar goaltending, and Pete and Frank Mahovlich's heroic goal scoring, all was well in Canada again.
GAME THREE
WINNIPEG ARENA
WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA
Canada 4 - USSR 4
One of Canada's top players was deliberately left off the Team Canada roster for the 1972 Summit Series. Bobby Hul had jumped to the World Hockey Association, and the NHL decided not to include him on Team Canada. So Hull was forced to watch in the stands in Winnipeg on September the 8th, 1972. He, like the rest of Canada, wondered which Team Canada would show up: The one that bombed in Montreal, or dominated in Toronto. Canada blew two two-goal leads during this game, as it became obvious that this team was not yet in good enough condition or playing as a cohesive unit. Despite outshooting the Russian 15-9 in the first period, Team Canada only led by a 2-1 margin. A wild second period saw the Soviet's secret weapon unveiled. In what amounted to the Russian version of the "Kid Line," the Russians dressed Yuri Lebedev, Alex Bodunov and Alex Volchkov for the first time. The trio represented the future of Soviet hockey, and they contributed hugely to the tie in Winnipeg. Late in the second period, with the Soviets down 4-2, Lebedev and then Bodunov scored to even the score at 4.
GAME FOUR
THE PACIFIC COLISEUM
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
USSR 5 - Canada 3
With Canada's best defender, Serge Savard, hobbled by a hairline fracture, the Soviets managed to take control of the series in the last game played in Canada. Two powerplay goals by Boris Mikhailov powered the Soviets early in the game and Vladislav Tretiak shut the door from there. He stopped 38 of 41 shots, including 21 in the final period. A crowd of 15, 570 Vancouver fans echoed the rest of Canada's sentiments as they routinely booed Team Canada. At the conclusion of the game, Team Canada was booed right off the ice, which led to Phil Esposito's famous emotional outburst on national television. Espo was in disbelief that Canadians would boo their players and that he assured Canadians that the players were giving "150%" and acknowledge the Soviets as a great team with great players. This speech seemed to light a fire under Team Canada and the whole country. It helped to gel a team of players who were together for only a few weeks, and who were enemies during the NHL season. Team Canada went to the Soviet Union as, for the first time, a team. A team with a common goal and objective: To kick some Russian butt!
Things looked dim for Team Canada. They had to win 3 out of four games in Russia to salvage their reputation as the World’s number one hockey power. Meanwhile, the true supporters of Canada were defiant as always. More than 3,500 Canadian fans made the trek to Moscow to cheer on their country. But while Canadian supporters were crashing through the Iron Curtain, some less optimistic Canadian players were going back to their NHL teams. Gilbert Perreault, Rick Martin, Jocelyn Guevremont, and Vic Hadfield walked out on Team Canada, feeling the series was a lost cause and that their talents would be better used back home. What they really walked out on though was one of the greatest comebacks in the history of sports and the most thrilling finale the world of ice hockey had ever known.
GAME FIVE
LUZHNIKI STADIUM
MOSCOW, RUSSIA, USSR
USSR 5 - Canada 3
During the player introductions, Phil Esposito immediately made himself a crowd favorite in Russia too, as he slipped on the ice, got up and bowed to the crowd with a huge smile on his face. That was just one of many memorable moments to come in Moscow. With 3500 noisey Canadian fans cheering them on, Team Canad played the best first 40 minutes had played yet. They built a 3-0 lead, and were dominating the game. Paul Henderson was the star. Already with one goal, he would crash heavily into the boards and lay motionless for sometime. He suffered a concusion, but refused to listen to doctor's and even the team's advice to sit for the rest of the game. He came back, in true Canadian fashion, and scored on his very next shift! However, something happened in the third period. Team Canada just seemed to stop skating. And the Russians capitalized just like flicking on a switch. 5 third period goals on 11 shots had given the Russians the win. The Russians had Team Canada backed into a corner. With a 3-1-1 lead, it seemed next to impossible for Canada to win now. Now the tides turned. Team Soviet became complacent and arrogant. Canada was ready to fight back, and were gelling just at the right time.
GAME SIX
LUZHNIKI STADIUM
MOSCOW, RUSSIA, USSR
Canada 3 - USSR 2
After a scoreless first period, a flury of scoring filled the 2nd. Henderson scored what proved to be the game winning goal. The game was marked by bad refereeing, as the official had never seen Canadian hockey. Canadian hockey has always been more physical than European, and thus every minor infraction by a Canadian player was called. Team Canada's penalty killing played a huge roll in the outcome. The Soviets awesome powerplay was held to just one goal. At one point, Canada was assessed four straight penalties, including a 5 minute major to team leader Phil Esposito.
GAME SEVEN
LUZHNIKI STADIUM
MOSCOW, RUSSIA, USSR
Canada 4 - USSR 3
Game 6 was Canada's first victory since Game Two. This sparked an outpouring of excitement back home. 50,000 fans sent telegrams and best wishes to the team. This helped motivate Team Canada, who were all but alone in a powerful, undemocratic country. Phil Esposito, easily Canada's best player throughout the series, scores twice in the first period. This game saw one of the low points in the tournament. Bobby Clarke, who was one of Canada's best players, slashed Valeri Kharlamov in the ankle. The ankle was fractured and Kharlamov was uneffective for the remainder of the series. It was revealed in later years that Team Canada assistant coach John Ferguson told Clarke to do it. After a scoreless second period, the teams traded third period goals. Cue Paul Henderson. Canada's hero from Game 5 did it again, this time on a spectacular individual effort. Going in alone on two Russian defenders, he crossed so that the to defensemen were forced to cross positions. Henderson slid the puck through the defensman's legs and went around. Instead of playing the man, the defenseman tried to play the puck. He failed to stop the puck and Henderson was in alone. He scored just under the cross bar while falling down, as the the defenders tackled him. Yet it was just a hint of what was to come for Canada's newest hero.
GAME EIGHT
LUZHNIKI STADIUM
MOSCOW, RUSSIA, USSR
Canada 6 - USSR 5
Momentum was clearly on the Canadian side heading into game 8, yet they still had to win. In the event of a tie the Russians would have claimed victory because they had scored 1 more goal than did the Canadians. It became very apparant early on that the Russian bureaucrats were going to do everything they could to win, including cheating. And cheating is exactly what they did. Right at the beginning of the game, the Russians secretly switched officials. The agreed-upon official suddenly disappeared and they brought in the referee from game 6. The same referee that would call anything against Canada, yet nothing against the Soviets. When the game got under way, and the steady procession of players to Canada's penalty box resumed, the Canadian fans in the stands starting chanting "Let's go home." There was no sportsmanship shown on behalf of the Soviet bureaucrats. In the first period, J.P. Parise was assessed a two minute marginal penalty that put Canada two men down. Parise went nuts. Team Canada was so frustrated with the refereeing and the awful sportsmanship. Parise went to strike down the referee with a vicious stick in what would have for sure saw him charged with assault. J.P. did however pull up from the swinging motion at the last second. Later in the game, Canada would tie up the score at 5, but the Russian goal judge didn't turn on the lamp behind the net. Alan Eagleson, who was instrumental in the creation of the Summit Series, was sitting in the stands and quickly bolted to the ice surface. He wanted to get to the time keepers box before the goal judge did and make sure the goal was announce and stood. As Eagleson tried to get to the ice, Russian Militia quickly surrounded him and were escorting him away from the rink. In what was an amazing event, Team Canada showed to defend their countryman. All of a sudden, Canada's hockey players were mixing it up with Russian Militia!! They managed to get Eagleson free and took him to the Team Canada bench! Hollywood couldn't make this game any more dramatic! The teams traded goals in the first period. The Soviets got ahead 5-3 in the second, leaving Canada forced to fight for another 3rd period comeback. Some of the players recall the feeling in dressing room that second intermission as an "eery calm." Both Paul Henderson and Phil Esposito, Canada's two best players, felt they were going to win. There was no doubt in their mind. And they both played a huge roll in the final frame. Esposito started it off with an extremely important early goal at 2:27 mark. Espo then assisted on Yvan Cournoyer's goal that tied it at 5-5. Cue Paul Henderson. With less than a minute remaining, Paul Henderson calls for Pete Mahovlich to leave the ice. Henderson takes his place and immediately jumps into the attack. Let's let Foster Hewitt end the game recap: "Here's a shot. Henderson makes a wild stab for it and falls," Foster Hewitt breathlessly described. "Here's another shot. Right in front. They Score!! Henderson scores for Canada!" Canada wins the series.
Final Standings
Canada Wins 4-3-1
Canada Roster
HEAD COACH
Harry Sinden
FORWARDS
Don Awrey / Red Berenson / Wayne Cashman / Bobby Clarke / Yvan Cournoyer / Marcel Dionne* / Ron Ellis / Phil Esposito / Rod Gilbert / Bill Goldsworthy / Vic Hadfield / Paul Henderson / Dennis Hull / Frank Mahovlich / Pete Mahovlich / Rick Martin* / Stan Mikita / Jean-Paul Parise / Gilbert Perreault / Jean Ratelle / Mickey Redmond
DEFENSEMEN
Gary Bergman / Brian Glennie* / Jocelyn Guevremont* / Guy Lapointe / Bobby Orr* / Brad Park / Serge Savard / Rod Seiling / Pat Stapleton / Dale Tallon* / Bill White
GOALTENDERS
Ken Dryden / Tony Esposito / Eddie Johnston*
*did not play