18 replies to this topic

[The Napkin]

NBCSports (nee VS) is airing this at 4:30, repeating a couple times the next week or so. Looks like it could be pretty interesting. Just FYI...

[MoGator71]

I am all over that. I was too young for the '72 series, for me the classic will always be the '87 Canada Cup, still maybe the best hockey I've ever seen.

[CaptainLaddie]

Awesome, thanks for the heads up. I remember hearing about this when I first moved to Canada in 99 and was shocked by the story. I had never heard of this.

[scotian1]

As someone who lived through that series, I can remember vividly almost every game, Things like the early 2-0 lead in Game 1 which turned into a disaster, Team Canada being booded off the ice after the Vancouver game,Phil Esposito calling out the Vancouver crowd after the game on the PA system, Paul Henderson's magic three game winning goals in the last three games in Moscow, Team Canada members claiming their rooms were bugged, all night construction taking place outside their hotel, J.P. Parise threatening to decapitate a German referee. There is no doubt among my generation of Canadians Henderson's winning goal in game eight was the goal of our lifetime.

Take a look:


Summit Series website:
http://www.1972summitseries.com/

If you get a chance take a look at Paul Henderson's new book, co-written with my fellow Nova Scotian Jim Prime, called How Hockey Explains Canada.

[The Napkin]

Looks like it won't air until after the winter classic ends which really screws up the timing to record it.
Next airing is Sunday night at 10:30...

[mwonow]

As someone who lived through that series, I can remember vividly almost every game, Things like the early 2-0 lead in Game 1 which turned into a disaster, Team Canada being booded off the ice after the Vancouver game,Phil Esposito calling out the Vancouver crowd after the game on the PA system, Paul Henderson's magic three game winning goals in the last three games in Moscow, Team Canada members claiming their rooms were bugged, all night construction taking place outside their hotel, J.P. Parise threatening to decapitate a German referee. There is no doubt among my generation of Canadians Henderson's winning goal in game eight was the goal of our lifetime.

Take a look:
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=lMf2fAXPS1Q

Summit Series website:
http://www.1972summitseries.com/

If you get a chance take a look at Paul Henderson's new book, co-written with my fellow Nova Scotian Jim Prime, called How Hockey Explains Canada.

Thanks for the link - I just went through all the highlights 8 games. Great stuff - seeing the young Espo again was great, and Cash...Ratelle and Park, who weren't Bruins yet...hell, even Cornoyer and Rod Gilbert and Bill White, guys I never rooted for in the NHL. Eagleson's presence on the videos is a little jarring, but what I really miss is seeing Orr (injured) - the only way it would be better is if Canada had #4 on the ice.

[scotian1]

Two critical moments during the 72 series.
The first, Phil Esposito calls out the Vancouver crowd for booing Team Canada.


Esposito's outburst actually rallied the up to then silent Canadian majority and the support the team got in Moscow was unbelievable.


The second Bobby Clarke breaks the ankle of Russian star Kharlamov putting him out of the series.

[scotian1]

This video shows a little bit more of how much it was beyond just sport. Note J.P.Parise threatening to decapitate the referee and the players having to rescue Alan Eagleson from the Russian army after Canada ties the score. Note the Bruins old trainer!

Edited by scotian1, 02 January 2012 - 09:55 PM.

[scotian1]

Sports Illustrated's view of what the 72 Series meant to Canadians. Brian Burke sums it up well.

"As big as the 1980 U.S. Olympic triumph was in the U.S. -- and it was a defining moment in sports history -- the 1972 win was even bigger in Canada," Vancouver Canucks general manager Brian Burke said recently. "You have to understand the relative space that hockey occupies in the fabric of the culture. Hockey isn't a sport in Canada. It's a cult."

Complete story:

http://sportsillustr.../canada_legacy/

Here is NBC's press release about the programme.
http://tvbythenumber...nuary-2/114819/

Edited by scotian1, 03 January 2012 - 12:33 PM.

[TheStoryofYourRedRightAnkle]

That is brilliantly put by Burke.

[Spacemans Bong]

To me Esposito wasn't just speaking about the crowd, he was speaking about the country. The entire country thought Canada would rout the Soviets. Only a handful of people thought otherwise, notably Ken Dryden who had been smacked around pretty good by the Soviets while playing for Canada in the World Championships.

I remember watching a short clip of Canadians (including John Diefenbaker) watching the eighth game a couple years ago and being struck by the guy (who is old enough to have an idea of what he's about to say) saying "It's just like when the war ended, eh?"

[FelixMantilla]

Bobby Clarke was a piece of shit.

I believe Canada scored two early goals in game 1 and I remember thinking the games might turn into a rout. Obviously that didn't happen....

[Harry Hooper]

Clarke missed the memo:

Canadians are known for their sense of fair play, their respect for working people, and for their dedication to the rule of law.

Link

[scotian1]

Clarke missed the memo:



Link

Except when it comes to war and hockey, which many Canadians see as the same thing. Remember it was Conn Smythe who believed that if you couldn't beat them in the alley you couldn't beat them on the ice.

Edited by scotian1, 03 January 2012 - 05:18 PM.

[wnyghost]

Bobby Clarke was a piece of shit.

“I don’t know what I was thinking at all. It was an awful thing to do. It sure felt good.” – Bobby Clarke on slashing Russian Star Valeri Kharlamov, breaking his ankle.

“He was killing us and somebody had to do it. This is war. It is us versus them and the guy was killing us.” said Clarke after the game

What the hell are the image makers at NBC and the NHL thinking by glorifying such a gutless play by Bobby Clarke? A deliberate, premeditated and successful attempt to injure other teams best player and all the talking heads yuck it up...

HHHMMMM - What can we do in between periods of our signature regular season game in front of as many households as possible? I have a great idea - we should show a clip from 40 years ago of Bobby Clarke using his stick as a weapon to deliberately injure another player... and we should interview Clarke and discuss such a great moment in Canadian/International hockey history.

Thankfully Valeri Kharlamov only suffered a broken ankle and not a concussion.

If you want an example of hockey without fighting that is it.

[TheStoryofYourRedRightAnkle]

Haha, no. If you want an example of what an asshole Bobby Clarke could be, that was it.

[Kull]

The second Bobby Clarke breaks the ankle of Russian star Kharlamov putting him out of the series.

Interesting. The Story of the Red's Left Ankle

[h8mfy]

Finally got around to watching this yesterday, very interesting...I remember my uncle actually travelling (from Cape Cod) to Russia to watch the games, which was a very big deal back then.

One part confused me...in game 8, there was a whole thing about a goal by Espo not resulting in the red light being lit, and Eagleson going nuts, and being held back by the soldiers, and then the players getting involved. What wesn't clear was whether they were saying that they simply didn't count an obvious goal, which would have been the winner (had it stood up). Is that what happened, they ignored a clear goal just because the light wasn't lit?

Overall, a good chance to see the NHL stars of my youth then and now. Agreed about the Bobby Clarke stuff...not something to promote. A quote from a Russian about that might have been interesting.

[scotian1]

The goal did count the goal judge just didn't put the light on.