The 1972 summit series between the best from russia and the best from canada turned out to be one of the most significant events, not only in hockey history, but also in canadian history. David mcdonald university of wisconsin madison and james g. Summit series 72 2012 frank lennon toronto star getty in that same vein, cold war on ice chronicles the historic 1972 summit series between canada and the soviet union. Six teams have scored emptynet goals engs to go on to lose, but five of those were owngoals on delayed penalties early in the game. When the cold war became hot the summit series between. The reaction to canadas win in the summit series illustrates just how much the world has changed in the past 40 years.
The cold war on ice from 1947 to the squaw valley olympics. Ross greenburg productions produced cold war on ice, a look back at the 1972 summit series between the canadian national hockey team, made up of nhl allstars and the soviet union hockey team. Our battles with the soviets began as a proxy for war, and became a. Canada was wrapped in the emotions of what we now know as the summit series, a battle against the soviet union for hockey supremacy. News tretiak says he has putin, harper backing to recreate 1972 cold war on ice. Phil esposito candid about 1972 summit series anniversary duration. The main idea of this source is to tell about the russian national hockey team in 1972. Home news kevin peters on the cold war politics of the 72 summit series. In hockeys 72 summit series between canada and soviet union. It is by far the best documentary available for sale, and is a true must have. Take a look at the summit series of 1972 as russia and canada faced off. Cold warera hockey was the game at its best rolling stone.
In this article, matthew struth tells us the story of the summit series, a number of ice hockey games that took place at the height cold war. This was the ultimate international showdown, occurring against the political backdrop of the cold war. The cold war was a college ice hockey game played between u. But from the start, the 1972 summit series was all about politics. Nowhere was this pride perhaps more at stake than during the canadaussr hockey tournament of 1972, also known as the summit series. In 1972, hockeys cold war boiled over the new york times. On january 2, 2012 the nbc sports network began with its first original production. This essay examines the question, how did the 1972 summit series affect international relations between canada and the soviet union in the 1970s. It was published as a newspaper article and was intended to be read by the people of the world to show that russia had a great team. Summit series 72, many former players and journalists recount the tension of the. Canadas cold war on ice by erik floren, edmonton sun.
You may make a chart showing the factors and cause and effect for this answer if you want. It set a thenworld record for the largest crowd at an ice hockey game with 74,544. Cold war on ice summit series 72summit series 1972 ussr. Canadas 1972 hockey triumph played role in ending cold. Players from legendary 1972 canadaussr summit series unveil stamp of unforgettable goal, visit with rcafs 17 wing stamp is eighth of 10 that revisit exceptional moments of the last 50 years, as country celebrates canada 150 posted on may 31, 2017 by canada post in news releases. Why world hockey tournaments dont matter as much anymore. The summit series, widely considered to be the eight best played and the eight bloodiest and dirtiest ice hockey games of all time, was not called that at the beginning, but its a name that has since gained widespread acceptance. With chapters alternating between game recaps and related events, it goes into quite good detail of. Union stare each other down during the 1972 summit series. It was the greatest hockey series ever playedand it changed the game forever cold war evokes as never before those legendary 27 days in september 1972. Played against the backdrop of the cold war, the series was the first time the soviet national team played team canada with players from the nhl. Hockey put canadas cold war perceptions on ice it was the greatest hockey series ever played. Vladivostok, russia in its own way, canadas comefrombehind triumph over the soviet hockey team in 1972 played a role in the disintegration of the soviet union and the end of communism across eastern europe, prime minister stephen harper said in an interview with postmedia to mark the 40th a. Tretiak says he has putin, harper backing to recreate 1972.
Ice hockey was one of the most intense international sports during the cold war, yet two of the biggest powerhouses, canada and the soviet union, rarely played one another. Tretiak is spearheading a proposal to restage the 72 summit series, pitching an eightgame confrontation. What happened during the 1972 summit series canada vs. A good analogy is the miracle on ice where the americans won the hockey gold medal in 1980. Mostly we remember the eight bitter battles between team canada and the. Cold war on ice, produced by 51time emmy awardwinner ross greenburg, chronicles the historic 27day summit series in september of 1972 between a team of nhl allstars from canada and the soviet national team during the height of the cold war. All materials and projects presented here are results of original inhouse production and research. The outcome was the biggest defeat the ussr ever suffered in the sporting arena and the greatest victory in canadian sports. Cold war on ice, produced by 51time emmy awardwinner ross greenburg, chronicles the historic 27day summit series in september of 1972 between a. At its beginning, few saw the summit series as anything more than a working vacation for canadas hockey pros. Cold war on ice, produced by 51time emmy awardwinner ross greenburg, chronicles the historic 27day summit series in september of 1972 between a team of nhl allstars from canada and the soviet. Though there were 3,000 canadian fans in moscow and national tv coverage.
Hockey, as canadas national winter sport, is a source of enormous pride for canadians. Hershberg george washington university tell the story of the 1972 summit series, one of the greatest sporting events in canadian history. Hockey put canadas cold war perceptions on ice the globe and. The series would have a lasting impact on hockey in canada and abroad. Superseriya sssr canada, known at the time simply as the canada ussr series, was an eightgame series of ice hockey between the soviet union and canada, held in september 1972. So in 1972 there came the opportunity for the soviets best to play the canadian best nhl players and the plum, was the bragging rights to who would be the best in the world at hockey. At its beginning, few saw the summit series as anything more than a working vacation for canadas.
For team canada, this meant a chance to assemble a dream team of nhl professionals and show the world that they still owned ice hockey. It started as a friendly cultural exchange intended to signal a thawing of eastwest relations and firmly establish canada as the worlds true hockey superpower. The amazing canadasoviet hockey series of 1972 takes you to the back rooms of the diplomats and apparatchiks who sanctioned this unlikely confrontationand then puts you on the ice for the rest. By erik floren, edmonton sun as a baby boomer growing up in canada, i can remember only vaguely today the televised coverage of the.
Many believe this special series changed hockey forever. The series evolved into a fight to uphold canadas honor. Kevin peters on the cold war politics of the 72 summit series. For canadians, the series against the soviet union, which was the first time. The 1972 summit series between national hockey teams from canada and the ussr was the first time that canadian professional hockey players faced the soviet unions national team. It was the moment he and the rest of team canada started to realize just how good a team they were facing during the 1972 summit series. This was published in 1972 before the summit series had started. Please note that there is no need to browse special additions of the latest dictionaries searching for the definition of chidlovski. Hockey put canadas cold war perceptions on ice the. This essay will firstly address the reasons on why the summit series was needed to cool tensions. This was the form of hegemony on all fronts that was battled by the west during the cold war.