Theokritos
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Let's Watch: 1972 Summit Series, Game 8/8
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I remember that day well
No US city covered the series better than Boston but the Red Sox were in a bitter fight with Detroit to win the 1972 AL East flag.
So TV was PBS on tape delay - yes PBS
Radio was also on tape delay
So I decided I would stay at home and be oblivious until 8 PM because even going to the corner store would have meant seeing this.
I made one mistake - I figured watching Walter Cronkite at 6:30 PM would be safe.
IT WAS THE LEAD STORY
No US city covered the series better than Boston but the Red Sox were in a bitter fight with Detroit to win the 1972 AL East flag.
So TV was PBS on tape delay - yes PBS
Radio was also on tape delay
So I decided I would stay at home and be oblivious until 8 PM because even going to the corner store would have meant seeing this.
I made one mistake - I figured watching Walter Cronkite at 6:30 PM would be safe.
IT WAS THE LEAD STORY
PrimumHockeyist
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Coach Harry Sinden leads with this... The fan he mentions in the first line was a Munich Olympic water skier, the late Pierre Plouffe who "landed in a Moscow jail for throwing a drunken tantrum. He had already been on the radar for playing his bugle and waving his Canadian flag on the end of a hockey stick," writes the Canadian diplomat, Gary J. Smith. Pierre describes things from his own point of view here, which indicates a happier post game 8 outcome than the one Sinden described before game 8.
As for this second part, I'm not sure if I've ever heard an outright admission that this was bluff on any of the key insiders' parts: Sinden, Fergie and Eagleson.
As for this second part, I'm not sure if I've ever heard an outright admission that this was bluff on any of the key insiders' parts: Sinden, Fergie and Eagleson.
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PrimumHockeyist
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For the vast majority of Canadians who remember September 28, 1972, Paul Henderson's final goal is linked to the voice of the legendary TV broadcaster, Foster Hewitt, who came out of retirement to call the Summit Series.
Far less Canadians listened to the game on CBC Radio, where Bob Cole called the series. So, the wider audience here should be informed that this video is an historical novelty to Canadian boomers, where the radio coverage (via Bob Cole's voice) is linked to the television feed that boomers very strongly associate with Hewitt. This is NOT the far more famous televised version, which this video links to at 1:08 fyi.
Finally, one last mention of that vid I wrote about in Game Four, the one youtube cancelled. Thanks for the memories, boys.
Far less Canadians listened to the game on CBC Radio, where Bob Cole called the series. So, the wider audience here should be informed that this video is an historical novelty to Canadian boomers, where the radio coverage (via Bob Cole's voice) is linked to the television feed that boomers very strongly associate with Hewitt. This is NOT the far more famous televised version, which this video links to at 1:08 fyi.
Finally, one last mention of that vid I wrote about in Game Four, the one youtube cancelled. Thanks for the memories, boys.
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JackSlater
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Probably hockey's most famous game, the culmination of the most impactful series (if not game) in hockey history. Sort of a clunky game but it gets exciting in the final stage. Goaltending was notably poor on both sides. Even outside of the last minute there was a lot of drama with Kompalla, Eagleson, Parise and company. Best players in the series Yakushev, Esposito, and Park were standout performers again. Soviet forward depth was very critical through the first two periods but they played on their back heels in the third.
Interesting, I don't think I've ever heard Cole's call of that goal. I prefer Hewitt's call of that goal but I like Cole as the best ever.
Interesting, I don't think I've ever heard Cole's call of that goal. I prefer Hewitt's call of that goal but I like Cole as the best ever.
PrimumHockeyist
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It does beg other questions: Do we have the French Canadian version somewhere? and what about the Soviet call?
How the games from Moscow wound up on PBS in the US was fascinating.
WSBK-TV Boston owned the rights for the games played in Canada and the Bruins announcers called the game.
WSBK-TV could not make the numbers work from Moscow and WGBH-TV Boston (PBS) took a gamble that they could use the games as a fundraiser since by US law could not sell commercials and it and it worked.
WSBK-TV Boston owned the rights for the games played in Canada and the Bruins announcers called the game.
WSBK-TV could not make the numbers work from Moscow and WGBH-TV Boston (PBS) took a gamble that they could use the games as a fundraiser since by US law could not sell commercials and it and it worked.
JackSlater
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This is a French (from France) documentary on the summit series that uses only English game clips, including on Henderson's goal. Not sure about what was shown in Quebec.
I'm surprised to see it said that Park hadn't played well heading into game 8. He was easily the best defenceman in the series.
On SRC In French, Rene LeCavalier called it,"Cournoyer qui s'avance. Oh, Henderson a perdu la passe! Il a fait une chute. Et devant le but. ET LE BUT DE HENDERSON! Avec 34 secondes encore!
PrimumHockeyist
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There are so many moments in Game 8 that are worthy of their own lengthy discussions. Of them, I would say that the first is the JP Parise incident.
First time viewers might think that this is a person who has simply lost control and can't accept a ref's call which, of course, puts JP Parise in the worst possible light. This is such a predictable conclusion that it's worth reviewing the other things that viewers later learned affected Parise's behavior. The JP incident took place in the fourth minute of game 8, by which time the Canadians had already had two penalities called against them and a goal scored against due to the resulting 5-on-3. All that the viewers in Canada knew then was that TC72 had to put up with questionable or bad referring ever since their arrival in Europe. I wonder how many of us were reminded of that recently concluded gold medal basketball game at the Munich Olympics.
The public would only learn later about the stolen food, stolen beer, late night phone calls, bugged rooms, wrongly scheduled practises and broken agreements at the managerial level. That to go along with the reff'ing. Those were also things that JP had to be ALSO reacting over, as he sees the most important sporting match in his nation's existence begin to play out like a condensed version of what had taken place since TC72's arrival in Moscow. Parise seems to allude to this larger picture in the video below, where at the 14th minute he says, "Never before would I have realized that I would become such an enraged man for two weeks."
But first, here is Sinden's summary of the JP incident hours after game 8... By this time in the game Canada has been given two penalties in the first three minutes, from which the Soviets scored a power play goal on a 5 on 3... Then, after that all took place, comes the call on JP Parise at 4:10...
Parise speaks at 14:00 ...
Here's Henderson and Esposito talking about the on-ice experiences abroad. Boris Michailov chimes in at the end.
First time viewers might think that this is a person who has simply lost control and can't accept a ref's call which, of course, puts JP Parise in the worst possible light. This is such a predictable conclusion that it's worth reviewing the other things that viewers later learned affected Parise's behavior. The JP incident took place in the fourth minute of game 8, by which time the Canadians had already had two penalities called against them and a goal scored against due to the resulting 5-on-3. All that the viewers in Canada knew then was that TC72 had to put up with questionable or bad referring ever since their arrival in Europe. I wonder how many of us were reminded of that recently concluded gold medal basketball game at the Munich Olympics.
The public would only learn later about the stolen food, stolen beer, late night phone calls, bugged rooms, wrongly scheduled practises and broken agreements at the managerial level. That to go along with the reff'ing. Those were also things that JP had to be ALSO reacting over, as he sees the most important sporting match in his nation's existence begin to play out like a condensed version of what had taken place since TC72's arrival in Moscow. Parise seems to allude to this larger picture in the video below, where at the 14th minute he says, "Never before would I have realized that I would become such an enraged man for two weeks."
But first, here is Sinden's summary of the JP incident hours after game 8... By this time in the game Canada has been given two penalties in the first three minutes, from which the Soviets scored a power play goal on a 5 on 3... Then, after that all took place, comes the call on JP Parise at 4:10...
Parise speaks at 14:00 ...
Here's Henderson and Esposito talking about the on-ice experiences abroad. Boris Michailov chimes in at the end.
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Also came an announcement that going forward the NHL would NEVER again allow a team of all-stars to play the USSR.
The NHL apparently wanted to freeze out both the WHA and Eagleson but these games were never played and 2 years later Team Canada would play Russia again but the roster was WHA players only and Russia won that series 4-1-3.
The NHL apparently wanted to freeze out both the WHA and Eagleson but these games were never played and 2 years later Team Canada would play Russia again but the roster was WHA players only and Russia won that series 4-1-3.
Theokritos
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For what it's worth, Arkadi Chernyshov (who had scouted for the Soviets in Canada and had spent a little time with Harry Sinden there) told a Russian paper before Game 1 that Sinden had an offer over $70,000 for a coaching gig in the NHL on his table.
PrimumHockeyist
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Speaking of differing or lesser known points of view, Theokritis provides very interesting links to a Soviet commentator in the thread below, writing soon after Game 8, while linking to a Gazette article that discusses John Ferguson's feelings about Sweden. Despite longstanding opinion, it would appear that the Swedes weren't the only one taking liberties on ice:
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SIHR Blog - The Difference 15 Years Make: Canadian Lessons for the Soviets and Soviet Lessons for the Canadians
Montreal 1972. Faced with the decision how to line up against the Soviet Union in Game 1 of the upcoming Summit Series, Team Canada head coach Harry Sinden decides to go with four forward lines and two defensive pairings (plus one spare). His reasoning: Constant Canadian attacks with four lines...
PrimumHockeyist
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As I've aged, I have found that my standards have changed, regarding what I find to be "heroic." No such Summit Series discussion would be complete without mentioning Peter Mahovlich, who is commonly remembered a serial jokester. As far as the Summit Series goes, he seems to be most commonly remembered for his short-handed goal in Game Two in Toronto, and for being called off the ice, or going off the ice - his version? - seconds before Paul Henderson scored the series-winning goal.
In due course, thememory of Peter Mahovlich going over the boards in Game 8 stood out the most for me, where he single-handedly takes on dozens of Soviet militia, in order to come to the aid of Alan Eagleson.
Like other kids my age, I was well aware of the prevailing Cold War atmosphere of that time, and that all of this late-series drama was occurring in the literal centre of the formidable eastern bloc alliance. As a grown-up, Peter had to be even more aware of those things, especially as an adult with strong Yugoslavian connections. He would also have been well aware of whatever state-related problems that his teammates later said they experienced behind the Wall, if he hadn't experienced them directly. Through his brother Frank, he was likely reminded of these themes more often than most: in the years, months, weeks, days and hours leading up to Game Eight.
All of those things should serve as a reminder that Peter Mahovlich didn't just jump over the boards with impunity. He must have done so well aware that there could be severe consequences. The things mentioned must have been things that he recognized and pushed out of his mind, in order to help out Eagleson, and fast.
I have wondered over the years: How can one adequately convey this extraordinary level of bravery to later generations who know none of this geopolitical history? Gary Smith, the Canadian diplomat at the centre of things in 1972 writes, "Millennials might think boomers exaggerate when they say hockey used to be ‘war by other means.’ [Just three years earlier] In March 1969, international hockey was certainly a proxy battleground between Czechoslovakia and the Soviets. When the Czechoslovaks beat Russia on ice, twice that month, 500,000 people hit the streets of Prague to celebrate. The party morphed into protests against the Soviet military stationed in their country. A local Aeroflot office was torched. Moscow used the “Czechoslovak Hockey Riots” as a pretext to remove reformer Alexander Dubček from office and crush the progress of the Prague Spring."
Sadly, at this time when hockey people wordwide should be celebrating the players on both teams, these concerns have become much easier to relate to. Accordingly, the pic above shows what I see as the most "heroic" moment of the entire Summit Series, and what might actually be 'the' most heroic moment. In the inset one sees another side of this jokester's character. Peter Mahovlich has just stepped away from Team Canada's Goal of the Century celebration, to tap the goalie pads of a surely devastated Vladislav Tretiak.
* Follow up. - Peter Mahovlich appears in another sequence that has been brought up in these Summit Series threads before. Here's Pierre Plouffe, who discusses what happened after he got in trouble with the Moscow authorities. (Pierre's version differs from Sinden's description of the same episode in his book, Hockey Showdown, mentioned elsewhere in these threads.)
Plouffe: They took me to a room and started to yell things. The translator gets there, tells me they want my flag and bugle. I said, "You might get my bugle, but you'll never get my flag." They let me out around 6 in the morning.
Reid: It was only when I persuaded the militia commander that we'd pay for the damage to the bar that we managed to quiet things down.
Plouffe: I had to pay $72 for some broken glasses owned by the government. When I was released, I'll always remember this, Pete Mahovlich was outside waiting for me.
Lastly, in the video below Alan Eagleson discusses this sequence of events which includes another lingering memory that I found awe-inspiring, as it unfolded: of Pat Stapleton leading the charge across ice where the entire team and staff go to lend their own assistance to Eagleson. Their walk back to the bench would provide to be something I would never, ever forget.
In his last two sentence prior to discussing game 8, Harry Sinden wrote that during game 8 TC Canada would show the Soviets how tough they were. ""These people are tough. But tomorrow they're going to find that we're just as tough." To me, that walk that the players and staff of TC72 all took on Moscow ice was the most telling piece of confirmation.
In due course, thememory of Peter Mahovlich going over the boards in Game 8 stood out the most for me, where he single-handedly takes on dozens of Soviet militia, in order to come to the aid of Alan Eagleson.
Like other kids my age, I was well aware of the prevailing Cold War atmosphere of that time, and that all of this late-series drama was occurring in the literal centre of the formidable eastern bloc alliance. As a grown-up, Peter had to be even more aware of those things, especially as an adult with strong Yugoslavian connections. He would also have been well aware of whatever state-related problems that his teammates later said they experienced behind the Wall, if he hadn't experienced them directly. Through his brother Frank, he was likely reminded of these themes more often than most: in the years, months, weeks, days and hours leading up to Game Eight.
All of those things should serve as a reminder that Peter Mahovlich didn't just jump over the boards with impunity. He must have done so well aware that there could be severe consequences. The things mentioned must have been things that he recognized and pushed out of his mind, in order to help out Eagleson, and fast.
I have wondered over the years: How can one adequately convey this extraordinary level of bravery to later generations who know none of this geopolitical history? Gary Smith, the Canadian diplomat at the centre of things in 1972 writes, "Millennials might think boomers exaggerate when they say hockey used to be ‘war by other means.’ [Just three years earlier] In March 1969, international hockey was certainly a proxy battleground between Czechoslovakia and the Soviets. When the Czechoslovaks beat Russia on ice, twice that month, 500,000 people hit the streets of Prague to celebrate. The party morphed into protests against the Soviet military stationed in their country. A local Aeroflot office was torched. Moscow used the “Czechoslovak Hockey Riots” as a pretext to remove reformer Alexander Dubček from office and crush the progress of the Prague Spring."
Sadly, at this time when hockey people wordwide should be celebrating the players on both teams, these concerns have become much easier to relate to. Accordingly, the pic above shows what I see as the most "heroic" moment of the entire Summit Series, and what might actually be 'the' most heroic moment. In the inset one sees another side of this jokester's character. Peter Mahovlich has just stepped away from Team Canada's Goal of the Century celebration, to tap the goalie pads of a surely devastated Vladislav Tretiak.
* Follow up. - Peter Mahovlich appears in another sequence that has been brought up in these Summit Series threads before. Here's Pierre Plouffe, who discusses what happened after he got in trouble with the Moscow authorities. (Pierre's version differs from Sinden's description of the same episode in his book, Hockey Showdown, mentioned elsewhere in these threads.)
Plouffe: They took me to a room and started to yell things. The translator gets there, tells me they want my flag and bugle. I said, "You might get my bugle, but you'll never get my flag." They let me out around 6 in the morning.
Reid: It was only when I persuaded the militia commander that we'd pay for the damage to the bar that we managed to quiet things down.
Plouffe: I had to pay $72 for some broken glasses owned by the government. When I was released, I'll always remember this, Pete Mahovlich was outside waiting for me.
Lastly, in the video below Alan Eagleson discusses this sequence of events which includes another lingering memory that I found awe-inspiring, as it unfolded: of Pat Stapleton leading the charge across ice where the entire team and staff go to lend their own assistance to Eagleson. Their walk back to the bench would provide to be something I would never, ever forget.
In his last two sentence prior to discussing game 8, Harry Sinden wrote that during game 8 TC Canada would show the Soviets how tough they were. ""These people are tough. But tomorrow they're going to find that we're just as tough." To me, that walk that the players and staff of TC72 all took on Moscow ice was the most telling piece of confirmation.
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PrimumHockeyist
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If any one is interested, posted on the analytics board: a discussion on the improbability of Paul Henderson's Goal of the Century.
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Third Straight Game-Winning Goals & Paul Henderson's Historic Hat Trick.
Since this is my first post on this board I should probably first mention that I am neither a mathematician nor an "analytics" guy in ice hockey's conventional sense. . . So, a few years ago now, I had been very surprised to learn how rare it is to score a third straight game-winning goal...
Theokritos
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PrimumHockeyist
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Staniowski
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PrimumHockeyist
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This certainly changed my memories of Game Eight's conclusion.
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At last! The French version - Paul Henderson's goal
That it took me so long to find this - more than a decade of half-hearted attempts - is testimony to my French language skills. In the end, it took someone else to show my the way. Merci, Mathias Marcel ! 1 of 2 - I would like to know the announcers' names, 2 of 2 - It would be cool of...
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Big Phil
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I've always liked that little tap Pete Mahovlich does after the Henderson goal on Tretiak's pads. It was pure class. A good example of going to war against each other, but still respecting each other. Maybe Tretiak wasn't in the mood for that, I don't know, I've never heard him say anything about it. But I thought it was some very subtle sportsmanship. You could tell it was genuine from Pete and not arrogant.
I have to wonder, what does Pete think to this day about him rescuing Eagleson from the Soviet guards? I don't doubt he got some ribbing about it, especially years later when Eagleson's scandal came to light. But I know Stan Mikita had stated years later that the worst thing that happened was Canada coming to his rescue. Obviously at the time I am sure he supported it, but years later, he had more of a "let him rot" attitude.
Also, what happens to Eagleson if he isn't rescued? I think he definitely gets at the very least beaten up. Left for dead? I don't know, it was a Communist country but I don't think they would do that to the guy who organized the series, if that is they knew who he was. I would say he is in a big heap of trouble if he is escorted outside of the arena. Good eyes from the other side of the rink whoever the first Canadian was who saw it though.
PrimumHockeyist
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I was at the Game Four gathering on the 44th anniversary, and the Eagle came up. I was surprised to hear at least a couple of players chime in on his behalf, trying to point out the good things AE did for players. You could tell that this had been discussed before, and that everyone knew the various povs.
Based on the testimony of Pierre Plouffe, the guy who got thrown in jail, I think it would have been highly likely that Eagleson would have gotten quite roughed up, but only as long as it took for him to be identified. Then again, the treatment of PP suggests something surprisingly humane. I only learned this time around (the 50th) that he was allowed to watch game 7 on tv in jail, and then escorted to game eight where he sat at centre ice, albeit surrounded by Soviet guards. Go figure. That part of the narrative certainly deserves mention, especially since it's buried in myths that suggest or claim the contrary. The other important lesson of PP is that the Soviets did try to resolve some things diplomatically, so Eagleson would have likely never even seen the Siberian border.
As for my take, which is vague, I do believe that Stapleton may have been the first skater to race over from the bench to come to AE and PM's aid. But I think Peter was there first. For me, that whole scene was the craziest part of a crazy game. Looking back, it was like a scene out all-star wrestling, with Eagleson playing the part of the Crazed Manager. The proudest moment of my life, as a Canadian, may have come when I watched the entire team escort him back to their bench. I was just ten, but knew very, very well where this was going down. PM might as well have kicked a whole in the Berlin Wall and then the team stormed through, to take back one of their own - because that's what teammates do.
Awesome stuff.
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