Old-time footage of hockey

[Pear Juice]

Maybe this belongs in the 06-video sticky, but it still doesn't really fit. I just wanted to bring some more attention to the treasure that is the internet. Here is some footage from two exhibition games that was played in 1959 in Moscow between Soviet and Sweden. It's a remarkably long video and the intensity appears to be relatively high for an exhibition game. I especially like the footage of the locker room before the game when you can see the players putting on their gear!

I do believe showing these kinds of videos is important. Sure there was difference in the game back then, but it's not as huge as it's sometimes portrayed. Evidently the players back then were amazing athletes as well!

note: If this is at all interesting, please respond so I know if I should keep posting footage. I'll stick to this thread.

Click to read more...

 

[tarheelhockey]

That's an amazing vid. Please do post more if you have them.

I feel like there should be girls putting on powder in that locker room. Even the phrase "locker room" seems inaccurate... more like a parlor.

Interesting notion to do handshakes before the game. I have my sound off so maybe it was explained in the audio, but what is that first player in the foreground handing to the other. And what is that exchange just beside them where it looks like the players were in a tug of war?

 

[Pear Juice]

That's an amazing vid. Please do post more if you have them.

I feel like there should be girls putting on powder in that locker room. Even the phrase "locker room" seems inaccurate... more like a parlor.

Interesting notion to do handshakes before the game. I have my sound off so maybe it was explained in the audio, but what is that first player in the foreground handing to the other. And what is that exchange just beside them where it looks like the players were in a tug of war?

I honestly have no idea. The commentary is in Russian, which I can't speak. But I think it's a very interesting video. And yes the locker room looks really strange!

Considering the timing. In 1959 Sweden was in a strange situation. We were geographically in between the United States and the Soviet Union. Soviets thought we were in allegiance with the Americans, and they thought we were communists. I can only imagine the kind of diplomatic effort that existed behind such an exhibition game. The 1950s included Soviet spies entering Sweden and Swedish reconnaisance planes being mysteriously shot down over the Baltic Sea. One would think this game impossible, but it's fascinating the kind of borders sports can bridge.

 

[Theokritos]

Great video. More of it!

Considering the timing. In 1959 Sweden was in a strange situation...I can only imagine the kind of diplomatic effort that existed behind such an exhibition game.

I don't really know and I understand your reasoning, but exhibition games between Sweden and the USSR were almost annualy held from 1954 on.

USSR @ Sweden:
December 1954, 1955, 1957, January 1959, 1960, 1961, February 1962, December 1963, December 1965, January 1968 ...

Sweden @ USSR:
November 1959, December 1961, December 1964, November/December 1966 ...

I doubt that it was that difficult to arrange most of the exhibitions. Maybe when a serious diplomatic incident occured, but how often was that really?

 

[Brewsky]

The speed actually could mirror some games today.

Once again, the size of the goalie compared to today...it's laughable.

 

[Crosbyfan]

Interesting. No helmets! Sweden seemed to win the first game 3-1 and the Soviets the other 8-2.

Viktor Yakushev- I wonder if he is any relation to Alexander

And I wonder what Tarasov was saying....anyone speak Russian?

 

[Zine]

There's a treasure trove of old games here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/dim75dim#p/u

 

[EagleBelfour]

Old post I've compiled in the ATD section:



I would recommend taking 10 minutes of your time and looking at the full video. If not, my summary if you just want to skim through it:

- You can see Viacheslav Starshinov speed at around 1:30. Was it VMBM that said something like: ''he was slow, but not dramatically''? Anyway, seems to be accurate.

- Lennart Svedberg at the 2:10 time is very impressive. Big guy with decent skating, beat two Russian player on a nice move and a great pass for a goal. Wow!

- At around 4:00, you can see just how impressive #13 Boris Mikhailov and especially #16 Valeri Kharlamov are. Very nice play. They are the best two players during that whole video.

- You can see Mikhailov speed on a breakaway at 5:20 and his overall impressive skillset afterwards. Far more than a 'glue guy', using ATD term.

- On a side note, first time I see a goaltender (Sweden) playing with an helmet with no facial protection!

- I was looking at this video, mainly because of my new acquisition, Vladimir Vikulov. You see him once in this, at the 7:40 mark, but wow! Great speed, soft hand, mystify the defenceman and beat the Swedish goaltender with a nice backend. I had to see it twice to fully appreciate the play. On a side note, Vikulov also beat T.Esposito in the Summit Series in Game 5 with a nice backend shot. Perhaps it was a weapon he liked to use, although we obviously cannot draw conclusion on two goals!

- Last but not least, #10 Alexander Maltsev at around 8:00 that completely mystify the Swedish defence to score a very nice one!

---

Hope some people enjoyed it!



-

 

[Pear Juice]

- Lennart Svedberg at the 2:10 time is very impressive. Big guy with decent skating, beat two Russian player on a nice move and a great pass for a goal. Wow!

Ah that Lill-Strimma goal. Quite possibly Sweden's nicest goal ever. Just think of what he could've become if he'd not died so early!

There was a series in Sweden in the 80s where people voted for a Swedish All-Star line up. Svedberg was one of the defenders. A 15-minute film with clips and interviews was made for each player. They are available through the SVT (Swedish National Television) Open archives. If I ever get the time I might just subtitle it and put it on the Tube. They are really great informative videos about Leif "Honken" Holmqvist (G), Börje Salming (D), Lennart "Lill-Strimma" Svedberg (D), Sven Tumba (F) and Mats Näslund (F). I actually don't know the third forward as that video is not included in the SVT Open archives.

If anyone cares to see (it's lots of non-subtitled Swedish, but some great great footage), here are the five available ones:
Leif "Honken" Holmqvist
Börje Salming
Lennart "Lill-Strimma" Svedberg
Sven Tumba
Mats Näslund

 

[frontsfan2005]

Here's the 1929 Black Hawks in action.

 

[Infinite Vision*]

Post more videos if you can.

 

[plusandminus]

Old post I've compiled in the ATD section:

Nice video! I also like the camera work, which gives one a better chance of seeing what is going on, than when watching NHL. Regarding the play, I think it is distinctively slower than today, and there seems to be far more space (not only due to the rink size), and the goalies look much easier to score on than now. At that time, they needed to do saves, today they often just have to position themselves fairly well (sort of).

Lill-Strimma really was great. I don't know how dominant he was at his time, compared to Borje Salming in the early 1970s (I know Borje dominated in the 1976 Canada Cup). If lill-Strimma was more dominant, I think he likely could have been a top-4 defenceman in the NHL.

Canadian players really benefitted by so few Europeans being in the NHL at that time. (Like I've said. If it would be like that still today, then no Sid vs Ovie, no Datsyuk, no Chara, no Kovalchuk, no Malkin, no Visnovsky, perhaps no Lidstrom, maybe not even the Sedins. 1990s guys wouldn't have had to face Hasek, Forsberg, Fedorov, Bure, Jagr (with perhaps some exception). Roy would be rated higher when not having to compete against Hasek. Martin St Louis would have won his 2nd Art Ross one point ahead of Perry, followed by Stamkos and top-4 scorer Iginla. Iginla would have two Art Ross wins and several goal scoring wins. Shea Weber probably this years Norris winner. Several Canadians with more invidual trophies through their career. But please note, that I know I simplify, in a way that is probably unfair to the Canadians.)

What's ATD? I think it's the second time I hear of it.

 

[HF007]

Chelios in the hat

 

[Theokritos]

Chelios in the hat

Nice. Could you also post those pictures I've heard about of Chelios during confidential talks with Metternich and Czar Alexander I at the Congress of Vienna?

 

[Killion]

Here's the 1929 Black Hawks in action.

Wow!. That is just awesome frontsfan. Thanks for posting & linking that. What a throwback huh?.

 

[frontsfan2005]

Wow!. That is just awesome frontsfan. Thanks for posting & linking that. What a throwback huh?.

Yea, its a great video, especially with the way those guys were cleaning the ice at the end. That member on youtube has a bunch of 1920's sporting videos (1929 World Series between Cubs and A's, a Bears game) its amazing to watch.

 

[tarheelhockey]

This thread could be a great contribution to our era- and nationality- based arguments on this board. If only there was a richer archive of old games!