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1974 Summit Series
Competition between Soviet and Canadian professional ice hockey players From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The 1974 Summit Series was the second competition between Soviet and Canadian professional ice hockey players. It used the same format as the 1972 Summit Series, with four games across Canada and four in Moscow. The Soviet team won the series 4–1–3, with Canada's lone victory coming at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. The series was proposed and promoted by the World Hockey Association to draw national attention to the league.[1] Therefore the Canadian roster was selected from the World Hockey Association instead of the National Hockey League.[2]
The Soviets won the series 4–1–3.[3] The series included a game-six fight and game-seven disputed goal, but after the first four games in Canada, Dick Beddoes concluded: "Canada must have a great deal of admiration for Team 74. They did much better than the skeptics expected ... They have played good and entertaining hockey against a younger Russian team".[4]
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Organization and preparation
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Negotiations for the event started at the 1974 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, when Andrey Starovoytov of the Soviet Union approached Jack Devine and Gordon Juckes of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association regarding another series.[5] Initially the event was to be six-games,[6] but it was later extended to eight.[7] Team Canada players were each paid C$6,000 for participating in the event.[8]
Team Canada prepared for the series by playing exhibition games against an all-star team of players from the Western Hockey League.[9] They played five games:[10]
- September 5, 1974 - Team Canada 7-2 win vs Western Hockey League All-Stars in Medicine Hat (attendance 5115)
- September 6, 1974 - Team Canada 6-5 win vs Western Hockey League All-Stars in Brandon, Manitoba
- September 8, 1974 - Team Canada 2-3 loss vs Western Hockey League All-Stars in Calgary (attendance 8000)
- September 10, 1974 - Team Canada 6-1 win vs Western Hockey League All-Stars in Saskatoon
- September 12, 1974 - Team Canada 8-0 win vs Western Hockey League All-Stars in Edmonton
Prior to the series the Soviet team played two games against the Finland men's national ice hockey team as part of the 1974 edition of the Izvestia Cup tournament:[11]
- September 10, 1974 - Team Soviet 8-1 win vs Finland in Moscow
- September 13, 1974 - Team Soviet 4-3 win vs Finland in Moscow
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Players
Team Canada 1974 had three veterans of the Summit Series; Paul Henderson, Frank Mahovlich, and Pat Stapleton. Additionally the team had two legends, Bobby Hull and the 46-year-old Gordie Howe who played with his sons Mark Howe and Marty Howe.[12]
Paul Shmyr played on defence, along with five-time Stanley Cup champion J.C. Tremblay. The goaltender was two-time Stanley Cup champion and future Hall of Famer Gerry Cheevers.[13]
The main criticism of the Canadian player selections is that they were older and seemingly near the end of their careers.[14]
The Soviet team was composed of Olympic and World Champion gold medalists. Three players became Hockey Hall of Fame inductees: Vladislav Tretiak, Valeri Kharlamov and Alexander Yakushev. Additionally, several Soviet all-stars had played in the 1972 Summit Series, including Vladimir Petrov, Boris Mikhailov, Alexander Maltsev, Valeri Vasiliev and Yuri Lebedev.[15]
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Series summary
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In Canada
The first training session of the USSR national team drew a full arena of spectators, including the players from the WHA national team, who were led by Bobby Hull. Tickets for the Canadian games sold out months in advance. In Quebec, the tickets were drawn in a lottery. People paid two dollars for a chance to get a ticket to the game; out of two million who bought a lottery ticket, only 15,000 got a ticket. In Winnipeg, $10 tickets were sold before the game for double their value.[16]
Game one
The first game was played before an "emotional" full house at the Colisée de Québec, home of the Quebec Nordiques. The final result was a 3–3 tie.[17] Canadian coach Billy Harris said he was "satisfied" with the result, and Soviet coach Boris Kulagin concurred, saying it was "an interesting and exciting game" and "We too are satisfied with the outcome tonight."[18]
The star of the night was Bobby Hull, the perennial all-star who had been banned from the 1972 Team Canada because he had recently signed with the WHA. He scored two goals, including the game-tying goal with only 5:12 left. He stated, "Never been so tight before a game in my life, not even a 7th game of a Stanley Cup final." Hull was named the Canadian MVP of the game.[19]
The game ended on a disappointing note for Frank Mahovlich, who had a clean breakaway on Soviet goalie Vladislav Tretiak with 36 seconds remaining, only too shoot the puck less than inch wide of the net: "I was trying to put the puck up high" he explained "But Tretiak's body was twisted like a pretzel ... So I hammered the puck past the post. He made his move. I made mine, and he beat me."[20][21]
Game two
Just like in 1972, the second game was played at Maple Leaf Gardens before a capacity crowd and the Canadians triumphed with a 4–1 victory. Ralph Backstrom opened the game with his first of four series goals (and 8 points), leading the Soviets coaches and players to say he was one of Canada's best players.[22]
One controversial event occurred two minutes into the third period. Vladimir Petrov's shot clearly scored hitting the back crossbar and quickly bouncing out of the net, and the red light went on. However, Canadian referee Tom Brown, and his linesman, over ruled the goal claiming he did not see the puck. Coach Kulagin, who admitted the goal would not have changed the final result, was highly critical of Brown and demanded he be replaced for the next game.[23] Brown later admitted his mistake and apologized.[17]
Game three
In the third game, the Soviet national team won 8–5. Cheevers sat out the third game because his father-in-law was in hospital after suffering a heart attack while watching game two. Don McLeod was substituted in, leaving no backups in case McLeod was unable to play.[17][24]
Canada had a power-play during the final 1:04 due to Vladimir Lutchenko's holding penalty, and then Harris pulled the goalie McLeod for an extra skater, but they could not score.[a]
Game four
In the first period of the fourth game, Bobby Hull scored a hat trick. After the first period, the hosts led 5–2, but the Soviet national team pulled out a 5–5 draw, ending the Canadian part of the series with 17:17 points.[17]
In the USSR
Before the Moscow part of the Series, the Canadian national team played two friendly matches in Helsinki and Gothenburg, defeating the Finns and the Swedes 8–3 and 4–3, respectively. The Canadians arrived in Moscow on September 27; about three thousand Canadian fans also arrived. Tickets cost from 10 to 50 rubles (though there were no tickets at the box office; they were distributed among organizations). However, people, hoping for an extra ticket, were on duty at the Luzhniki Stadium continuously, right up to the last game of the series.[21]
Game five
Due to the injury of Alexander Yakushev, Lebedev and Bodunov now played with Shadrin, and Anisin — with Maltsev and Vikulov. The Anisin—Maltsev—Vikulov trio opened the scoring in the first game, and then Maltsev realized the majority.[21] The game ended 3–2.[21]
Game six
The sixth game featured an increased number of penalties taken by Team Canada. The Canadians received 33 penalty minutes per game (while the Soviets received 9). Mark Howe met Petrov harshly; in retaliation Vasilyev thoroughly crushed Bruce MacGregor.[21] This game was overshadowed by the post-game fight between Rick Ley and Kharlamov. The latter left the ice with his face covered in blood. Many Soviet hockey players refused to shake hands with their rivals. The next day, Boris Kulagin said that "the players who inflicted injuries on Soviet hockey players deserve to be suspended from matches." The Canadians apologized; the incident was hushed up.[17] At the same time, the Canadian side expressed dissatisfaction with the refereeing.[21] The Soviets would win 5–2.
Game seven
In the seventh game, the Soviets played four units for the first time under Kulagin. Hull scored a goal at the same time as the final siren, giving the guests a chance for a draw, but referee Brown didn't count the goal.[17]
Game eight
In the last game, Kulagin gave the opportunity to play to those who until then had been sitting in reserve. The game ended 3–2.[21] The Soviet national team won three of the four Moscow games, tying the other.
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Aftermath
In an interview with Soviet Sport, Boris Kulagin warned not to overestimate the importance of the Soviet victory: "This series showed that our best players surpass Canadian professionals in the sum of all the components that make up hockey. But let's think about one detail: we are stronger than the top 20-25 players, and if we take 50 or 100 hockey players on each side? I'm afraid that perhaps no one will give a definite answer. And I urge both coaches and players to roll up their sleeves so that in a few years any major league club team can safely go on the ice against any foreign team. And not just 'calmly go out', but win!"[21]
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Schedule and results
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Game one
| September 17, 1974 | Canada  | 3–3 (1-0, 1-3, 1-0) |  Soviet Union | Colisée de Québec Attendance: 10958 |
| Gerry Cheevers | Goalies | Vladislav Tretiak | |||
| |||||
| 10 min | Penalties | 8 min | |||
| 9, 10, 15 = 34 | Shots | 8, 11, 9 = 28 | |||
Game two
| September 19, 1974 | Canada | 4-1 (2-0, 1-1, 1-0) | Soviet Union | Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto Attendance: 16485 |
| Gerry Cheevers | Goalies | Vladislav Tretiak | |||
| |||||
| 12 min | Penalties | 6 min | |||
| 10, 16, 7 = 33 | Shots | 13, 8, 9 = 30 | |||
Game three
| September 21, 1974 | Canada | 5-8 (1-1, 1-3, 3-4) | Soviet Union | Winnipeg Arena Attendance: 11000 |
| Don McLeod (58:56) empty net (1:04) | Goalies | Vladislav Tretiak | |||
| |||||
| 12 min | Penalties | 10 min | |||
| 8, 14, 12 = 34 | Shots | 11, 16, 12 = 39 | |||
Game four
| September 23, 1974 | Canada | 5-5 (5-2, 0-1, 0-2) | Soviet Union | Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver Attendance: 15772 |
| Gerry Cheevers | Goalies | Vladislav Tretiak | |||
| |||||
| 12 min | Penalties | 8 min | |||
| 12, 10, 6 = 28 | Shots | 11, 8, 9 = 28 | |||
Game five
| October 1, 1974 | Soviet Union | 3-2 (1-0, 1-1, 1-1) | Canada | Luzhniki Palace of Sports, Moscow Attendance: 14200 |
| Vladislav Tretiak | Goalies | Gerry Cheevers | |||
| |||||
| 10 min | Penalties | 24 min | |||
| 9, 10, 8 = 27 | Shots | 8, 4, 4 = 16 | |||
Game six
| October 3, 1974 | Soviet Union | 5-2 (2-1, 2-1, 1-0) | Canada | Luzhniki Palace of Sports, Moscow |
| Vladislav Tretiak | Goalies | Gerry Cheevers | |||
| |||||
| 9 min | Penalties | 33 min | |||
| 14, 8, 7 = 29 | Shots | 13, 9, 6 = 28 | |||
Game seven
| October 5, 1974 | Soviet Union | 4-4 (2-1, 2-2, 0-1) | Canada | Luzhniki Palace of Sports, Moscow |
| Vladislav Tretiak | Goalies | Gerry Cheevers | |||
| |||||
| 4 min | Penalties | 2 min | |||
| 11, 7, 3 = 21 | Shots | 10, 13, 7 = 30 | |||
Game eight
| October 6, 1974 | Soviet Union | 3-2 (0-1, 1-0, 2-1) | Canada | Luzhniki Palace of Sports, Moscow |
| Alexander Sidelnikov | Goalies | Gerry Cheevers | |||
| |||||
| 10 min | Penalties | 28 min | |||
| 10, 12, 8 = 30 | Shots | 10, 8, 6 = 24 | |||
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Exhibition games
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| September 27, 1974 | Finland  | 3–8 (0-3, 1-1, 2-4) | Canada | Helsinki, Finland Attendance: 7000 |
| Jorma Valtonen | Goalies | Don McLeod & Gilles Gratton (30 minutes each) | |||
| |||||
| 2 min | Penalties | 6 min | |||
| September 29, 1974 | Sweden  | 3–4 (0-3, 1-0, 2-1) | Canada | Gothenburg, Sweden Attendance: 12273 |
| Leif Holmqvist | Goalies | Gerry Cheevers & Don McLeod (30 minutes each) | |||
| |||||
| 2 min | Penalties | 4 min | |||
| 11, 11, 11 = 33 | Shots | 15, 9, 10 = 34 | |||
| October 8, 1974 | Czechoslovakia  | 3–1 (2-0, 0-1, 1-0) | Canada | Sportovni Hala, Prague Attendance: 14000 |
| Jiri Holecek (15 mins) & Jiri Crha (45 mins) | Goalies | Don McLeod (35:15 mins) & Gilles Gratton (24:45 mins) | |||
| |||||
| 8 min | Penalties | 8 min | |||
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Statistics
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SOURCE : 1974 Canada-USSR Summit Series
Canadians
NOTE - Tom Webster served a 2 minute bench minor penalty
Soviets
Goaltenders
Several Canadian players were selected but did not get to play: Barry Long, Pat Price, Wayne Dillon, Gavin Kirk, Dennis Sobchuk, Ron Chipperfield.
Several Soviet players were selected but did not get to play: Sergei Glukhov, Alexander Golikov, Sergei Korotkov, Alexander Kulikov, Vladimir Repnyov.
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Broadcasting
Like the 1972 Summit Series, CBC and CTV split the coverage, with CTV carrying games 1, 3, 6 and 7, while CBC aired games 2, 4, 5 and 8. CTV produced the telecasts. Johnny Esaw called the games for CTV and Don Chevrier called the action for CBC. Howie Meeker was the colour commentator for all games. Both Esaw and Chevrier conducted intermission and post-game interviews during the games which they did not do play-by-play. In the Soviet Union, coverage was by the Ministry of Telecommunications. The first 4 games featured the Gamerecorder, which was the first statistics computer used in professional sports. A print of the Gamerecorder is now held by the Hockey Hall of Fame.[25]
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Legacy
In honour of the 45th anniversary of the Series, a gala evening was held at the Moscow Hockey Museum on October 7, 2019; the event was attended by Canadian chargé d’affaires ad interim Stéphane Jobin.[26]
Notes
- Some statistics indicate that Gilles Gratton played in game 3 of the series, but this mistake is a result of the fact that there is no official statistical record, only next day newspaper reports. Actually, during the final 1:04 minutes of the game, Team Canada had a power play and pulled their goalie Don McLeod for a 6 on 4 skater advantage. So their net was empty, and Gratton did not get any ice time.
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See also
- 1972 Summit Series
- List of international ice hockey competitions featuring NHL players
- Canada Cup
- Super Series
- Aggie Kukulowicz, Canadian-born Russian language interpreter for the series
References
External links
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