#1 BESTSELLER
The legacy of the greatest hockey series ever played, fifty years
later, with stories from the players that shed new light on those
incredible games and times.
"Cournoyer has it on that wing. Here's a shot. Henderson made a wild
stab for it and fell. Here's another shot. Right in front...they score!
Henderson has scored for Canada!"
These immortal words, spoken to hockey fans around the world by the
legendary broadcaster Foster Hewitt, capture the historic final-seconds
goal scored by Paul Henderson that won the 1972 Summit Series against
the Soviet Union. Hockey fans know the moment well, but the story of
those amazing eight games has never been fully told--until now.
The series was the first of its kind, and one of the most dramatic
sporting showdowns in history. With the Soviets dominating international
hockey, this series was meant to settle the debate, once and for all, of
who owned the game. It was Canada's best against the Soviets for the
first time. And in the shadow of the Cold War, this was about more than
eight games of hockey.
Expectations were high as the series began. This was supposed to be easy
for Team Canada, but after the disappointing first four games on home
ice with only one win, victory seemed out of reach. With the final four
games in Moscow, Canada got a rare glimpse behind the iron curtain as
the team, as well as three thousand raucous fans, arrived in the USSR.
Amid the culture shock and strained relations, what followed was a
tug-of-war battle that lasted to the dying seconds of game 8.
Now, five decades after this historic event, it's time to reflect on the
greatest hockey series ever played. Veteran journalist and hockey
analyst Scott Morrison uses a storyteller's voice to reveal what it
meant to hockey then, and what it means now. Filled with the memories of
the players and others involved with the series, he shows how it changed
the game, and challenged a nation's sense of identity and place in the
world.
