Tewksbury Public Library

1972, the series that changed hockey forever, Scott Morrison

eng

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non fiction

1972

1245852272

Scott Morrison

the series that changed hockey forever

"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 the era. "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 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 and impactful sport showdowns in history. With Soviet hockey dominating international ice, this series was meant to settle the debate, once and for all, over who owned the game. It was Canada's best against the Soviets' for the first time. And in the shadow of the Cold War and ongoing tensions, this was about more than eight games of hockey: it was war. When Canada's finest players faced down the Soviets, expectations were high. This was supposed to be easy, but after the disappointing first four games on home ice with only one win for Canada, victory seemed out of reach. With the final four games in Moscow, 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 legacy of the Summit Series. Veteran journalist and analyst Scott Morrison tells the story from a fresh perspective, with a storyteller's eye to what it meant to Canada then, and what it means now. Filled with the memories of the players and others involved with the series, he shows how it changed hockey forever, and challenged Canada's sense of identity and place in the world."--, Provided by publisher