1974 Summit Series

Organization and preparation

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. Initially the event was to be six-games, but it was later extended to eight. Team Canada players were each paid C$6,000 for participating in the event.

Team Canada prepared for the series by playing exhibition games against an all-star team of players from the Western Hockey League. They played five games:

• 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:

• September 10, 1974 - Team Soviet 8-1 win vs Finland in Moscow
• September 13, 1974 - Team Soviet 4-3 win vs Finland in Moscow

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.

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.

The main criticism of the Canadian player selections is that they were older and seemingly near the end of their careers.

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.

Series summary

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.

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. 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."

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.

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 to 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."

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.

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. Brown later admitted his mistake and apologized.

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 the substitute.

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.

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.

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.

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. The game ended 3–2.

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. 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. At the same time, the Canadian side expressed dissatisfaction with the refereeing. 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.

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. The Soviet national team won three of the four Moscow games, tying the other.

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!"

Schedule and results

Game one

John McKenzie 1 (André Lacroix, Bobby Hull) 12:13

Bobby Hull 1 (Bill Walton, Gordie Howe) (PP) 32:07

Bobby Hull 2 (André Lacroix, John McKenzie) 54:18 Vladimir Lutchenko 1 (Gennady Tsygankov, Sergei Kapustin) 27:46

Valeri Kharlamov 1 (Valeri Vasiliev) 34:04 (PP)

Vladimir Petrov 1 (Alexander Gusev, Valeri Kharlamov) 37:10 (PP)

Game two

Ralph Backstrom 1 (Gordie Howe, Mark Howe) 4:31

André Lacroix 1 (John McKenzie, J.C. Tremblay) (PP) 10:49

Bobby Hull 3 (André Lacroix, (John McKenzie) 22:50

Penalty Shot : Mike Walton - (no goal) 28:54

J.C. Tremblay 1 (André Lacroix, Bobby Hull) (PP) 57:03 Alexander Yakushev 1 (Vladimir Shadrin, Yuri Lebedev) 33:09

Game three

Bruce MacGregor 1 (Paul Henderson) 14:58

Tom Webster 1 (Serge Bernier, Marc Tardif) 32:40

Paul Henderson 1 (Jim Harrison) 54:31

Paul Henderson 2 (Jim Harrison, Bruce MacGregor) 55:04

Serge Bernier 1 (Tom Webster, Al Hamilton) 56:01

Alexander Yakushev 2 (Vladimir Shadrin) 17:25

Boris Mikhailov 1 (Vladimir Petrov) 21:23

Valeri Vasiliev 1 (Boris Mikhailov, Vladimir Petrov) 35:14

Alexander Maltsev 1 (Vyacheslav Anisin) 35:31

Alexander Yakushev 3 (Vladimir Shadrin) 42:35

Alexander Bodunov 1 48:44

Alexander Yakushev 4 51:27

Yuri Lebedev 1 (Vladimir Lutchenko) 58:05

Game four

Gordie Howe 1 (Ralph Backstrom, Pat Stapleton) 4:20

Bobby Hull 4 (Frank Mahovlich) (PP) 12:45

Bobby Hull 5 (Pat Stapleton) 15:11

Frank Mahovlich 1 (Serge Bernier, Rejean Houle) 17:10

Bobby Hull 6 (André Lacroix) 17:45 Valeri Vasiliev 2 (Valeri Kharlamov) 3:34

Boris Mikhailov 2 (Vladimir Petrov) (PP) 5:59

Alexander Yakushev 5 (Yuri Lebedev) 31:04

Alexander Maltsev 2 56:08

Alexander Gusev 1 (Boris Mikhailov, Vladimir Petrov) 56:59

Game five

Alexander Maltsev 3 (Vladimir Vikulov, Vyacheslav Anisin) 5:34

Alexander Maltsev 4 (Vladimir Shadrin, Vladimir Vikulov) (PP) 35:04

Alexander Gusev 2 51:48 Gordie Howe 2 (Ralph Backstrom, Mark Howe) 20:15

Mark Howe 1 (Paul Shmyr) (PP) 58:10

Game six

Boris Mikhailov 3 (Valeri Kharlamov) 0:34

Valeri Vasiliev 3 (PP) 2:43

Vyacheslav Anisin 1 (Vladimir Vikulov) 28:22

Yuri Shatalov 1 (Gennady Tsygankov) (PP) 33:57

Valeri Kharlamov 2 (Vladimir Vikulov) 53:00 Rejean Houle 1 (Paul Shmyr) 15:56

Gordie Howe 3 (Mark Howe) 26:15

Game seven

Vyacheslav Anisin 2 (Vladimir Lutchenko) 3:34

Yuri Tyurin 1 (Yuri Lebedev, Alexander Yakushev) 6:47

Alexander Gusev 3 (Vladimir Petrov, Valeri Kharlamov) (PP) 27:20

Boris Mikhailov 4 (Vladimir Petrov, Valeri Kharlamov) 27:59 Tom Webster 2 (André Lacroix) 17:42

Ralph Backstrom 2 (Gordie Howe, Mark Howe) 22:55

Mark Howe 2 (J.C. Tremblay, Ralph Backstrom) (PP) 26:38

Ralph Backstrom 3 (J.C. Tremblay) 46:38

Game eight

Alexander Yakushev 6 (Vladimir Shadrin) (PP) 26:47 Viktor Shalimov 1 (PP) 40:54 Viktor Shalimov 2 (Alexander Yakushev) 46:59 Bobby Hull 7 (J.C. Tremblay, Ralph Backstrom) (PP) 13:47

Ralph Backstrom 4 (Gordie Howe, Rick Ley) 52:42

Exhibition games

Lasse Oksanen (Pekka Marjamäki) (PP) 36:17

Seppo Ahokainen 40:58

Seppo Lindström (PP) 44:06

Gordie Howe (Ralph Backstrom, Mark Howe) 6:47

André Lacroix (Bobby Hull) 11:25

André Lacroix (Bobby Hull) 38:24

Rejean Houle (Marty Howe) (PP) 48:06

Frank Mahovlich (Rick Ley) 52:04

Tom Webster (Mark Howe) 54:37

Frank Mahovlich 59:47

Bjorn Johansson (Karl-Johan Sundqvist, Per-Olov Brasar) 24:46 Tord Lundström (Willy Lindström, Roland Bond) 44:02 Mats Åhlberg (Tord Lundström) 55:26 Bobby Hull (André Lacroix, John McKenzie) 1:57 Mike Walton (Frank Mahovlich, Rejean Houle) 11:20 Gordie Howe (Mark Howe, Bobby Hull) 18:30 (PP)

Frank Mahovlich (Rejean Houle, Pat Stapleton) 57:14

Jiří Bubla (Ivan Hlinka) 4:07 Ivan Hlinka (Bohuslav Ebermann) 9:55

Julius Hass (Eduard Novák) 43:16

Tom Webster (Bobby Hull) 36:40

Statistics

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.

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.

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.

Notes

References

References

1. SUMMIT 74: The Canada/Russia Hockey Series, by [[Dick Beddoes]] & John Roberts (Methuen, 1974, Agincourt, Ontario) pp.16-17
2. (October 7, 2019). ""Мы, канадцы, помним Суперсерию-72. А Серию-74 почему-то нет". 45 лет победе сборной СССР над Канадой из ВХА".
3. SUMMIT 74: The Canada/Russia Hockey Series, by [[Dick Beddoes]] & John Roberts (Methuen, 1974, Agincourt, Ontario) pp.16 & 91
4. SUMMIT 74: The Canada/Russia Hockey Series, by [[Dick Beddoes]] & John Roberts (Methuen, 1974, Agincourt, Ontario) p.52
5. Wallace, Craig. (2009). "The Forgotten Summit". Lulu.com.
6. Svoboda, Chuck. (April 30, 1974). "Team Canada 74: Production of the WHA". Brandon Sun.
7. (May 27, 1974). "Plans finalized for Soviet-WHA series". Brandon Sun.
8. (December 5, 1974). "Roundup of short sport". Lethbridge Herald.
9. SUMMIT 74: The Canada/Russia Hockey Series, by [[Dick Beddoes]] & John Roberts (Methuen, 1974, Agincourt, Ontario) pp.12-14
10. [https://www.surgent.net/wha/intl/1974wcja.html 1974 Western Canadian Junior All-Stars & European Exhibitions]
11. SUMMIT 74: The Canada/Russia Hockey Series, by [[Dick Beddoes]] & John Roberts (Methuen, 1974, Agincourt, Ontario) p.14
12. SUMMIT 74: The Canada/Russia Hockey Series, by [[Dick Beddoes]] & John Roberts (Methuen, 1974, Agincourt, Ontario) pp.18-19
13. SUMMIT 74: The Canada/Russia Hockey Series, by [[Dick Beddoes]] & John Roberts (Methuen, 1974, Agincourt, Ontario) p.91
14. SUMMIT 74: The Canada/Russia Hockey Series, by [[Dick Beddoes]] & John Roberts (Methuen, 1974, Agincourt, Ontario) pp.17-19
15. [http://www.chidlovski.net/1974/74_rosterru.asp Soviet roster 1974]
16. [https://www.championat.com/hockey/article-3172349-superserija-74-povtorenie-projdennogo.html Суперсерия-74. Повторение пройденного]. In Russian
17. [https://www.sovsport.ru/hockey/articles/2:920083?ysclid=ltmkjxhdey85586405 «Вы играли в красивый хоккей, А мы жёстко». Суперсерии-74 — 45 лет]. In Russian
18. '''''Better late than never for Hull!''''' by Brodie Synder, [[The Montreal Gazette]], September 18, 1974, p.25
19. '''''Better late than never for Hull!''''' by Brodie Synder, [[The Montreal Gazette]], September 18, 1974, p.25
20. SUMMIT 74: The Canada/Russia Hockey Series, by [[Dick Beddoes]] & John Roberts (Methuen, 1974, Agincourt, Ontario) p.25
21. [https://www.metallurg.ru/press/other-news/292259/?ysclid=ltmlcmx86q177583295 СУПЕРСЕРИЯ-74. ФИАСКО КАНАДЦЕВ В МОСКВЕ]. In Russian
22. SUMMIT 74: The Canada/Russia Hockey Series, by [[Dick Beddoes]] & John Roberts (Methuen, 1974, Agincourt, Ontario) p.87
23. SUMMIT 74: The Canada/Russia Hockey Series, by [[Dick Beddoes]] & John Roberts (Methuen, 1974, Agincourt, Ontario) p36
24. Proudfoot, Jim. (September 23, 1974). "Gerry Cheevers expects to complete series". [[Toronto Star]].
25. https://www.facebook.com/74SummitSeries/ {{User-generated source. (March 2022)
26. ""Играли за страну". Торжественный вечер в честь 45-летия Суперсерии-1974 прошел в Москве".