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Wolverines Wings Same Old Lions Tigers Pistons Erika Christensen -
Re: The Official 2024-25 Season Talk Thread
1974 Summit Series
Canada 3 USSR 3 (Quebec City)
Canada 4 USSR 1 (Toronto)
USSR 8 Canada 5 (Winnipeg)
Canada 5 USSR 5 (Vancouver)
USSR 3 Canada 2 (Moscow)
USSR 5 Canada 2 (Moscow)
USSR 4 Canada 4 (Moscow)
USSR Canada 2 (Moscow)
USSR wins 4-1-3
Didn't take long for us to reach best-on-best adjacent territory. Gordie Howe and Bobby Hull got their chance to wear the red maple leaf, as this Team Canada was WHA-only. 1972 whetted the appetite for this kind of competition, but the WHA was always considered second-string by most "hockey men" and the Canadian public, so this series has been more or less forgotten now.
Notes and Fun Facts:
- For those who weren't around back then, the 60s/70s were the glory days of offshoot leagues (TV had created big fanbases in underserved markets, people figured out there was money to be made in pro sports, the leagues preferred a closed shop and resisted expansion, etc.), resulting in the AFL, the ABA, and finally the World Hockey Association
- Starting with 12 teams in 1972, the WHA made a big splash with the Winnipeg Jets signing 50-goal man Bobby Hull from the Blackhawks for 5 years/2 million; Gordie Howe followed the following season to play with his sons in Hartford
- WHA teams weren't as strong as their NHL counterparts, but they played a run-and-gun style that became the NHL norm in the 1980s; the WHA's 4 survivors - Edmonton, Quebec (now Colorado), Hartford (now Carolina), and Winnipeg (now Utah via Phoenix) merged with the NHL before the 1979-80 season
- Wayne Gretzky won the Hart but NOT the Calder following his 137-point rookie season; he was deemed ineligible because he's played 80 games (and scored 110 points) as a 17-year-old in the WHA with the Oilers (Ray Bourque won the Calder instead)
Here's a nice goal from Kharlamov (no Bobby Clarke to worry about here):
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yuD9-1v0Bno?si=aMg4LqPhVZwtwnvQ" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>Originally posted by Thrash13Originally posted by slickdtcOriginally posted by Kipnis22Comment
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Re: The Official 2024-25 Season Talk Thread
1976 Canada Cup
Format: 6-team round robin, 2 best records advance to best-of-3 final
Participants: Canada, USSR, Czechoslovakia, Finland, Sweden, USA
Locations: Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg, Quebec City, Philadelphia
Canada 6 Czechoslovakia 0 (Toronto)
Canada 5 Czechoslovakia 4 (OT) (Montreal)
Canada wins 2-0
Finally, a real-*** tournament!
Notes and Fun Facts:
- Canada's "unified" roster (NHL & WHA) was arguably the most stacked team in history, with 18 future Hall of Famers (Canada's famed 1987 squad had 12)
- Bobby Orr was already on his last legs at the tender age of 28, but was the tournament's MVP with 9 points in 7 games; he appeared in only 26 NHL games after this
- For reasons unknown (politics? fear of players defecting? butthurt about their game against the Flyers a few months earlier?), the Soviets elected to keep half of their stars at home
- As a result, the Czechs were considered to be the 2nd favourite going in and lived up to their billing (indeed, they beat Canada 1-0 in the round robin); they featured one of the great goalie names of all time (Vladimir Dzurilla!) and two Stastny brothers (Peter and Anton, Marian missed out)
- The Canadian public had quickly developed a taste for this kind of thing after 1972; Game 2 of the final apparently garnered the highest TV ratings in Canadian history to that point (I'm skeptical of this claim, kinda doubt it beat out the moon landing)
- The OT winner was scored by Leafs captain Darryl Sittler, coming off his still-record 10-point night against the Bruins a few months earlier; his faked shot technique is still used to this day (yes, this is a cheap excuse to sneak in a Canucks highlight)
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8ZUin0KsepQ?si=Xsr9Jnm6z6U_FV-3&start=150" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JPAg29zj5eY?si=CMiMr2e3-hWe8nGI&start=1" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>Originally posted by Thrash13Originally posted by slickdtcOriginally posted by Kipnis22Comment
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Re: The Official 2024-25 Season Talk Thread
Super Series (off and on between 1975 and 1991)
Participants: All 21 NHL teams (between 2-7 games apiece); 6 Soviet club teams - Central Red Army (34 games), Dynamo Moscow (20 games), Soviet Wings (13 games), Spartak Moscow (5 games), Khimik Voskresensk (13 games), Dinamo Riga (7 games); Team USSR (6 games)
Locations: All 21 NHL cities
In 98 exhibitions over 16 years, Soviet teams defeated NHL teams 55-33-10
Since Slick brought it up, I thought I'd briefly cover the Super Series, wherein Soviet clubs would play exhibition games against 6-8 NHL teams during the regular season, usually around Christmastime. Mostly forgotten now, but two of these games endure:
December 31, 1975: Canadiens 3 Central Red Army 3
Considered by many (back then, not so much now) as "The Greatest Hockey Game Ever Played", it also served as the beginning of the late 70s Canadiens dynasty (they dominated a vaunted opponent and won the next 4 Stanley Cups) and solidified Vladislav Tretiak's legend (outshot 38-13, Tretiak put on one of the famed goaltending performances in hockey history)
January 11, 1976: Flyers 4, Central Red Army 1
Best known in Canada for Bob Cole's call ("They're going home! Yeah! They're going home!"), this was the ultimate oil vs water matchup: the 2-time defending Cup champs Broad Street Bullies vs the soft-but-skilled Russians. Add in the Cold War, the American bicentennial, lingering Soviet resentment about Clarke's slash on Kharlamov, and a Philly crowd, and yup, good times were had by all (well, except the Russians). After a stretch of employing, uh, 1970s tactics (see video below), things reached a head when Ed Van Impe emerged from the penalty box to lay out poor old Kharlamov with "a crosscheck to the head" or "a good clean hit", depending on your POV. There was no penalty called and the Russians complained, whereupon they were issued a delay-of-game penalty. This is when the Soviet coach told the players to leave the ice. After a back-and-forth between Flyers owner Ed Snider and Soviet Hockey Federation officials, the Red Army eventually returned to get handed a 4-1 loss, their first on American soil
News and Fun Facts:
- The Central Red Army was pretty much the USSR national team minus a player or two, but the other Soviet teams were no slouches, either, as you can tell by their record; they put up fights against contenders and often laid a beatdown on lesser NHL opponents; if they played in the NHL, the Red Army would easily be a top-5 team and the others who toured (minus Dinamo Riga) would likely make the playoffs (bear in mind that 16 of 21 teams made the postseason in those days)
- Not every game reached the intensity level of Montreal and Philadelphia, but they weren't treated as preseason games either; NHL teams usually fielded their full lineups
- Yes, I got tickets to one of these games as a Christmas present; December 29, 1989: the Red Army smoked the Canucks 6-0, Arturs Irbe picked up the shutout, and Sergei Fedorov had a Gordie Howe hat trick!
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tAleUKVZCD8?si=c_5g7ify9UaI7biN" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pGOxVBG4bfk?si=zLFHDHhGmthrkeEI" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TH-ARWAsHz8?si=DYy34wYULAHJWjV3" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>Originally posted by Thrash13Originally posted by slickdtcOriginally posted by Kipnis22Comment
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Re: The Official 2024-25 Season Talk Thread
2028 World Cup of Hockey is happening.
Sounds like it'll happen the same time that this 4 nations is happening.
I doubt the NHL is going to shorten their season, even if it's something like 80 games for that season to accommodate a longer tournament compared to this one (2026 it took 13 days vs the 4 nations which is taking 9 days). It would make more sense that teams get 2 fewer games, but since the world cup is an NHL event, maybe they give teams revenue from 2 games worth of this tournament to make up for it?
8 teams involved, I imagine it's the same 8 as last time, and Russia either competes if they're allowed, or maybe the league goes Olympic style and they just represent some generic team (or do "team world" where it's basically Russia plus the best players not on team Europe, North America or anyone else).
Countries will be bidding to host games.
I'd rather do it in Canada and USA. Montreal for the east coast/Canadian city and maybe go west to Seattle for the west coast/USA one?Comment
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Re: The Official 2024-25 Season Talk Thread
Nylander getting booed extra special in this one.
Matthews tomorrow being the Leafs AND USA captain, he'll be booed louder in this building than Shawn Michaels.
Edit-Matthews is there NOW! Fans sure booing him!Comment
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Re: The Official 2024-25 Season Talk Thread
That one viral tweet about LeBron being 30 and the ****ery won't go for much longer applies to Crosby too.Comment
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Re: The Official 2024-25 Season Talk Thread
It's so weird hearing the goal horn going off when Sweden scores (they are the designated "home" team) and the crowd goes silent when it happen.
Just something about hearing fans groaning/booing and then just got a silent while the horn is going off.Comment
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Re: The Official 2024-25 Season Talk Thread
No more All-Star games
2025: 4 Nations
2026: Olympics
2027: Canada vs USA
2028: World Cup
2029: Canada vs USA
2030: Olympics
2031:Canada vs USA
2032: World Cup (and so on)Comment
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Re: The Official 2024-25 Season Talk Thread
If the Four Nations tourney has any impact on the NHL, I hope it's that the NHL moves to 10 minutes overtime. No idea why it has never happened.Comment
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Re: The Official 2024-25 Season Talk Thread
I still wouldn't mind the skills comp just for the fun if it.
I wouldn't do Canada vs US though. Excludes so many top players.
Maybe do keep the ASG but it happens every other year.
26: Olympics
27: ASG
28: World Cup
29: ASG
30: Olympics
31: ASG
32: World Cup
33: ASG
34: Olympics
But the ASG definitely make it an outdoor event. You don't need perfect ice conditions or any of that to do it. Guys are just strolling along most of the game, no hits, no sprints, so an outdoor game would be great.Comment
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The Official 2024-25 Season Talk Thread
Canada got to trot out Mario pregame. We sent….Mike Richter. Boring!Comment
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Re: The Official 2024-25 Season Talk Thread
The NHL has found their formula.
Hold an event in Canada where the US are the ultimate heels and the Canadian crowd are cheering anyone who faces the US and boos the US.
They had to have a disclaimer before the anthem was played. Surprisingly people mostly obliged. No way its this way Saturday..Comment
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Re: The Official 2024-25 Season Talk Thread
Worried after that first tough goal, but tied it up quickly and then pulled away in the 3rd. Great first game of a sprint of a tourney.
Off day today and then doubleheader tomorrow. They were saying during the game last night the tournament is over before it starts, so you really can’t have any bad games. The result of SWE/FIN will be a nice boost to the excitement for CAN/USA at night. I didn’t realize with the 3-points system how crucial a straight win is.NHL - Philadelphia Flyers
NFL - Buffalo Bills
MLB - Cincinnati Reds
Originally posted by Money99Comment
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