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30 for 30 on Soviet Hockey: Were Canadians thugs?

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by poindexter, Feb 9, 2015.

  1. poindexter

    poindexter Well-Known Member

    I completely enjoyed the 30 for 30 about the Soviet hockey system. Riveting stuff.

    Being a hockey neophyte, I was surprised to learn about the thuggish behavior of the Canadians in the famous 1972 Summit Series.

    A Canadian slashing down to break the ankle of a Soviet star looked horrible. The doc did not reflect kindly on the Canadians.

    Is there a part of the story I am missing?
     
  2. BitterYoungMatador2

    BitterYoungMatador2 Well-Known Member

    I liked the video of the asistant coach giving the crowd the finger after the Canadians won game eight and tied the series. Real class.
     
  3. JC

    JC Well-Known Member

    No they played filthy.
     
  4. JC

    JC Well-Known Member

    You might want to brush up on why he may have done that.
     
    Machine Head likes this.
  5. BitterYoungMatador2

    BitterYoungMatador2 Well-Known Member

    on why he was celebrating a tie? Who gives a shit.
     
  6. RecoveringJournalist

    RecoveringJournalist Well-Known Member

    I liked it until Chuck Klosterman came in to describe the game in great detail. :D
     
  7. JC

    JC Well-Known Member

    If you think it was simply about celebrating a tie you're clueless about the series and the shit that happened while Canada was in Russia.
     
    Last edited: Feb 9, 2015
    Machine Head likes this.
  8. Smash Williams

    Smash Williams Well-Known Member

    From wiki about flipping the crowd off:

    "But the Canadians came out roaring in the third period, and Phil Esposito and Yvan Cournoyer scored to even it up. After Cournoyer's goal, Alan Eagleson (seated across the ice from the Team Canada bench) caused a ruckus in the crowd because the goal light had not come on. As he was being subdued by the Soviet police, the Canadian players headed over, Peter Mahovlich actually going over the boards to confront police with his stick. Eagleson was freed, and the coaches escorted him across the ice to the bench. In anger, he shoved his fist to the Soviet crowd, as a few other Canadian supporters also gave the finger to the Soviets."

    Summit Series - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    There's a terrifically homerfic Canadian recap of the incident here as well: 1972 Summit Series Game Eight

    So that particular incident appeared to be about this scrum rather than the results of the game/series.

    That said, yes, Canada was incredibly thuggish in that series (both sides were, but the most infamous incident by far is Clarke's slash on Kharlamov), one that they were expected to dominate but managed to eek out the most narrow of victories with that last-minute goal from Henderson.
     
  9. Iron_chet

    Iron_chet Well-Known Member

    They should have left Eagleson there to rot.
     
    HC likes this.
  10. JC

    JC Well-Known Member

    Jesus, there is so much more that went on throughout the series leading up to this.

    I get so sick up the summit series nostalgia up here, we get beaten over the ehad with it.

    I may have to check this out if it actualy comes from a different perspective, but the fingering incident is about so much more than a tie game.

    And Alan Eagleson can rot in hell.
     
    Machine Head and Iron_chet like this.
  11. Stoney

    Stoney Well-Known Member

    Indeed. Clearly looked like he was trying to injure the guy (and succeeded, btw). Can't imagine how loud the uproar would be at play that overtly dirty today. The Around the Horn screamers would be debating whether he should be banned for the season the next day.

    FWIW, recently watched an old HBO documentary on 70s Flyers that covered some of this same territory in a segment about when the 70 Soviets played the reigning Stanley Cup champion flyers. The Russians ended up walking off the ice over the Flyer tactics. Can watch it starting around the 48:00 mark here:

     
    Last edited: Feb 9, 2015
    Machine Head likes this.
  12. JC

    JC Well-Known Member

    Just a ridiculous time in hockey.

    That's why it is comical when players from the past talk about players these days not having the same respect for each other as they did in the their day.
     
    Machine Head and dprince57 like this.
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