| Summit Series | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Hockey Canada's logo for series | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Location(s) | Canada (1–4) Soviet Union (5–8) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dates | September 2–28, 1972 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hall of Famers | Canada: Bobby Clarke (1987) Yvan Cournoyer (1982) Ken Dryden (1983) Phil Esposito (1984) Tony Esposito (1988) Rod Gilbert (1982) Guy Lapointe (1993) Frank Mahovlich (1981) Stan Mikita (1983) Brad Park (1988) Gilbert Perreault (1990) Jean Ratelle (1985) Serge Savard (1986) Soviet Union: Valeri Kharlamov (2005) Vladislav Tretiak (1989) Alexander Yakushev (2018) Coaches: Harry Sinden (1983) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Summit Series, Super Series 72,[1] Canada–USSR Series (Russian: Суперсерия СССР — Канада, romanized: Superseriya SSSR — Kanada), or Series of the Century (French: Série du siècle), was an eight-game ice hockey series between the Soviet Union and Canada, held in September 1972. It was the first competition between the Soviet national team and a Canadian team represented by professional players of the National Hockey League (NHL), known as Team Canada. It was the first international ice hockey competition for Canada after they had withdrawn from such competitions in a dispute with the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). The series was organized with the intention to create a true best-against-best competition in the sport of ice hockey. The Soviets had become the dominant team in international competitions, in which the Canadian professionals were ineligible to play. Canada had had a long history of dominance of the sport prior to the Soviets' rise.[2]
The first four games of the series were held in Canada and the final four in Moscow. The Soviet Union surprised the Canadian team and most of the Canadian hockey media with an opening game victory, 7–3. Many Canadian sportswriters had predicted an overwhelming victory for Canada in the series. Canada won the next game 4–1; the third game was a tie. Canada lost the fourth game in Vancouver. The series resumed two weeks later in Moscow. The Soviets won the fifth game to take a two-game lead. The Canadians then won the final three games in Moscow to win the series four games to three, with one tie. The final game was won in dramatic fashion, with the Canadians overcoming a two-goal Soviet lead after two periods. The Canadians scored three times in the third, the final goal scored with 34 seconds left by Paul Henderson.
The series was played during the Cold War, and intense feelings of nationalism were aroused in fans in both Canada and the Soviet Union and players on the ice.[2] The games introduced several talented Soviet players to North America, such as Hockey Hall of Fame inductees Alexander Yakushev, Valeri Kharlamov and goaltender Vladislav Tretiak. Team Canada, the first NHL and professional all-star team formed for international play, was led by Phil Esposito, who led the series in scoring, as well as contributing in other roles. The Canadian line of Bobby Clarke, Ron Ellis and Henderson, which was not expected to start for the team, as none were yet stars, played a surprisingly large role in the Canadian victory, with Henderson scoring the game-winning goal in each of the final three games. The series was filled with controversy, including disputes over officiating, and dirty play on the part of both teams highlighted by the deliberate slash of Kharlamov by Clarke in game six.[2] There was also the exclusion of top Canadian player Bobby Hull, the second leading goalscorer in the NHL the previous season and who had led the league in goalscoring seven times, because he had signed a contract to play in the new World Hockey Association (WHA). A knee injury forced superstar defenceman Bobby Orr, the second leading point scorer in the league the previous season and scoring champion two years prior, to sit out.