The Summit of Excitement: Top 5 Moments from the 1972 Summit Series
- Oct 13, 2022
- History
- 5 minute read
The 1972 Summit Series lives on as one of the most memorable sporting events Canada has ever seen. From the first game in Montreal to the final game in Moscow, Canadians all across the country tuned in and rallied behind their national team. It was a truly unifying time when, no matter which province you called home or which professional team you cheered for, Canadians put their differences aside and came together to support the red maple leaf.
The series demonstrated some seriously sensational hockey plays: from the series-opening goal to “the goal heard around the world,” join us on a historical hockey journey as we recap the top five moments of the 1972 Summit Series.
Paul Henderson celebrating with Yvan Cournoyer after scoring the winning goal in Game 8 of the 1972 Summit Series vs the USSR. Photo taken by Frank Lennon of the Toronto Star - Source: Frank Lennon / Library and Archives Canada / e008440339
The 1972 Summit Series lives on as one of the most memorable sporting events Canada has ever seen. From the first game in Montreal to the final game in Moscow, Canadians all across the country tuned in and rallied behind their national team. It was a truly unifying time when, no matter which province you called home or which professional team you cheered for, Canadians put their differences aside and came together to support the red maple leaf.
The series demonstrated some seriously sensational hockey plays: from the series-opening goal to “the goal heard around the world,” join us on a historical hockey journey as we recap the top five moments of the 1972 Summit Series.
Moment #5: Canada’s series-opening goal
The 1972 Summit Series kicked off at The Forum in Montreal. It was the first game of the series, and 18,000 fans packed the stands to see Canada take on the world championship-dominating Soviets.
Canadians were convinced that we would easily win the series—and when Phil Esposito scored the opening goal 30 seconds into the game, our confidence soared. Although the road to winning the Summit Series wouldn’t be the cakewalk Canada expected, that first goal got hockey fans excited for the games to come.
Moment #4: Phil Esposito’s emotional speech
Game Four in Vancouver resulted in a devastating loss for Canada. The Soviets won 5-3, bringing the series to 2-1-1 in their favour. Canadian fans were upset—this is not how we expected the Summit Series to play out.
In response to fans booing the team from the stands (and some even cheering on the Soviets), Phil Esposito took advantage of a post-game interview to speak directly to viewers across the country. His emotional plea struck a nerve. Upon arrival in Moscow, the team was greeted with thousands of postcards and telegrams from Canadian fans who were reinvigorated with unwavering support for our national team.
Moment #3: Henderson’s last-minute goal in Game Seven
Game Seven saw Canada desperate for another victory. It was the third period, and the game was tied 4-4. During the second half of the Summit Series, the team’s cohesion, skill, and teamwork greatly improved, but they still needed to win this game if they wanted a shot at winning the tournament.
With just two minutes and six seconds left on the clock, Paul Henderson scored the game-deciding goal on a beautiful effort, leading Canada to a 5-4 victory. Against all the odds, the team would be facing off in the final match—Game Eight—to break the tie between the two reigning hockey countries.
Moment #2: Back-to-back goals in Game Eight
Game Eight of the Summit Series had Canadians—at home and in Moscow—on the edge of their seats. It all came down to this final matchup, and Canada was ready to fight for the final victory. The first period of the game ended with a 2-2 tie, but the Soviets took the lead with three more goals during the second period.
The score was 5-3 going into the third period, but Canada wasn’t about to give up. With the clock ticking down in the final game of the Summit Series, Phil Esposito and Yvan Cournoyer scored back-to-back goals, tying the game 5-5.
Moment #1: Henderson’s series-winning goal
With Game Eight now tied 5-5, tensions were high. Canada had just learned that if this game was to end this way, the Summit Series winner would be crowned based on total goals scored… and the Soviets led in that category.
With under a minute left, Paul Henderson leapt onto the ice and raced towards the puck. He took a shot, missed, and fell into the boards. Just as his team had never given up, Henderson quickly rose up, and, after a shot by Phil Esposito was stopped, Henderson tapped the puck home. It was the goal heard around the world: with just 34 seconds of the Series remaining, Henderson had scored the winner for Canada.
15 million Canadians tuned into the final game—a record amount of support. The reactions from across the country are worth watching alone.
