The 1972 Canada vs Russia Summit Series

[Mowich]

There is a movement afoot - a petition - to have Paul Henderson inducted into the Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame - I mistakenly had thought he already had been especially considering his contributions in that series. After all, it was Paul Henderson who scored the last three winning goals of the series.

Paul Henderson is currently undergoing treatment for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia which has no known cure.

1972 Summit Series team celebrates anniversary without Paul Henderson | Sports | National Post

Let's put Paul in the Hall people.............sign the petition at:

Canada's History - Put Henderson in the Hall

Toronto Star Photo Blog
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For those of us old enough to remember those days and those games the memories will be with us always. You didn't have to be a hockey fan to know what was going on and why people everywhere, it seemed, thought the outcome could be world shattering. To put that statement in context one must remember that Canadians had very real concerns about a Soviet invasion - heck our PM was telling us to build bomb shelters, for pete's sake. The series came shortly after the Bay of Pigs which was still fresh in everyone's mind.

I was 23 at the time and though I attended a private girl's school, hockey and the series seemed to permeate all the conversations even the nuns and the priests were talking about it. In many ways the series was a great leveler - everyone had an opinion and everyone was willing to listen. I wasn't much of a hockey fan though I did watch the Montreal Canadian games with my Dad. I was already a die-hard Rider fan. I was political though and the possibility of being invaded by the 'commies' was a constant topic of debate in my history classes.

There is much being written about the series as the 40th anniversary approaches.

The story of the Summit Series, as it's never been told before - The Globe and Mail


1972 Summit Series: Hockey heroes recount the final game - thestar.com

By far, for me, the very best account of those games is by Norm MacDonald - he of SNL fame - who writes through the eyes of the 8-year-old hockey fan he was at the time. If this tail doesn't warm the cockles of hockey fan's hearts, little will. :smile:

Read Norm Macdonald

 

[SLM]

Wow, I can't believe he wasn't in there either!

Signed and submitted.

 

[darkbeaver]

He'll eventually have to be bronzed you know.

 

[talloola]

this subject has come up many times over the years. I guess if one thinks that scoring 'that' goal

is deserving of being in the hall of fame, then go for it, but his hockey career certainly was not

one which was deserving to be there.

I'm sorry he is ill, that is sad.

No, I can't vote for him to be in the hall of fame, I don't think he should be there, perhaps there

could be a special section recognizing that game, and mentioning his name for scoring the winning

goal, as something special, aside from actually putting him into the hall of fame.

 

[Kreskin]

There are plenty of mediocre selections in the HOF, including Russian players from that series who made a career out of beating tier two teams. His 3 game winning goals down the stretch (7 goals in 8 games) are as famous as any in hockey history. Each one is a Stanley Cup in itself. He may not have had huge career stats but they weren't bad. NHL and WHA combined he was near 400 goals. If that's not good enough why are guys like Rod Langley in there?

 

[talloola]

There are plenty of mediocre selections in the HOF, including Russian players from that series who made a career out of beating tier two teams. His 3 game winning goals down the stretch (7 goals in 8 games) are as famous as any in hockey history. Each one is a Stanley Cup in itself. He may not have had huge career stats but they weren't bad. NHL and WHA combined he was near 400 goals. If that's not good enough why are guys like Rod Langley in there?

who's rod langley

 

[#juan]

He'll eventually have to be bronzed you know.

Good idea......bronzed and mounted on a heavy marble base.......:smile:

 

[Kreskin]

who's rod langley

Meant Rod Langway, he almost got 50 goals - total - in his 15 year career.

 

[talloola]

Meant Rod Langway, he almost got 50 goals - total - in his 15 year career.

yep, there are lots of players in the hall who shouldn't be, it sometimes seems to be a popularity contest,
and times do change, that was then, this is now.
my own opinion is that the hall should be for the elite only, but it isn't.

i'm sure pavel bure would have been voted in long ago, but pat quinn was part of the voting
committee, and i'm sure that held him back all this time.

 

[Mowich]

TORONTO - Paul Henderson’s career in the National Hockey League has never justified induction in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Nor should it have. Henderson is famous and pushed for the Hall because the moments that defined his career — and in many ways have come to define Canadian hockey — were the largest hockey moments of our lifetime.

But yet Henderson deserves a place in the Hockey Hall — not necessarily because of his own body of work — but because the Hockey Hall has recognized momentary excellence in the past.

Think of the two largest international victories in North American hockey history and both involve Russian opponents: The Henderson scores for Canada win and the Miracle on Ice from Lake Placid and the U.S. Olympic team in 1980.

Herb Brooks is in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Henderson is not. The precedent has been set: Momentary brilliance can be Hall worthy.

Henderson was a fine NHL player, certainly no star. Brooks was a rather ordinary NHL coach: In seven seasons with four different teams, he never got past the second round of the playoffs. He coached a gold medal team in 1980 and a silver medal team in 2002 at the Olympics. But his body of work would not necessarily qualify him for the Hall. The great Miracle put him over the top.

And if it put Brooks over, it should do the same for Henderson. Brooks was honoured posthumously in 2006 with his Hall of Fame induction. Assuming there is any sense of balance here, wouldn’t it be nice if the Hall found a way to honour Henderson, battling cancer, before he is gone.

Why is Brooks in the Hall and not Henderson? | Hockey | Sports | Toronto Sun

 

[petros]

I was 23 at the time and though I attended a private girl's school, hockey and the series seemed to permeate all the conversations even the nuns and the priests were talking about it.

I was 4 and watched it with my dad. He gave me my first sip of beer and I've loved hockey and beer ever since.

 

[#juan]

TORONTO - Paul Henderson’s career in the National Hockey League has never justified induction in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Nor should it have. Henderson is famous and pushed for the Hall because the moments that defined his career — and in many ways have come to define Canadian hockey — were the largest hockey moments of our lifetime.

But yet Henderson deserves a place in the Hockey Hall — not necessarily because of his own body of work — but because the Hockey Hall has recognized momentary excellence in the past.

Think of the two largest international victories in North American hockey history and both involve Russian opponents: The Henderson scores for Canada win and the Miracle on Ice from Lake Placid and the U.S. Olympic team in 1980.

Herb Brooks is in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Henderson is not. The precedent has been set: Momentary brilliance can be Hall worthy.

Henderson was a fine NHL player, certainly no star. Brooks was a rather ordinary NHL coach: In seven seasons with four different teams, he never got past the second round of the playoffs. He coached a gold medal team in 1980 and a silver medal team in 2002 at the Olympics. But his body of work would not necessarily qualify him for the Hall. The great Miracle put him over the top.

And if it put Brooks over, it should do the same for Henderson. Brooks was honoured posthumously in 2006 with his Hall of Fame induction. Assuming there is any sense of balance here, wouldn’t it be nice if the Hall found a way to honour Henderson, battling cancer, before he is gone.

Why is Brooks in the Hall and not Henderson? | Hockey | Sports | Toronto Sun

Paul Henderson scored seven goals in eight games......three of them winning goals......if that doesn't get him into the hall of fame
I don't know what would. Henderson was obviously a major part of that team. As a Canadian I'm a little ashamed that he isn't
in the hall of fame.

 

[Mowich]

Paul Henderson scored seven goals in eight games......three of them winning goals......if that doesn't get him into the hall of fame I don't know what would. Henderson was obviously a major part of that team. As a Canadian I'm a little ashamed that he isn't in the hall of fame.

Agreed in full, juan. Paul in the Hall.

 

[#juan]

Agreed in full, juan. Paul in the Hall.

I think the main thing holding Paul Henderson up is his health. He wasn't
able to join the rest of the team in Russia because of his health problems.