Review Fix chats with author John G. Robertson, who discusses his book with Carl T. Madden, “Cold War on Ice: The NHL versus the Soviet Union in Hockey’s Super Series ’76”
About the Book:
Between December 28, 1975, and January 11, 1976, a groundbreaking hockey event took place: Super Series ’76. Eight National Hockey League clubs each hosted a single exhibition game against one of two touring teams from the USSR: Central Red Army or Wings of the Soviet. Officially nothing was at stake, but serious hockey fans realized that a Cold War clash of political ideologies was occurring on North American ice surfaces. The top pro teams would finally meet the best “amateurs” from the Soviet Elite League. The reputations of the NHL and Soviet hockey were both on the line. Canadians already knew how strong the Soviets were, based on the eye-opening experiences of both countries’ hockey stars in the 1972 and 1974 Summit Series. For many Americans, however, the talents of the exotic, Eastern Bloc visitors provided a stunning revelation.
This book outlines the history of the intense Canada–USSR hockey rivalry that preceded Super Series ’76 and then focuses on those eight captivating games in New York, Pittsburgh, Montréal, Buffalo, Boston, Chicago, Long Island and Philadelphia. Two of these contests are still widely discussed today for vastly different reasons. One may have been the greatest hockey game ever played.
Review Fix: Why hockey? What makes the sport special to you?
John G. Robertson: Why hockey? Well, I was born in Canada so that fact automatically makes a person interested in the sport. It’s the sport everyone seemed to be most interested in when I was growing up. I also began collecting hockey cards at age three and I began reading hockey history books at age eight.
Review Fix: Why the 76 series? For those that don’t know, why was it so special? Why is it so special to you?
Robertson: I was born in 1964, so I vividly remember both the 1972 and 1974 Summit Series versus the Soviet Union. There was a huge amount of excitement going into Super Series ’76 because there was a curiosity about how NHL teams would fare against Soviet teams when the NHL players were in mid-season form. We also knew very little about the Soviet Club teams–except that Central Red Army’s roster was replete with players who also played on on the Soviet National team.
Review Fix: What did you learn about the teams playing you weren’t expecting?
Robertson: Regarding the Soviet teams, I learned that they were allowed to bolster their rosters with players from other Soviet club teams. (I believe the Wings of the Soviet borrowed Moscow Dynamo’s entire best line for their four games versus NHL clubs. That would be akin to the Montreal Canadiens being allowed to borrow the best line from the Toronto Maple Leafs.) Therefore, the Soviets had a huge advantage in that respect. I also learned that the NHL teams were taking these games very seriously. It was almost as if the credibility of the NHL was at stake. The games were that important!
Review Fix: Who’s your favorite player in this book?
Robertson: My favorite soviet player in the series was young Boris Alexandrov. He was only 20, but he played extremely well for Central Red Army. I suppose my favorite NHL player from the series was Peter Mahovlich of Montreal. He worked himself into an emotional frenzy before the famous game versus Central Red Army on New Year’s Eve. His postgame apology for his team failing to win the game was astonishing on many levels.
Review Fix: What player did you grow an appreciation for by writing this book?
Robertson: I suppose my research on Soviet goalie Vladislav Tretiak made me appreciate him more than anyone else mentioned in the book. He was both superb and stylish. Canadian hockey fans recognized how good he was very quickly. He had also written very eloquent accounts of this series in his autobiography and elsewhere.
Review Fix: Will other NHL fans dig this one too?
Robertson: If you appreciate hockey history, you will appreciate the story of this series–and the history this book presents regarding how Soviet hockey grew from literally nothing to a world power within the space of a decade.
Review Fix: What’s next?
Robertson: Carl T. Madden and I have recently completed the manuscripts for two other sports history books. the first was a book on the 1951 Stanley Cup finals between Toronto and Montreal. All five games went into overtime! That oddity never happened before 1951, nor has it happened again since 1951. That book should be released in the next few weeks, We also are putting the final touches on a book about the 1964 World Series. Both will be published by McFarland.
Review Fix: Where can people find out more?
Robertson: If you are referring to Super Series 76, there are other books out there specifically about the Montreal-Red Army game and the Philadelphia-Red Army game. They are worth checking out.
Review Fix: Anything else you’d like to add?
Robertson: I have written numerous other books on sports history (with two different co-authors). They are all available from McFarland–and they have all gotten good reviews. Along with hockey, I’ve written books on both baseball and boxing history. Please check them out too!
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