#1 BESTSELLER The legacy of the greatest hockey series ever played, fifty years later, with stories from the players that shed new light on those incredible games and times. “Cournoyer has it on that wing. Here’s a shot. Henderson made a wild stab for it and fell. Here’s another shot. Right in front...they score! Henderson has scored for Canada!” These immortal words, spoken to hockey fans around the world by the legendary broadcaster Foster Hewitt, capture the historic final-seconds goal scored by Paul Henderson that won the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union. Hockey fans know the moment well, but the story of those amazing eight games has never been fully told—until now. The series was the first of its kind, and one of the most dramatic sporting showdowns in history. With the Soviets dominating international hockey, this series was meant to settle the debate, once and for all, of who owned the game. It was Canada’s best against the Soviets for the first time. And in the shadow of the Cold War, this was about more than eight games of hockey. Expectations were high as the series began. This was supposed to be easy for Team Canada, but after the disappointing first four games on home ice with only one win, victory seemed out of reach. With the final four games in Moscow, Canada got a rare glimpse behind the iron curtain as the team, as well as three thousand raucous fans, arrived in the USSR. Amid the culture shock and strained relations, what followed was a tug-of-war battle that lasted to the dying seconds of game 8. Now, five decades after this historic event, it’s time to reflect on the greatest hockey series ever played. Veteran journalist and hockey analyst Scott Morrison uses a storyteller’s voice to reveal what it meant to hockey then, and what it means now. Filled with the memories of the players and others involved with the series, he shows how it changed the game, and challenged a nation’s sense of identity and place in the world.

Presents the history of Canada's hockey team up until 1972 when the Summit Series was held against Soviet Russia, and includes information on the key plays and players of the series.

**Jun 18th update - a Revised and Enhanced May 2013 version will be available to order very soon!** Additional details can be found at www.facebook.com/72seriesA bold, new look at the series that you thought you knew. For the first time ever, the full story of hockey's epic battle in 1972 with fresh insights, stories and revised, corrected and enhanced statistics from the Canada vs. USSR series. The two official DVD set releases, Team of the Century in 2002 and then '72 Complete in 2007, allowed the author to uncover and document the most accurate account of the series ever as described by: Stats, Lies & Videotape. Thus, this book with its new statistics and comprehensive analysis helps reveal what actually happened and why during those 8 incredibly memorable games between Team Canada and the Soviet National hockey team in September 1972 - The UNTOLD Story of Hockey's Series of the Century - Learn more about the 1972 Summit Series than ever before!

In 1972, after enduring years of embarrassing defeat at the hands of Soviet "amateurs," Canadian officials convinced their Moscow counterparts to allow a pre-season, eight-game series between the best hockey players from both nations. For Team Canada, this meant a chance to assemble a "dream team" of NHL professionals and show the world that they still owned ice hockey. Cold War takes you to the back rooms of the diplomats and apparatchiks who sanctioned this unlikely confrontation -- and then puts you on the ice for the rest. The first four games were played in four different Canadian cities; the final four in Moscow. Despite the absences of Bobby Orr and Bobby Hull, Team Canada's lineup was memorable: the Brothers Esposito, Phil and Tony; Paul Henderson; Serge Savard; Ken Dryden; and Frank Mahovlich. Canadians across the continent were confident of a blowout. "Eight-game sweep!" the leading sports columnists predicted. But the Red Machine came prepared. The Soviets' fast-paced game of precision passing and surgical attack caught the Canadians off guard. By the time the series headed to Moscow, the Soviets had jolted Canada and insured that the remaining games would be remembered as perhaps the most fiercely fought hockey of all time.

Paul Henderson will forever be recognized and remembered for his goal with 34 seconds remaining in the 8th game of the 1972 Summit Series. This goal gave Canada the lead and won them the series and with that the team became known as "the Team of the Century." And Paul's goal as, "the Goal of the Century." But there is more to Paul Henderson than just that one goal and in The Goal of My Life, Henderson opens up about scoring both on and off the ice. A family man and man with deep faith, Henderson lives each day with tremendous appreciation for the gifts life has rewarded him and has not allowed his recent diagnosis with cancer to alter his positive demeanor. Henderson takes fans back to the moment 1972 when Canada won the Summit Series, though additionally shares memories from his entire life and his early days playing hockey through to his retirement from the game and his personal challenges with Leukemia. Henderson is a hero and his book is one that all fans of hockey and life will enjoy.

Was the 1972 Summit Series our "Canadian Iliad," one of our formative myths as a country? Or was it the start of the politicization of hockey, a time when people could see the problems of a country in the rise and fall of its sport? And how did it play out in Quebec? Does everyone there remember where they were when Henderson scored the goal? Was this just a hockey game, and, to younger eyes, not that impressive a series, or was it a titanic battle of two systems of government taking place on ice? And why do we have these bobble-head dolls? The thirteen essays in the anthology examine the series from every angle, questioning its legacy and giving fresh insights into the way the Summit Series has impacted both hockey and Canada. Brian Kennedy is Associate Professor of English at Pasadena City College. Publisher's note.