The Summit Series fifty years later...plus. A final wrap up at Scotiabank Arena on September 28th! Spectacular!

Cover image R-L Red Berenson, Serge Savard, Yvan Cournoyer, Rod Seiling, Paul Henderson, Eddie Johnston, Ken Dryden, Dennis Hull, Ron Ellis.

The Summit Series - a final wrap up of fifty years.?

September 28th has come and gone and at times, thinking back to game eight as it happened and we watched it in the back of our grade 8 classroom with Mr. Jennings our teacher at St. Leonard's elementary in Manotick, Ontario - sometimes it seems like ten lifetimes ago - other times I find myself saying how could these past fifty?years have gone by so fast.??

I felt that way last Wednesday as I spent the day in Toronto as a guest of Yvan Cournoyer and his fantastic wife, Evelyn and of course was able to see the other fellas who were able to make the reunion.??

I have gotten to know the team so well over the past 20+ years, it's just such a joy to spend whatever quality time I can with?them especially now as we've lost ten and others have serious health issues.??

Sadly the Florida guys could not make it due to the hurricane and that included Phil Esposito.?Even Paul Henderson said on the microphone at the press conference that the group is really not complete without Phil and he also reiterated what he first said on national TV - November 10, 2000 - Team Canada 72 Day - as he was sitting beside myself, Phil and Rod Seiling on the panel, that Esposito played the greatest period of hockey - ever - that third period of game eight, 1972 and he is so, so right on that.??So we certainly missed Phil.??

It was really disheartening to hear of Brad Park's heart issues. Jean Ratelle was also unable to travel, same with Harry Sinden and others.?So they were a small but enthusiastic group and the biggest thanks for the success of the whole day really has to go to Brendan Shanahan and the Toronto Maple Leafs.?When it was discovered that the Leafs had an exhibition game on the 28th Brendan got heavily involved and had his staff take care of all the arrangements.?The guys ( and myself) were treated first class and they all were very appreciative.?Watching Brendan and Paul have a lengthy conversation post press conference was so cool when you think of Shanny's own involvement vs the Russians 15 years after the Summit Series,?it just was pretty cool to witness that conversation and hear them chat about the games in their respective eras.?So a huge thanks to Brendan and the Leafs.??

My day included breakfast with the Cournoyer's and Hull's; afternoon press conference at Scotiabank Arena that was packed by the way. You could not shoehorn another person into that room and there had to be 6-7 cameras at the back.?It was fantastic.??Followed by another meet and greet for me at the hotel with VIP guests who were coming in for the game and ceremony. Back on the bus for the game.?Suites for all, drinks, food, I did some trivia for the guests then slid down to the main suite where the team and their families were.?Post game back on the bus, back to the hotel where a private reception was set up for all of us and Brendan Shanahan came to that as well.??It was just so first class and befitting of these incredible men and I was so honoured and thankful to have been included thanks to Evelyn, Yvan and Serge Savard who made special?arrangements for me as well.?Thank you so much, all of you for ensuring I was there. I simply had to be there that day. It meant the world to?me. .?

Additionally some family members attended on behalf of players who have passed away.?John Ferguson Jr. was there representing his father.?The wives of Bill White and Pat Stapleton were there. Brian Glennie's daughter was there as was Vic Hadfield's son and grandson-named after Vic and himself a pro hockey player, all were welcomed.??That press conference went a solid 30-35 minutes and they had to cut it off.?The questions just kept coming and as I looked around I would say most of the assembled lived through 72, but not all.?There were a few 'youngsters' in the crowd who asked questions and I was hoping as they did - and would share that with whatever media outlet they are representing, that they will pass on just how amazing that month of hockey was and for the growth of the game globally.??

I'll finish my series of writings on this note.?Nothing can compare to 72. Nothing.?When I see some of the polls now and as a top hockey moment it's eclipsed by the Crosby goal or to hear anybody try and compare Eruzione's game winner vs the Russians as an equal or more significant - it really just speaks to a lack of understanding, of knowing history or of doing any homework as to the sheer magnitude of that month of hockey played in four countries, spanning 28 days and featuring eleven games and a miraculous never-say-die comeback for the ages.?Dare I say, for all time in sports history.??

I know as the years roll by and there's less and less people to talk about 72 it will fade more into a distant memory.?So, all I can do is where possible and applicable, resuscitate those memories, keep the masses in the know and spread the word of that unreal seminal month. And I'm happy to do it.?

The lasting legacy the series will give us is it was our first Team Canada. It spawned the Canadian mantra of never giving up, playing till the last whistle, the final buzzer - something the Russians said they learned big time from us - and it will always go down in all historical references as the series that sparked the growth of the game of hockey internationally as we know it today. The Summit Series started all of that, no other goal, or moment or series.

I thank all of you who have followed along on this journey of my retelling of the games as they happened. I enjoyed writing the notes. Many of you seemed to enjoy reading them so thank you very much. Ironically I'm back on stage with Yvan Cournoyer at the EY Center this Wednesday at 6pm for the Ottawa Construction Association Symposium. You can go to their website for details if you'd like to attend. Cheers everybody and remember.....

Henderson has scored for Canada!!! Henderson right in front of the net and the fans in the crowd are going wild!

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