Did the 1972 Hockey Summit Define Us?
MAYBE WE ARE TOO OBSESSED with hockey in this country. We cling too closely to the idea that hockey represents us and that what transpires in an Olympic hockey arena defines our success as a nation. Isn’t it time to dispense with the glorious myth of the six-year-old skating on natural ice in the remote north, dreaming of hoisting the Stanley Cup? Is the game so important that fans of losing teams have to riot in the streets, as Vancouver’s did in 2011? As of this writing, multiple allegations against Team Canada’s juniors make our favourite game look like a hotbed of toxic masculinity.
The four-part CBC documentary series Summit 72 hits the small screen this September, marking the 50th anniversary of the famous 1972 series between Canada and the Soviet Union. Given the quality of the play, or lack thereof on the Canadian side, one can hope the release of this program will generate a serious conversation about the state of hockey and our relationship to it, now and 50 years ago.
Featuring new interviews, , directed by a team of filmmakers including Dave Bidini and Nick de Pencier, puts a new spotlight on those who were behind the scenes and those who were on the ice. Conversations with Paul Henderson, Phil Esposito, Bobby Clarke, and many more illuminate the players’ powerful emotions as they went from unexpected losers to elated victors, while playing for half of the series in completely foreign
