Cold War on Ice: The NHL Versus the Soviet Union in Hockey’s Super Series ’76

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, Montreal, 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.

John G. Robertson is a private tutor and sports historian who lives in Cambridge, Ontario. He is the author of numerous books on baseball, hockey and boxing history.

Carl T. Madden has collaborated on many sports history books. He lives in Welland, Ontario and operates an Escape Room in Brantford.