IIHF World ChampionshipDiscuss International Tournaments like the WJC, Olympics, and World Cup, as they take place, or discuss past tournaments. performances.
In 1987 the NHL did not have an All-Star game as such. Instead the league allowed the Quebec Nordiques to sponsor Rende-vous 87 - 2 games between the NHL and the USSR.
The NHL was made up of Canadian, US, Finnish and Swedish players. The Russians were still a couple of years away from being allowed to play in the NHL.
It became much more than a hockey series as it became a festival honoring the cultures of Canada and Russia.
I was very lucky to work this as because of a whacky situation ESPN and not CBC produced the games and ESPN in turn hired WSBK-Boston who did the Bruins home games. In those years CBC telecasts were produced by Molson but that could not be allowed in Quebec City as Carling O'Keefe controlled all hockey television at Le Colisee. Molson would later buy Carling.
The 2 games may have been the best hockey I have ever seen.
Before Game 1 - singing groups from all 3 countries sang their respective anthems. Jim Marvin who just retired as conductor of the Harvard Glee Club told me once that it was a little hard for his boys to perform after the Russian ensemble - THE RED ARMY CHOIR - To this day I still rank it as the best live anthem I have ever heard.
The hockey was simply spectacular.
You Tube has many clips and also both games unedited.
I actually taped these on VHS when they were on TV, and still have them. I take 'em out once in awhile and enjoy...I wish the quality was better though.
