I personally think Miracle on Ice, but it will come down to Americans saying Miracle on Ice and Canadians will say the 72 summit series
Most likely, and there's nothing wrong with that. But the Miracle team was just amazing. A bunch of nobodies against a bunch of pros. Not to mention the fact of the patriotism that was going on at that time at Lake Placid. I wasn't around to remember it, but I've read quite alot about it and I sure wish I could've seen it. Was a special moment for not only hockey fans, but for the USA as a whole.
I loved every minute of it, I'd highly recommend it. The picture quality isn't great on the games broadcast from the Soviet Union, but it's still worth it.
Granted, I wasn't alive for either of these, I have to think that the Miracle on Ice probably meant more. The Canadians were expected to win against the Soviets beforehand (at least by North Americans) and though the first half of the series didn't go well, it wasn't outside the realm of possibility to win. With the Miracle on Ice, it was much more of an upset.
But the Canadians were favorites to win in the series. U.S. was not supposed to beat the Russians
Yes and it made Canadians realize that we aren't the world's lone hockey power.
The summit series was beyond hockey. It was communism vs. democracy. We were getting to see all this brand new team that was coached and treated in a totally different way than the Canadian team. The series wouldn't have been that important if it had not been decided by a single goal.
It basically does break down to whether you're Canadian or American to pick the most important (with the odd exceptions from both countries). But saying that the series was less important because Canada wasn't an underdog is a poor argument. There were many other aspects of that series that made it what it was.
If Bobby Clarke didn't mess up Kharlamov's ankle, there's a good chance Canada would of lost the Summit series. It was also the first time the elite canadian players played against the elite USSR players.
In the second period, Bobby Clarke deliberately slashed Valery Kharlamov's ankle, fracturing it. Years later, John Ferguson, Sr., an assistant coach with Team Canada, was quoted as saying "I called Clarke over to the bench, looked over at Kharlamov and said, 'I think he needs a tap on the ankle.'
Resultwise I didn't like either since these Soviets were my favourite international team (except the Germans of course) but the games of the 72 series are better than the miracle IMO.
Yes and it made Canadians realize that we aren't the world's lone hockey power.
The summit series was beyond hockey. It was communism vs. democracy. We were getting to see all this brand new team that was coached and treated in a totally different way than the Canadian team. The series wouldn't have been that important if it had not been decided by a single goal.
It basically does break down to whether you're Canadian or American to pick the most important (with the odd exceptions from both countries). But saying that the series was less important because Canada wasn't an underdog is a poor argument. There were many other aspects of that series that made it what it was.
are you kidding me?
If you are going to use that rationale, who had the greater Cold War Rivalry with the USSR? America or Canada?
when looking at the Miracle on Ice, you also have to look at the failed Iranian hostage rescue, the push of the soviets in afganistan i beleive, the troubled U S economy at the time, and the gas rations and lines country wide........
and then a bunch of college kids beating the big bad russians in a sport most americans couldnt even care about but that russians were supposed to be so traditionaly dominant in.....
1980 was a long time ago I guess. Longer than I thought. 
