On September 28, 1972, Paul Henderson’s famous goal went down in history in the eighth and final game of the century series between Canada and the Soviet Union.
Far from being Canada’s most dangerous offensive player, the then Toronto Maple Leafs player completed a spectacular foray for his team. Indeed, the Maple Leaf representatives had recovered from a 5-3 deficit in the third period and with 34 seconds remaining, Henderson slid the puck past an already prone Vladislav Tretiak in a memorable series that continues to air regularly during Capsules Memories in TV.
The victorious net therefore allowed Canada to exit Moscow with a 6-5 win, earning them honors of the series with four wins against three losses and a draw.
As a symbol of the Cold War, which marked the contrast between capitalism and communism, between the western and eastern blocs, the conflict between Canada and the USSR shaped an entire generation. Also, the last meeting was watched on TV by 16 million Canadians; At that time, the national population was estimated at around 22 million people.
“Nobody got what they wanted, but we all got what we needed. Both teams have triumphed in a way and on a scale they could never have imagined,” wrote ex-goalkeeper Ken Dryden in his recent book, The Series of the Century – As I Lived It, published by Editions de l’Homme “.
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