The Greatest Comeback: How Team Canada Fought Back, Took the Summit Series, and Reinvented Hockey
- Downloads：1082
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-10-25 10:19:34
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：John U Bacon
- ISBN：1443464082
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
The series you thought you knew: the first book written with the complete co-operation of the whole team
"They've stolen our beer and our steaks， and then to make it worse when we go back to the hotel after the game， they give us warm， skunky Russian beer and not the good， cold Labatt's our sponsor sent。 I remember thinking， 'These pricks will never beat us again！ They are not going to win another game。'"
--Rod Gilbert
The Summit Series took place in September 1972， when Cold War tensions could not have been higher。 But that was the whole point of setting up this unprecedented hockey series。 Team Canada， featuring the country's best players--all NHL stars， half of them future Hall of Famers--would play an eight-game series， with four games played across Canada followed by four in Moscow。 Team Canada was expected to crush their untried opponents eight games to zero， with backups playing the last four games。
But five games into the series， they had mustered only one win against a tie and three stunning losses。 With just three games left， Team Canada had to win all three in Moscow--all while overcoming the years of animosity and mistrust for one another fostered during the Original Six era。 They would also have to overcome the ridiculous Russian refereeing that resulted in stick-swinging fights involving the players， a Canadian agent and Soviet soldiers; surmount every obstacle the Soviets and even the KGB could throw at the players and their wives; invent a hybrid style of play combining the best of East and West， one that would change the sport more than any other factor before or since; and win all three games in the last minute。
And they did it all。
The Summit players asked Bacon to tell their story and provided unparalleled access and candour in dozens of interviews with almost every living player。 The Greatest Comeback is a universal story about overcoming bitter feuds to forge a hard-earned team spirit and inspire heroics against long odds and almost inhuman pressure--an experience so unforgettable that every member of Team Canada considers those eight games to be the highlight of their storied careers。
"They've stolen our beer and our steaks， and then to make it worse when we go back to the hotel after the game， they give us warm， skunky Russian beer and not the good， cold Labatt's our sponsor sent。 I remember thinking， 'These pricks will never beat us again！ They are not going to win another game。'"
--Rod Gilbert
The Summit Series took place in September 1972， when Cold War tensions could not have been higher。 But that was the whole point of setting up this unprecedented hockey series。 Team Canada， featuring the country's best players--all NHL stars， half of them future Hall of Famers--would play an eight-game series， with four games played across Canada followed by four in Moscow。 Team Canada was expected to crush their untried opponents eight games to zero， with backups playing the last four games。
But five games into the series， they had mustered only one win against a tie and three stunning losses。 With just three games left， Team Canada had to win all three in Moscow--all while overcoming the years of animosity and mistrust for one another fostered during the Original Six era。 They would also have to overcome the ridiculous Russian refereeing that resulted in stick-swinging fights involving the players， a Canadian agent and Soviet soldiers; surmount every obstacle the Soviets and even the KGB could throw at the players and their wives; invent a hybrid style of play combining the best of East and West， one that would change the sport more than any other factor before or since; and win all three games in the last minute。
And they did it all。
The Summit players asked Bacon to tell their story and provided unparalleled access and candour in dozens of interviews with almost every living player。 The Greatest Comeback is a universal story about overcoming bitter feuds to forge a hard-earned team spirit and inspire heroics against long odds and almost inhuman pressure--an experience so unforgettable that every member of Team Canada considers those eight games to be the highlight of their storied careers。
Reviews
Scott
，
As he has done numerous times previously， John U。 Bacon delivers by taking you inside the Summit Series with insight from all of the key players， coaches， and supporting cast （mainly wives！） who gave Canada its greatest on-ice victory。 From overconfidence， to being booed out of their country， to committing to their conditioning and their teammates， to their treatment in Moscow， to their clutch performances， this book outlines perseverance， dedication， and leadership at its best。 Anyone looking f As he has done numerous times previously， John U。 Bacon delivers by taking you inside the Summit Series with insight from all of the key players， coaches， and supporting cast （mainly wives！） who gave Canada its greatest on-ice victory。 From overconfidence， to being booed out of their country， to committing to their conditioning and their teammates， to their treatment in Moscow， to their clutch performances， this book outlines perseverance， dedication， and leadership at its best。 Anyone looking for leadership books and/or ways to motivate should pick up any John U。 Bacon book。 This one is right up there with the best of them。 Of course， there is a University of Michigan connection with Red Berenson being a member of Team Canada。 I guarantee you will not be disappointed！！！！！ 。。。more
Jeff
，
Out of the many books released to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1972 Summit Series， this one was the best。 I had never heard of the author so I didn't know what to expect， but he does an excellent job combining his story-telling skills with hundreds of quotes from interviews he did with players， executives and players' wives involved in the series。 He combines modern quotes with quotes and insights offered by players during， immediately after and in the 50 years since the series。 It may Out of the many books released to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1972 Summit Series， this one was the best。 I had never heard of the author so I didn't know what to expect， but he does an excellent job combining his story-telling skills with hundreds of quotes from interviews he did with players， executives and players' wives involved in the series。 He combines modern quotes with quotes and insights offered by players during， immediately after and in the 50 years since the series。 It may not be the first book written with the full cooperation of the players as claimed， but it is the most exhaustive and the best I've read so far。 It captures the tension and emotion of the series， bringing the reader back to September 1972 and making the reader feel as if they were right there。 An excellent book for someone who might be experiencing the series for the first time。 And for those who lived through it and who may have read other books about it， this one is a must to have in your library。 。。。more
Craig
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