Summit Series at 50: A battle on ice that shaped today's NHL

Friday marks 50 years since Canada faced off against the Soviet Union in a bitter battle on the ice, beginning with Game 1 of the Summit Series at the Montreal Forum.

The series wasn't just about hockey -- in the midst of the Cold War, the 1972 series came to represent a struggle between political ideologies.

In that era, professionals were not allowed to play in international tournaments. But this time was different and the NHL's top Canadians took to the ice to play.

"We were Canadians. We were the originators of hockey, we were the developers of hockey, and we were the best in the world in hockey. And yet, every year, during the 1960s, the Soviets were called World Champions," recalled goaltender Ken Dryden in an interview with CTV Montreal.

Despite the title of 'World Champions,' most wrote the Soviets off.

"The first thing that occurred to Canadian players was when the Russians came out, they were wearing mismatched equipment," said NHL historian Dave Stubbs in a CTV interview. "They were wearing skates that you might wear in a beer league. I mean, it was just sort of like, 'Really? That's what these guys are coming to play us with?'"

As fans packed into the Montreal Forum, former prime minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau dropped the puck in the ceremonial faceoff. Canada opened the scoring early, going up 2-0 within minutes.

"We thought, 'Oh isn't this wonderful, this is what we thought it was going to be,'" forward Peter Mahovlich told CTV.

The Soviets were down, but certainly not out.

"All of a sudden, somebody crashes the party, and it's disaster," said Dryden.

The Russian players stormed back, eventually winning 7-3 in front of a stunned hometown crowd.

Team Canada goalie Ken Dryden looks back at the puck as it enters the net during Summit Series action in Montreal on Saturday, Sept. 2, 1972. Dryden had seven goals against him in the first game of the series, won 7–3 by the U.S.S.R. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Peter Bregg

"The loss in Montreal was absolutely unforeseen by anyone, especially the way the Russians just handed Canada their lunch. It was very dramatic," said Stubbs.

The series would go on to be played across Canada and ended up in a dramatic Game 8 in Moscow. Paul Henderson would win it for Team Canada with one of the most historic goals in Canadian history.

While Canada won the series, the Soviets would ultimately significantly impact the game itself.

"The Soviets demonstrated that they could not only play differently, but play differently at the top. We realized maybe there isn't just the Canadian way of doing it," said Dryden. "Alexander Ovechkin, you know, the roots of him are in the 1972 series. The roots of Wayne Gretzky are in the 1972 series," he added.

"Some of the things that transpired there helped change things in Russia for the better," said Mahovlich. "Six or seven years later, you have Russians playing in the NHL. That breaks down some of the stupid borders that we have."