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This is a Canadian classic: In a famous postgame interview from the 1972 Canada-USSR hockey series, Phil Esposito lashes out against Canadian fans and media who had been dumping on Canada's national team. Espo led the team to a dramatic comeback victory in the Soviet Union.
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Phil
Esposito
interview
Added: 7th June 2008
Views: 1497
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Posted By: Lava1964 |
 
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The Boston Bruins were a formidable offensive force in the early 1970s. During the 1970-71 season, the team averaged an unheard of 5.1 goals per game. For the first time ever, the top four scorers in the NHL were all from the same team. Three of them were the members of this Bruins' line: Wayne Cashman, Phil Esposito and Ken Hodge. (Some fellow named Bobby Orr was the fourth.) The same foursome copped the top four scoring spots in 1973-74 too.
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Boston
Bruins
Espositio
Hodge
Cashman
Added: 28th January 2009
Views: 2624
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Posted By: Lava1964 |
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One of the most familiar faces of Soviet Union hockey was the dour puss of coach Viktor Tikhonov who ran the Central Red Army club team and the Soviet National team with an iron fist and almost unchecked success for 20 years. Tikhonov was born on June 4, 1930. As a player, Tikhonov was a defenceman with the Soviet Air Force and Dynamo Moscow clubs, but he wasn't well known internationally until he became the head coach of both the Central Red Army team and the Soviet Union's national team in 1977. At one point Red Army won 13 consecutive Soviet Elite League titles--which isn't all that surprising considering Tikhonov had the authority of a Red Army general and could immediately draft any player into the armed forces if he showed promise. The USSR won eight IIHF world titles under Tikhonov plus Olympic gold medals in 1984, 1988 and 1992. The USSR's national team also won the 1979 Challenge Cup and 1981 Canada Cup. Tikhonov had power over his players' lives and used it to control every aspect of his team. They routinely trained together for 50 weeks per year while living in army barracks. Canadian hockey great Phil Esposito said the so-called Soviet "amateurs" were more professional than NHL players. Humorless and ruthless, Tikhonov was known for his dictatorial coaching style. He exercised control over his players' lives. His expected absolute obedience--or else. His players quietly called him "the last Stalinist." With tongue-in-cheek humor, western media often referred to Tikhonov as "Chuckles." Tikhonov constantly feared his players would defect if they ever got the slightest chance. Anyone he merely suspected of defecting would be left off teams planning to travel outside the Iron Curtain. In 1991, for instance, he cut Pavel Bure, Valeri Zelepukin, Evgeny Davydov, and Vladimir Konstantinov just before the 1991 Canada Cup. All of them had been drafted by NHL teams, and Tikhonov suspected they were flight risks. Even after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Tikhonov stayed on as the national team coach of Russia for a few more years, but the newer players rebelled against his harsh authoritarian ways. Tikhonov mellowed slighty before going into retirement in 1996. After his retirement, Tikhonov lobbied the Russian government for more attention and better financing for the national team. His grandson plays on the current Russian national squad. Tikhonov died in November 2014.
Tags:
hockey
coach
USSR
Viktor
Tikhonov
Added: 19th February 2014
Views: 1171
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Posted By: Lava1964 |
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On September 23, 1992, 20-year-old female goalie Manon Rheaume played one period of an NHL exhibition game for the expansion Tampa Bay Lightning versus the St. Louis Blues. She allowed two goals on nine shots. Lightning general manager Phil Esposito openly admitted that Rheaume's appearance was a publicity stunt.
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Manon
Rheaume
female
hockey
goalie
Added: 23rd September 2009
Views: 3576
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Posted By: Lava1964 |
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Phil Espositio and Bobby Orr, the two kingpins of the great Boston Bruins 1971-72 team, graced the cover of Sports Illustrated during the 1972 Stanley Cup finals, won by the Bruins in six games over the New York Rangers.
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Boston
Bruins
NHL
hockey
Esposito
Orr
Added: 31st May 2011
Views: 2368
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Posted By: Lava1964 |
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It was one of the classiest incidents in sports history. Here's the background: Phil Esposito had set numerous league and team scoring records during his tenure with the NHL's Boston Bruins from 1967 to 1975. Espo was traded to the New York Rangers in November 1975. In 1979 rookie sensation Ray Bourque was given the #7 jersey by the Bruins. He wore it reluctantly knowing that Phil Esposito was so closely associated with it. On December 3, 1987, the Bruins retired Esposito's #7 jersey but counted on Bourque to continue to wear it. Bourque, however, had other ideas. He figured the retirement ceremony was an ideal time to return #7 wholly to Espo. Only a handful of people knew what Bourque was going to do. In a surprising and touching gesture, Bourque removed his #7 jersey to reveal his new #77 jersey that he wore for the rest of his days in Boston. Esposito was clearly moved by Bourque's selfless gesture.
Tags:
Phil
Esposito
retirement
ceremony
hockey
Ray
Bourque
Added: 9th November 2013
Views: 2402
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Posted By: Lava1964 |
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