In the opinion of this international hockey junkie, the two best All Star breaks didn't feature an All Star game at all. In 1979 the NHL All Stars played a three game series against the Soviet National team in a "showdown of the century" called the 1979 Challenge Cup. In 1987 they did the same in a two game extravaganza known as Rendez Vous '87.
Seeing as this is a hockey history website, I have featured each of these two tournaments significantly for the upcoming All Star festivities. Features include video footage, original articles and personal memories. Just click on the following links: 1979 Challenge Cup and Rendez Vous '87.
In February, 1987, the NHL All Star Game was set aside for one season. In its place was a two game series in Quebec City that pitted the NHL All Stars against what many people call the strongest team ever iced - The Soviet National team.
There was no clear winner as each side won one game a piece, although the Soviets did score 1 more goal than did the NHL All Stars. Wayne Gretzky led all players with 4 assists, but he was upstaged by the spectacular play of big Russian left winger Valeri Kamensky. Kamensky would later be allowed to play in Quebec City with the Nordiques when he was first cleared to play in the National Hockey League.
Below is a collection of articles, photos, videos and statistics to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Rendez Vous '87!
In February, 1987, the NHL All Star Game was set aside for one season. In its place was a two game series in Quebec City that pitted the NHL All Stars against what many people call the strongest team ever iced - The Soviet National team.
There was no clear winner as each side won one game a piece, although the Soviets did score 1 more goal than did the NHL All Stars. Wayne Gretzky led all players with 4 assists, but he was upstaged by the spectacular play of big Russian left winger Valeri Kamensky. Kamensky would later be allowed to play in Quebec City with the Nordiques when he was first cleared to play in the National Hockey League.
Below is a collection of articles, photos, videos and statistics to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Rendez Vous '87!
So it turns out that during Rendezvous '87 arguably the two greatest athletes in the history of team sports were in Quebec's old Colisee arena. And I'm not referring to Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux.
In February, 1987, the NHL All Star Game was set aside for one season. In its place was a two game series in Quebec City that pitted the NHL All Stars against what many people call the strongest team ever iced - The Soviet National team.
There was no clear winner as each side won one game a piece, although the Soviets did score 1 more goal than did the NHL All Stars. Wayne Gretzky led all players with 4 assists, but he was upstaged by the spectacular play of big Russian left winger Valeri Kamensky. Kamensky would later be allowed to play in Quebec City with the Nordiques when he was first cleared to play in the National Hockey League.
Below is a collection of articles, photos, videos and statistics to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Rendez Vous '87!
The following article was written by Frank Orr, and published in The Hockey News back on February 13th, 1987.
The Russians are coming and once again, North American hockey will be placed under the only microscope where it can be examined closely for flaws, cracks in the temper of its steel and fissures in its philosophies.
Of course, all the old arguments are possible about the futility of confrontations such as the two-game series in Rendez-Vous '87 when the NHL's best will have two practices as a team to go against the national side of the Soviet Union, which has been training as a unit for who knows how long? The core of the comrades' roster has been together several years.
There are the old political arguments that can be hauled out, too, about how the Soviet hockey team represents a bad society, all that Harold Ballard crap, that if they don't get out of Afghanistan, then they shouldn't be allowed in Quebec.
But the NHL-Soviet match ups are a must, even though there is really no best time for the pros to play them. If the NHL never faces the Soviets, the chance for growth in the game is limited greatly. The NHL needs to place itself in the Russian wringer to find where its flaws are.
Rendez-Vous '87 wasn't about hockey. The two hockey games themselves definitely were, but Rendez-Vous itself was a much bigger venture
Coinciding with the legendary Quebec Winter Carnival, Quebec Nordiques owner Marcel Aubut took it upon himself to make the NHL all star game much more than anything before, or for that matter since.
The most obvious change was change on the ice. Instead of NHL all stars from the two conferences squaring off, the Soviet National team was brought in to face the very best the NHL had to offer. This also happened in 1979 in a best of three series known as the Challenge Cup.
But Rendez-Vous encompassed so much more than just hockey. It was a cultural bringing together of Russia, the United States, and Canada. With the change in hockey format and the tie-in with the Winter Carnival confirmed, Aubut, a proud Quebecois, went about making it a "super-Carnival."
The Carnival went ahead with the traditional parades, variety shows and Snow Queen pageants, but also featured some fascinating additions.... Full Story
I had the opportunity to watch these games on VHS. It was a great chance to relive some hockey and hockey players of the past. Posted below are some brief comments I noted while watching the series 20 years later.
The most obvious thing I notice when watching Team NHL is Wayne Gretzky. The ESPN commentators actually say Gretzky wasn't overly effective, particularly in game one, but he was by far the best player on the NHL side in my opinion. Almost every shift featured Gretzky setting up a potentially dangerous scoring play, or so it seemed. That being said, I noticed Gretzky was on the ice for more than a couple of the Soviet goals.
One thing I found odd was the defensive pairings with the Gretzky-Kurri-Tikkanen line in game one. Coach Jean Perron wanted the steady veterans Rod Langway and Rick Green out with Gretzky in game one, presumably to make up for any defensive shortcomings created by the offensive risk-taking Oilers. Though Langway and Green were great, their lack of offensive game might have hurt Gretzky's line, who of course were used to someone like Paul Coffey acting as a 4th forward.
I found that pairing odd, and noticed in game two Ray Bourque and Doug Wilson were paired with the Gretzky line. Gretzky played better in game two, according to ESPN, though I thought he was impressively fine in game one.
Kudos to the Team NHL coaching staff. They put together a great game plan and had the team performing surprisingly well under the circumstances. Jet-lagged players who battled each other all season flew in, practiced just a couple of times, and took on the cohesive, well trained Soviet National team. Realistically, Team NHL was at a huge disadvantage. The coaches deserve much of the credit.
Here's some commentary on each of the players... Full Story
I don't think the Russians have ever considered this series to be among their most cherished. They didn't play that well, although seemed to get better as the tournament went on.
The KLM line was a shadow of their usual self. Makarov had some nice zip, but did not create much offensively. Krutov was unnoticeable except when he and Makarov were killing penalties expertly. Larionov was the most impressive of the three. When the big line was clicking, Larionov was never the most noticeable of the three. Lucky for the NHL that the line wasn't hitting on full cylinders.
The KLM line also includes defensemen Fetisov and Kasatonov. Both had very strong tournaments, especially Fetisov. Could Fetisov had been the best defenseman in the world in the 1980s? Its a shame that we never saw him compete in the NHL during his prime, but I suspect he might have been as good as anyone in the NHL.
The Soviets didn't really need the offense from the KLM thanks to spectacular play of Valeri Kamensky. Linemates Bykov and Khomutov have always impressed me with their speed and togetherness, but big Kamensky was something else in this tournament. Dare I say he was better than anyone, including Wayne Gretzky? That might be a slight stretch, but certainly the two of them were above everyone else.
Funny thing - For his efforts Kamensky was named Soviet MVP and got a home stereo. Gretzky, the NHL MVP, got a brand new car. I wonder what Kamensky was thinking when he compared the two prizes.
Here is some commentary on the individual Soviet players... Full Story
A YouTube user named "GrantFuhr" was kind enough to supply the following video clips of Rendez Vous '87:
Kurri, Gretzky Open The Scoring
Just 5:23 into the opening period of the opening game, Team NHL gets off to a great start by scoring the opening goal. The Edmonton Oilers top line were in tact for this tournament, and Gretzky-Kurri-Tikkanen were very prominent. Beautiful goal here, a very typical Gretzky-to-Kurri goal. And note the large-chinned man when the camera cuts to the audience shot - Prime Minister Brian Mulroney seemed very happy.
Bykov Knots Score At Two
One of my favorite Soviet players was the undersized second line center man Vyacheslav Bykov. Together with long time linemate Andrei Khomutov and the next great Soviet star Valeri Kamensky, the line would arguably outshine the KLM unit of Krutov, Larionov, and Makarov. Bykov shows his speed and wicked wrist shot here.
Semenov Pays The Price To Equal The Score Again
I always enjoyed watching the enigma known as Anatoli Semenov, whether I was viewing him as the CCCP Anatoli Sem-yawn-ov, as North American broadcasters originally called him, or as the underachieving center for the Vancouver Canucks or Edmonton Oilers. Semenov was a real heady player who never seemed to produce as his talents suggested.
Here he scores a beauty of a goal, showing an explosive burst of speed, and then crashes dangerously into the unforgiving goal post.
Poulin Scores The Winner In Dying Minutes
Dave Poulin was a great player and a great leader. He won't be remembered by history as such, but those who watched him closely appreciated everything he brought to the rink. Poulin may have scored the biggest goal of his life on this play, deflecting a Mario Lemieux shot with a little over one minute to play.
Continuing with our YouTube highlights, here's game two (Thanks to YouTube user "GrantFuhr")
Messier Opens Scoring In Game Two
The Edmonton Oilers dreaded power play gives the NHL a promising opening lead. Wayne Gretzky fools defenders Fetisov and Kasatonov with a quick pass rather than coming out front. Jari Kurri finds an open Mark Messier up front. Watch Soviet goaltender Evgeni Belosheikin - goaltending has sure evolved in 20 years. You wouldn't see any goaltender today play that shot like that. But back then that was the norm.
Krutov Gives Soviets 2-1 Lead
Vladimir Krutov's legacy may be forever tarnished by his inability to adjust to the NHL on and off the ice, but in 1987 he may have been the best player in Russia, and perhaps the best player not named Wayne Gretzky. He was dominant in the 1987 Canada Cup a few months after scoring this nice goal.
What makes this clip all the more interesting is the North American feed was tapped into the Russian audio at the time of the goal.
Kamensky Wows The Crowd, Gives Soviets Two Goal Lead
Amazing goal by an amazing talent. The commentators describe it as "dazzling, "brilliant," and Frank Mahovlich-like.
Gretzky Starts The Come Back
Even with the NHL All Stars as his teammates, as Wayne Gretzky goes his team goes. Gretzky makes a brilliant pass to the heavy shooting Doug Wilson to pull within one.
More Kamensky Magic
Andrei Khomutov makes 5-2 with just 3 minutes left, but watch Valeri Kamensky on this play. He's such a dominating presence.
Bourque Rounds Out Scoring
Team NHL shows some nice power play work to score a late goal to make it respectable. Watch Gretzky's little tug that somehow referees always let him get away with. Nice pass by Mario Lemieux, too.
I was last the the Hockey Hall of Fame in the summer of 2005. Being an avid international hockey supporter, I was thrilled to see the great displays of international memoribilia, including the following commemoration of the 1979 Challenge Cup and Rendez Vous '87.
Game One - February 11, 1987 at Quebec City NHL All Stars 4 - USSR 3
First Period.
1 NHL Jari Kurri (Wayne Gretzky, Esa Tikkanen) 5:23
Penalties: Claude Lemieux (NHL) 10:30, Ray Bourque (NHL) 15:34
Second Period
2 NHL Glenn Anderson (Mario Lemieux) 17:00 3 USSR Alexei Kasatonov (Sergei Makarov) 18:42
Penalties: Dale Hawerchuk (NHL) 12:28, USSR Bench Minor (served by Valerie Kamensky) 14:37
Third Period
4 USSR Viacheslav Bykov (Andrei Khomutov, Sergei Starinov) 2:03 5 NHL Kevin Dineen (Dale Hawerchuk, Dave Poulin) 7:03 6 USSR Anatoli Semenov (Mikhail Tatarinov, Sergei Varnakov) 8:04 7 NHL Dave Poulin (Mario Lemieux, Doug Wilson) 18:45
Penalties: Esa Tikkanen (NHL) 8:18
Shots on goal USSR 5 9 10 = 24 NHL 11 9 7 = 27
Goalies: USSR: Evgeny Belosheikin - 60 minutes, 4 GA : Backup: Sergei Mylnikov NHL: Grant Fuhr - 60 minutes, 3GA : Backup: Clint Malarchuk
5 NHL Doug Wilson (Wayne Gretzky, Michel Goulet) PP 7:33 6 USSR Anatoli Semenov (Igor Larionov) 9:19 7 USSR Andrei Khomutov (Valerie Kamensky) 12:59 8 NHL Ray Bourque (Mario Lemieux, Wayne Gretzky) 19:23
Penalties: Sergei Nemchinov (USSR) 6:05, Alexei Kasatonov (USSR) 11:46, Sergei Priakhin (double minor) 17:20 (second penalty served by Lavrov)
Shots on goal: USSR: 7 9 13 = 29 NHL 6 13 12 = 31
Goalies: USSR: Evgeny Belosheikin 60 minutes, 3 GA : Backup Sergei Mylnikov NHL Grant Fuhr, 60 minutes, 5 GA : Backup: Clint Malarchuk
