It’s hard to believe that next week will mark the 38th anniversary of the famous Flyers exhibition against the Soviet Red Army. The game was played at the Spectrum on January 11, 1976, and it was one of the proudest moments in Flyers history.
The game didn’t count in the standings, but it doesn’t do the game justice to call it “just an exhibition.” The Cold War was still very hot in 1976. It was just one year after the fall of Saigon, and the idea of the world being divided between American and Soviet spheres of influence was still a reality to most observers.
Although Canada managed to edge the Soviets in the 1972 Summit Series, the Russians had dominated international hockey and beaten a team of WHA All-Stars in 1974. The Soviet Red Army was widely considered the best team in the world.
The NHL scheduled Super Series ’76, which had the Red Army and the Soviet Wings play four games each against NHL clubs. The Red Army started their series of games with a dominant 7-3 win over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden, a 3-3 tie with the Montreal Canadiens and a 5-2 win over the Bost ...
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Article written by Brad Kurtzberg
How We Remember the Philadelphia Flyers-Red Army Game 38 Years Later
January 2nd, 2014 by Brad Kurtzberg Leave a reply »
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