CBC Archives

Discuss the connection Canadians feel to hockey, our unofficial national sport. Explain that before the 1972 Canada-Soviet hockey series, the emotional atmosphere was electric. The series was the first time that Canada could use its best hockey players (NHL pros) against the Soviets, because the Olympics and world championships were considered amateur events. However, the so-called amateurs put forward by the Soviets were really hidden professionals, provided for by the state. The Communist countries had dominated amateur events until 1972.

Direct students to the topic Canada-Soviet Hockey Series, 1972 on the CBC Radio and Television Archives Web site. Students will create a poster display summarizing all clips except Clips #2 and #8. Students will summarize the clips, including the Did You Know? sections, using a synopsis paragraph and a picture. Summaries should be ordered chronologically, and students will place each summary on a coloured background that represents the emotional state of Canadian hockey fans at the time. Red could represent anger, blue could represent unhappiness, and so on.

Display the posters and have the students review and record the emotional states used for each clip. Students will then write a summarizing one-page paper on the how the series affected hockey fans in Canada.

Students can skim through the clips on the CBC Archives Web site or use the posters to gather information on the mood of the Soviet hockey fans. Students write a short essay on the response of Soviet fans to the series.