Summit Series '72, Regrouping in Toronto

Bobby Orr arriving via bicycle

 "I like the thought of bigger ice. It suits me, as long as we don't go chasing all over after them and tire ourselves out." said Ron Ellis of the European sized ice that Team Canada will encounter in Moscow. He added, "We'll have a week to work in Sweden to get in better shape and work together."

Team Canada left from Toronto on the evening of September 12 en route to Stockholm, Sweden. They travelled on two separate aircraft, one via Jumbo Jet through Paris first, the other an hour later, a DC-8 via Frankfurt. The team plans to train in Sweden and play two exhibition games against the Swedish national squad while getting used to the larger ice surface (100 feet wide instead of 85 feet in the NHL).

Coach Sinden agreed with the words of Ron Ellis that the larger surface may benefit some of his players, "Ellis, of course, and Cournoyer, Henderson, Perreault certainly and Frank Mahovlich too." Sinden went on to  heap raise on Soviet goalie Tretiak,"I really haven't seen him make a mistake yet. As long as he stops the puck you've got to say it's skill. Credit the goalie, don't discredit the shooters." Sinden's own goalie, Tony Esposito wasn't quite as sold on Tretiak, "I see some guys like my brother miss chances they'd never miss when they're playing hockey." He then prophetically added, "You'll see. My brother will get better every game and he'll dominate things."

Sinden announced that two-a-day drills would be held the two days prior to the exhibition games in Sweden, adding, "And we'll work out pretty hard on the day of the game." This will be a definite change from the usual light skate on game days, and is certainly a nod to the Soviets who always have brisk workouts the day of a game. 

Maple Leafs owner, Harold Ballard along with his son Bill, accompanied the team on the first flight overseas. He was so impressed with how well Bobby Clarke fit with Leaf's Ellis and Henderson that he had made an offer to Philadelphia for Clarke. When asked if the Flyers were interested, he replied, "Not a bit." 


 


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