1979 Challenge Cup (ice hockey)

The 1979 Challenge Cup was a series of international ice hockey games between the Soviet Union national ice hockey team and a team of All-Stars from the National Hockey League.[1] The games were played on February 8, 10, and 11 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It replaced the NHL's all-star festivities for the 1978–79 NHL season. The Soviets defeated the NHL All-Stars two games to one.

1979 Challenge Cup
123 Total
NHL All-Stars 440 1
Soviet Union 256 2
Location(s)New York City: Madison Square Garden
DatesFebruary 8–11, 1979 (1979-02-08 – 1979-02-11)
NHL All-Star Game
The 1979 Challenge Cup Trophy

The team of All-Stars from the National Hockey League included 23 Canadians and three Swedish players. Bobby Orr commenting in the post-game interviews after game two, accidentally called the NHL All-Stars "Team Canada" (because of the number of Canadians on the roster). The Challenge Cup, unlike its predecessor, the Summit Series, included non-Canadian born players in the NHL rosters.

The NHL All-Stars team was coached by Scotty Bowman, and the Soviet Union national team was coached by Viktor Tikhonov.

NHL All-Stars roster
Nat.No.PlayerPos.Team
Canada10Guy LafleurRWCanada Montreal Canadiens
Canada19Larry RobinsonDCanada Montreal Canadiens
Canada23Bob GaineyLWCanada Montreal Canadiens
Canada22Steve ShuttLWCanada Montreal Canadiens
Canada11Gilbert PerreaultCUnited States Buffalo Sabres
Canada17Marcel DionneCUnited States Los Angeles Kings
Canada27Darryl SittlerCCanada Toronto Maple Leafs
Canada8Lanny McDonaldRWCanada Toronto Maple Leafs
Canada16Bobby Clarke – CCUnited States Philadelphia Flyers
Canada20Bryan TrottierCUnited States New York Islanders
Canada25Mike BossyRWUnited States New York Islanders
Canada9Clark GilliesLWUnited States New York Islanders
Canada4Barry BeckDUnited States Colorado Rockies
Canada18Serge SavardDCanada Montreal Canadiens
Canada3Guy LapointeDCanada Montreal Canadiens
CanadaRobert PicardDUnited States Washington Capitals
Canada5Denis PotvinDUnited States New York Islanders
Canada7Bill BarberLWUnited States Philadelphia Flyers
Canada21Don MarcotteLWUnited States Boston Bruins
Canada35Tony EspositoGUnited States Chicago Blackhawks
Canada29Ken DrydenGCanada Montreal Canadiens
Canada30Gerry CheeversGUnited States Boston Bruins
CanadaRon GreschnerDUnited States New York Rangers
Sweden26Börje SalmingDCanada Toronto Maple Leafs
Sweden12Ulf NilssonCUnited States New York Rangers
Sweden15Anders HedbergRWUnited States New York Rangers

Soviet Union roster
Nat.No.PlayerPos.Team
Soviet Union12Sergei StarikovDSoviet Union Traktor Chelyabinsk
Soviet Union22Viktor ZhluktovFSoviet Union CSKA Moscow
Soviet Union5Vasili PervukhinDSoviet Union Dynamo Moscow
Soviet Union9Vladimir KovinCSoviet Union Torpedo Gorky
Soviet Union24Sergei MakarovRWSoviet Union CSKA Moscow
Soviet Union10Mikhail VarnakovLWSoviet Union Torpedo Gorky
Soviet Union11Aleksandr SkvortsovRWSoviet Union Torpedo Gorky
Soviet Union25Vladimir GolikovFSoviet Union Dynamo Moscow
Soviet Union23Aleksandr GolikovFSoviet Union Dynamo Moscow
Soviet Union13Boris Mikhailov – CFSoviet Union CSKA Moscow
Soviet Union16Vladimir PetrovFSoviet Union CSKA Moscow
Soviet Union17Valeri KharlamovFSoviet Union CSKA Moscow
Soviet Union7Gennadiy TsygankovDSoviet Union CSKA Moscow
Soviet Union6Valeri VasilievDSoviet Union Dynamo Moscow
Soviet Union8Sergei KapustinFSoviet Union CSKA Moscow
Soviet Union2Yuri Fedorov[2]DSoviet Union Torpedo Gorky
Soviet Union14Zinetula BilyaletdinovDSoviet Union Dynamo Moscow
Soviet Union19Helmuts BalderisRWSoviet Union CSKA Moscow
Soviet Union18Irek GimayevFSoviet Union Salavat Yulaev Ufa
Soviet Union21Viktor TyumenevFSoviet Union Krylya Sovetov Moscow
Soviet Union4Sergei BabinovDSoviet Union CSKA Moscow
Soviet Union20Vladislav TretiakGSoviet Union CSKA Moscow
Soviet Union1Vladimir MyshkinGSoviet Union Krylya Sovetov Moscow

Uniforms

The NHL vastly simplified their white All-Star uniforms, removing most of the striping and stars. The NHL shield on the front was enlarged, while the logos on the shoulders remained the same. The striping was reduced to two thin stripes, orange over black, separated by a thin white stripe. The names on the back remained in black with orange trim, and the numerals remained orange with black trim.

The Soviet team used their standard red national uniforms, which they also used when touring against the teams of the World Hockey Association (while billed as the "Soviet All-Stars"). The jerseys featured two white stripes at the waistline - one thin stripe over a wider stripe studded with red diamonds. The sleeve stripes followed a similar pattern, but without the diamonds on the wide stripes, and an additional white stripe below the wide band. While the Soviet team normally used Cyrillic script on its uniforms, the names on the back of the jerseys for the Challenge Cup were romanized for the event. The front of the jerseys retained the Cyrillic СССР initials.

Game log

Game 1
  • Date: Thursday February 8, 1979
  • Location: New York City: Madison Square Garden
  • Attendance: 17,438

Score

NHL All-Stars 4 - Soviet Union 2

Goals
PeriodScoreTeamPlayerAssistPower PlayGoal
1st0:16NHL#10 Guy Lafleur#16 Bobby Clarke, #22 Steve Shutt1-0
1st6:22NHL#25 Mike Bossy#11 Gilbert Perreault, #10 Guy LafleurPP2-0
1st11:25URS#13 Boris Mikhailov#6 Valeri Vasiliev, #17 Valeri KharlamovPP2-1
1st15:48NHL#23 Bob Gainey#7 Bill Barber, #4 Barry Beck3-1
2nd8:14NHL#9 Clark Gillies#25 Mike Bossy4-1
3rd3:02URS#25 Vladimir Golikov#23 Aleksandr Golikov, #24 Sergei Makarov4-2
Penalties
PeriodPen. ScoreTeamPlayerPen. Min.Penalty
1st0:59URS#22 Viktor Zhluktov2:00Hooking
1st5:13URS#16 Vladimir Petrov2:00Hooking
1st8:31NHL#8 Lanny McDonald2:00High-Sticking
1st10:59NHL#9 Clark Gillies2:00Charging
1st12:21URS#22 Viktor Zhluktov2:00Interference
2nd10:48URS#7 Gennadiy Tsygankov2:00Holding
Shots on Goal
Team1st Period2nd Period3rd PeriodTotal
NHL All-Stars109524
Soviet Union65920
Goaltenders
Min.GoaliesTeamSavesGoals Against
60:00#29 Ken DrydenNHL All-Stars182 Goals
60:00#20 Vladislav TrekiakSoviet Union204 Goals

Officials

Game 2
  • Date: Saturday February 10, 1979
  • Location: New York City: Madison Square Garden
  • Attendance: 17,438

Score

NHL All-Stars 4 - Soviet Union 5

Goals
PeriodScoreTeamPlayerAssistPower PlayGoal
1st8:10URS#8 Sergei Kapustin#12 Sergei Starikov0-1
1st13:35NHL#25 Mike Bossy#20 Bryan Trottier, #9 Clark GilliesPP1-1
1st18:21NHL#20 Bryan Trottier#9 Clark Gillies, #25 Mike Bossy2-1
2nd0:27NHL#11 Gilbert Perreault#27 Darryl Sittler3-1
2nd2:05URS#10 Mikhail Varnakov#11 Aleksandr Skvortsov3-2
2nd5:06NHL#19 Larry Robinson#10 Guy Lafleur, #17 Marcel Dionne4-2
2nd17:02URS#13 Boris Mikhailov#16 Vladimir Petrov, #6 Valeri VasilievPP4-3
2nd7:47URS#8 Sergei Kapustin#22 Viktor Zhluktov4-4
3rd1:31URS#25 Vladimir Golikov#24 Sergei Makarov4-5
Penalties
PeriodPen. ScoreTeamPlayerPen. Min.Penalty
1st12:32URS#9 Vladimir Kovin2:00Cross-Checking
1st15:13NHL#11 Gilbert Perreault2:00Holding
2nd8:04NHL#26 Börje Salming2:00Interference
2nd15:07NHL#4 Barry Beck2:00Boarding
Shots on Goal
Team1st Period2nd Period3rd PeriodTotal
NHL All-Stars55616
Soviet Union7141031
Goaltenders
Min.GoaliesTeamSavesGoals Against
60:00#29 Ken DrydenNHL All-Stars265 Goals
60:00#20 Vladislav TretiakSoviet Union124 Goals

Officials

Game 3
  • Date: Sunday February 11, 1979
  • Location: New York City: Madison Square Garden
  • Attendance: 17,545

Score

NHL All-Stars 0 - Soviet Union 6[3]

Goals
PeriodScoreTeamPlayerAssistPower PlayGoal
2nd5:47URS#13 Boris Mikhailov#23 Aleksandr Golikov0-1
2nd7:44URS#22 Viktor Zhluktov#19 Helmuts Balderis, #6 Valeri VasilievPP0-2
3rd8:44URS#19 Helmuts Balderis#18 Irek Gimayev0-3
3rd10:21URS#9 Vladimir Kovin#11 Aleksandr Skvortsov, #10 Mikhail Varnakov0-4
3rd12:44URS#24 Sergei Makarov#8 Sergei Kapustin0-5
3rd14:46URS#23 Aleksandr Golikov0-6
Penalties
PeriodPen. ScoreTeamPlayerPen. Min.Penalty
2nd6:27NHL#21 Don Marcotte2:00Elbowing
2nd10:48URS#6 Valeri Vasiliev2:00Holding
2nd12:27URS#1 Vladimir Myshkin2:00RoughingServed by #18 Irek Gimayev
2nd12:27NHL#20 Bryan Trottier2:00Roughing
3rd14:22URS#13 Boris Mikhailov2:00Holding
Shots on Goal
Team1st Period2nd Period3rd PeriodTotal
NHL All-Stars771024
Soviet Union66719
Goaltenders
Min.GoaliesTeamSavesGoals Against
60:00#30 Gerry CheeversNHL All-Stars136 Goals
60:00#1 Vladimir MyshkinSoviet Union240 Goals

Officials

Broadcasters

In the United States, Game 2,[4] which was held on a Saturday afternoon, was shown on CBS[5] as part of CBS Sports Spectacular.[6][7][8] The network refused to expand CBS Sports Spectacular to carry the game in full[9] so instead, the show came on during the second intermission,[10] showed taped highlights of the first two periods, and then showed the final period live. The lead-in to Sports Spectacular was The World's Strongest Man. The then-CBS affiliate in Boston, the old WNAC-TV, broadcast a local college hockey game that led into Sports Spectacular.

The network, the show and their sponsors had a problem with the rink board advertising[11] that the NHL sold at Madison Square Garden, and refused to allow them to be shown on television. As a result, CBS viewers were unable to see the far boards above the yellow kickplate, and could only see players' skates when the play moved to that side of the ice. Games 1 and 3 were shown on the NHL Network,[4][12] where the advertising was no problem.

Dan Kelly and Lou Nanne called the game for CBS while Dick Stockton served as the host.

References
  1. 1979 Challenge Cup on greatesthockeylegends.com
  2. Yuri Fedorov's surname on the back of his shirt was listed as "Federov" // 1979 Challenge Cup Game 2 Goals - NHL vs USSR
  3. "SOVIETS EMBARRASS NHL ALL STARS 6-0 TO WIN CHALLENGE CUP". International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  4. Eskenazi, Gerald (February 8, 1979). "Soviet Six Now Taking N.H.L. Series Seriously (Published 1979)". Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  5. "Sports BRIEFING". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Publishing. February 10, 1979. p. W_C3.
  6. Fachet, Robert (February 8, 1979). "NHL Stars Challenged By Soviets". The Washington Post.
  7. Anderson, Dave (February 11, 1979). "The Empty Cup". New York Times.
  8. E.M. Swift (February 19, 1979). "Run Over By The Big Red Machine". Sports Illustrated.
  9. "Argus-Leader from Sioux Falls, South Dakota · Page 26". Newspapers.com. January 14, 1979.
  10. Quinn, Hal (February 26, 1979). "Exploding the myth of hockey supremacy". MACLEAN’S.
  11. "Sports BRIEFING". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Publishing. February 15, 1979. p. E3.
  12. Bob Verdi (February 8, 1979). "Soviet 'pupils,' suspicious NHL stars open 3-game war". Chicago Tribune. Tribune Publishing. p. C3.
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