Players shed new light on memorable Canada-Soviet Summit Series in '1972' book

Every time there's a Summit Series anniversary, hockey fans are reminded of Canada's thrilling comeback victory over the Soviet Union and Paul Henderson's where-were-you-when Game 8 winner.

While many cherish the memories from that 1972 showdown, it remains somewhat difficult for others to reflect on it.

Alexander Yakushev, who led the Soviet Union with seven goals in the series, has a videotape of all eight games that has remained on a shelf at his home for years. He has never watched it and doesn't plan to.

"The pain of that last game is so great that I still can't digest it all," he said in Scott Morrison's book, "1972: The Series that Changed Hockey Forever."

The 339-page publication, released ahead of this month's 50-year series anniversary, looks back at the event while sharing new stories from the players and others involved.

Morrison calls it the greatest hockey series ever played, a defining event in this country's history and a tipping point for the game itself. The backdrop of the Cold War only added to the dramatics.

Unlike previous international tournaments, Canada would use many of its top professional players against so-called amateurs from the Soviet Union. Expectations were high given that NHL stars were participating.

A 7-3 Soviet win in Game 1 at Montreal was an early wake-up call for Canada. The Soviets fell in Game 2 at Toronto, earned a Game 3 tie in Winnipeg and picked up a victory in Game 4 at Vancouver.

Once in Moscow, a Game 5 win gave the Soviet Union a 3-1-1 overall edge and an apparent stranglehold on the series. But the plucky Canadians fought back with three straight victories, capped by Henderson's game-winning goal with 34 seconds left in Game 8.

"Initially, we were ecstatic," Canada