The Game That Saved the NHL: The Broad Street Bullies, the Soviet Red Machine, and Super Series '76

by Ed Gruver, Joe Watson (Foreword by)

Overview

In late 1975 and early 1976, at the height of the Cold War, two of the Soviet Union’s long-dominant national hockey teams traveled to North America to play an eight-game series against the best teams in the National Hockey League. The culmination of the “Super Series” was reigning Soviet League champion HC CSKA Moscow’s face-off against the defending NHL champion Flyers in Philadelphia on January 11, 1976. Known as the “Red Army Club,” HC CSKA hadn’t lost a game in the series. Known as the “Broad Street Bullies,” the Flyers were determined to bring the Red Army team’s winning streak to an end with their trademark aggressive style of play.

Based largely on interviews, Ed Gruver’s book tells the story of this epic game and series as it lays out the stakes involved: nothing less than the credibility of the NHL. If the Red Army team had completed its series sweep by defeating the two-time Stanley Cup champion Flyers, the NHL would no longer have been able to claim primacy of place in professional-level hockey. The Stanley Cup, the most famous trophy in sports, would be devalued if the Flyers fell to the Soviets. Gruver also describes how the game and series affected the styles of both Russian and NHL teams. The Soviets adopted a more physical brand of hockey, while the NHL increasingly focused on passing and speed.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493074976
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	11/07/2023
Pages:	296
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Ed Gruver’swork has appeared in several national magazines. He is the author of Joe Louis vs. Billy Conn: Boxing’s Unforgettable Summer of 1941; Bringing the Monster to Its Knees: Ben Hogan, Oakland Hills, and the 1951 U.S. Open; Hell with the Lid Off: Inside the Fierce Rivalry Between the 1970s Oakland Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers; Hairs vs. Squares: The Mustache Gang, the Big Red Machine, and the Tumultuous Summer of ’72; From Baltimore to Broadway: Joe, the Jets, and the Super Bowl III Guarantee; Nitschke; Koufax; The Ice Bowl: The Cold Truth About Football’s Most Unforgettable Game; and The American Football League: A Year-by-Year History, 1960–69.

Editorial Reviews

"I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to play with the Flyers, thanks to Philadelphia head coach Fred Shero. The Russians were the world champions and we were the Stanley Cup champions. It was the only time North America cheered for the Broad Street Bullies. Ed Gruver's book stirs memories of that important game and Super Series '76."

Larry Goodenough

"After thirty-five years broadcasting NHL games, many stand out in my memory. The Flyers–Soviets game in January 1976 is certainly one of them. Ed Gruver has done a fine job bringing back the unforgettable atmosphere of that special Sunday afternoon at The Spectrum."

Dick Irvin Jr.

"At the time, I wasn't a hockey historian. I was thirteen years old and read all I could find in Moscow about the NHL. I knew about the reputation of the Flyers and expected bloodshed in the Flyers–Red Army game in Philadelphia. However, the Broad Street Bullies built a Berlin Wall–like defense at their blue line and the Soviets had problems penetrating it. In the first period, Flyers defenseman Ed Van Impe jumped out of the penalty box and knocked Red Army star winger Valeri Kharlamov out.The tension in the air around this game was very high. This new book by Ed Gruver certainly should bring back great memories about the first-ever games between the Soviet and NHL clubs, and about the rivalry between the North American and European styles of hockey in the 1970s."

Arthur Chidlovski

"I had been traded the off-season before the Flyers played the Russians in 1976, but the Broad Street Bullies were still my boys and I was cheering with every ounce of energy I had. This game against the Soviet Red Army team was way bigger than a hockey game, and the Flyers still felt like my teammates. Ed Gruver has written the first book about the Red Army–Flyers game and Super Series '76, bringing back great memories of the Broad Street Bullies and an exciting era in hockey.

Bill Clement

"The game against the Russians meant so much that I didn't sleep for two or three nights before we played them. The pressure on the Flyers was immense because the NHL was considered superior to European hockey. The NHL was astounded in Super Series '76 by the Russians' conditioning, strength, and shooting ability, and we knew we had to get better. In this book, Ed Gruver writes about an era when the NHL was elevated to a worldwide sport."

Jimmy Watson

"I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to play with the Flyers, thanks to Philadelphia head coach Fred Shero. The Russians were the world champions and we were the Stanley Cup champions. It was the only time North America cheered for the Broad Street Bullies. Ed Gruver's book stirs memories of that important game and Super Series '76." —Larry Goodenough, who scored the game-clinching goal for the Flyers against the Soviet Red Army "I had been traded the off-season before the Flyers played the Russians in 1976, but the Broad Street Bullies were still my boys and I was cheering with every ounce of energy I had. This game against the Soviet Red Army team was way bigger than a hockey game, and the Flyers still felt like my teammates. Ed Gruver has written the first book about the Red Army–Flyers game and Super Series '76, bringing back great memories of the Broad Street Bullies and an exciting era in hockey." —Bill Clement, two-time Stanley Cup champion and former NHL broadcaster for ESPN "After thirty-five years broadcasting NHL games, many stand out in my memory. The Flyers–Soviets game in January 1976 is certainly one of them. Ed Gruver has done a fine job bringing back the unforgettable atmosphere of that special Sunday afternoon at The Spectrum." —Dick Irvin Jr., legendary Hockey Hall of Fame broadcaster "At the time, I wasn't a hockey historian. I was thirteen years old and read all I could find in Moscow about the NHL. I knew about the reputation of the Flyers and expected bloodshed in the Flyers–Red Army game in Philadelphia. However, the Broad Street Bullies built a Berlin Wall–like defense at their blue line and the Soviets had problems penetrating it. In the first period, Flyers defenseman Ed Van Impe jumped out of the penalty box and knocked Red Army star winger Valeri Kharlamov out.The tension in the air around this game was very high. This new book by Ed Gruver certainly should bring back great memories about the first-ever games between the Soviet and NHL clubs, and about the rivalry between the North American and European styles of hockey in the 1970s." —Arthur Chidlovski, historian of Russian hockey "The game against the Russians meant so much that I didn't sleep for two or three nights before we played them. The pressure on the Flyers was immense because the NHL was considered superior to European hockey. The NHL was astounded in Super Series '76 by the Russians' conditioning, strength, and shooting ability, and we knew we had to get better. In this book, Ed Gruver writes about an era when the NHL was elevated to a worldwide sport." —Flyers defenseman Jimmy Watson

From the Publisher

10/27/2023

Gruver (Joe Louis vs. Billy Conn), in his description of the historic 1976 battle between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Soviet Red Army hockey team, succeeds in capturing the pivotal evolution of playing styles by highlighting the cross-pollination of tactics and techniques between East and West. The timing of the game also fed into its significance, and Gruver does a good job of teasing out the threads of history, politics, and sport. This results in readers gaining a comprehensive understanding of the stakes involved. The book includes numerous firsthand accounts that add an intimate perspective on the strategies, the emotions, and the sheer determination that characterized both teams. Gruver illuminates the cultural and political undercurrents of the time, while also celebrating the passion and dedication of the hockey players involved. VERDICT An engagingly written account of a significant moment in hockey history. Will appeal to fans of the game and to readers interested in the interplay of sports and geopolitics in the turbulent era of the Cold War.—Sara Holder

Library Journal