from Ansar Khan of Mlive,

Longtime Detroit Red Wings broadcaster Mickey Redmond called it the “Mother of all series.”

Few in the hockey world would disagree. Friday is the 50th anniversary of the start of the 1972 Summit Series between Canada and the Soviet Union. The epic eight-game tournament has been chronicled in numerous books, articles and documentaries over the past five decades.

This was more than a competition between differing hockey styles, it was a clash of political ideologies and cultures....

“The cultural differences between the two countries was huge, unlike today in a lot of ways,” Redmond, 74, said. “It’s a different world between Russia and the United States/Canada than it was in 1972. It was pure communism and freedom, I guess. It was very special and important and critical that we defend our country on the ice as best we could.”

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