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On August 29, 1972, within the confines of the Prime Minister's Office, two vibrant French-Canadian artists, Gilbert Chenier and Noel Talarico of Montreal, unveiled their latest musical creation for Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Dubbed "Da Da Canada, Niet Niet Russia," their composition was conceived as a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the impending hockey clash between Canada and the Soviets - The Summit Series (French: Série du siècle) was set to commence on September 2nd. Crafted purely for satirical amusement, the song portrayed what the composers whimsically termed a "dream team." Despite notable players like Bobby Hull and Bobby Orr missing the final lineup, the lyrics boldly proclaim, "They've all been laughing at our players for a long time... now we'll show them who's the master at the blue line."
Prime Minister Trudeau seemed to delight in the musical offering, hinting at a favorable reception and the potential for it to become the Liberal party's anthem.
Gilbert Chenier, known for his CBC television show in Montreal and his vocal contribution on the recording, emphasized the essence of camaraderie and spirited competition among nations, irrespective of the players involved. Talarico, a CBC orchestra leader and performer, echoed this sentiment, saying, "If Canada loses, we'll change the title to 'Da Da Russia, Niet Niet Canada’”.
Following an epic and evenly matched 8-game series, Team Canada mounted a comeback from a 5-3 deficit. Paul Henderson's historic goal, scored with just 34 seconds remaining in the final game, etched itself as The Goal of The Century, sealing victory for Team Canada.
However, this narrative isn't favored by the Russians. During my visit to Russia in 2020, aboard a train, upon learning that a Canadian was present, they screened a Russian documentary depicting the Soviets dominance in the 1974 rematch series. (Canada managed to win only one game out of eight even with Bobby Hull and Gordie howe).
-Robert Williston, Apr 22, 2024
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