Gilbert Perreault: The Forgotten Frenchman

. Jerry “King Kong” Korab crumpled 1972 Russia-Canada series star Alexander Yakushev with a body check early on and the Soviets never recovered.

 

This was Perreault’s first opportunity since 1972 to face the Russians and attempt to expunge his international record after the '72 debacle. He had a goal and two assists in a 12-6 win and was all over the Wings as they were outshot 46-22. They couldn’t deal with him or the physical Sabres.

 

The playoffs that year had the Habs sweep the Flyers for the cup. Buffalo was taken out by the champions in the making, the Dennis Potvin lead, New York Islanders.

 

That summer the first Canada Cup international hockey series was organized. It was scheduled for what would normally be training camp for NHLers. It was held in the first two weeks in September. The tournament was a round robin involving the USSR, Czechoslovakia, the US, Finland, Sweden, and of course Canada.

 

This was the first international hockey tournament since 1972, involving the best Canadian hockey players. The WHA had an eight-game tournament with the Russians imitating the original summit series in 1974 and lost. The Russians won four, lost one, and tied three in that series.

 

The Canada Cup tournament was designed to allow the best Canadian players to play against the best in the world and win. The tournament was held in North American rinks with NHL referees and rules. They also allowed WHA players who had been excluded in 1972, to play. Bobby Hull got his first and last chance to play with the best Canadians in the world against the best players in the world.

 

Unfortunately, the Russians sent a sub-par team and finished third. Olympic stars from the gold medal Russian team including Kharlamov, Mikhailov, Shadrin, Yakushev, Petrov, and Liapkin did not play.

 

This was one of the best Canadian international teams ever assembled and I’d say definitively the best defense Canada or anyone has ever put together. You started with a one-legged Bobby Orr with his last gasp of greatness. Add 22-year-old Dennis Potvin fresh off his first James Norris trophy, throw in Larry Robinson, 1972 stalwarts Savard, Lapointe, Carol Vadnais, and Jim Watson, and there was a defense not to be equaled.

 

The choosing of the MVP for the series came down to a fight between Bobby Orr and Dennis Potvin.

 

Orr played the single greatest offensive game I’ve ever seen from a defenceman in the first game of the playoffs where Canada demolished Czechoslovakia 6-0. Unfortunately, he could hardly skate in the second playoff game.

 

Dennis Potvin insisted he was better than Bobby Orr during that series. I’d say for the entire series he was as good as Bobby. He had an unbelievable series. At that point in their two careers they were very comparable.

 

Offensively, he had nine points like Orr. He skated almost as well as Orr, better when Orr was hurting. He hit players and went through them like he was made of some better, denser material. He was a complete defenceman and at his young best in this series. Potvin was a Scott Stevens-Bobby Orr amalgam in that series and during his career. He was mean as Messier and had talent to burn.

 

Yet for me at the time, and then watching the games 20 years later on DVD, the best player on the Canadian team was Perreault.

 

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