"Anywhere I travel in the world, they know I'm a Montreal Canadien and I'm very proud of that," Cournoyer said. "And I played in the Summit Series, which is much better known in Canada than it is elsewhere in the world.
"When I put on the 1972 sweater, it was almost like my Olympics. It wasn't just Montreal behind us, but the entire country. When we were having a hard time in Russia (down 1-3-1), we received so many nice letters from home that said, 'You're going to come back, we're behind you.' The support was unbelievable, with 2,000 or so Canadians in Moscow to support us.
"It was a country, not just a city or a province, that was behind us. We came back and won the final three games and the series with the help of the people. For me, to have both the Montreal Canadiens and Team Canada in my life, well, that isn't too bad."
Cournoyer now will happily dip his toe into Canada's 150th anniversary, eager to tell stories that he's recounted a thousand times but are always fresh to someone, be it a new fan or a new citizen.
" I consider myself very lucky to have been here for the 100th birthday of the Canadiens (in 2009), the 100th birthday of the NHL (this year), and the 1972 Summit Series," Cournoyer said. "And to have enjoyed all of it.
"Our country is about 35 million people. To be chosen as a Canada 150 ambassador, to represent my country, is a very nice honor. Timing sometimes is everything in life. I could have been too old or too young to do this, but I'm very proud to now be able do these things for my country."