July 12: Canada invites 35 to Summit Series camp

THIS DATE IN HISTORY: July 12
1972: Canada announces the 35 players who will be invited to camp to form the roster for the upcoming
Summit Series
, the first time NHL players will face the Soviet Union.

The list includes three goalies (
Ken Dryden
,
Gerry Cheevers
and
Tony Esposito
), 12 defensemen (including
Bobby Orr
, who ends up unable to play because of knee surgery) and 20 forwards.
Cheevers, defenseman
J.C. Tremblay
, and forwards
Bobby Hull
and
Derek Sanderson
are on the list, but each has signed (or will sign) with the new World Hockey Association. Because NHL President Clarence Campbell mandates that only players who have valid contracts with NHL teams can take part in the tournament, all four are replaced.
Canada goes 1-3-1 in the first five games of the series but wins the last three, capped by
Paul Henderson
's famous goal in the final minute of Game 8 in Moscow.
MORE MOMENTS
1982: Jim Devellano is introduced as general manager of the Detroit Red Wings, replacing Jimmy Skinner. Devellano, GM Bill Torrey's right-hand man in the construction of the New York Islanders dynasty, takes over one month after Mike Ilitch buys the Red Wings and starts working to reverse the fortunes of a team that hasn't won the Stanley Cup since 1955 and has qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs once in the previous 11 seasons. Devellano serves as GM until 1990, when he's appointed senior vice president. After his arrival in Detroit, the Red Wings win the Stanley Cup four times, the Presidents' Trophy six times and finish first in their division 15 times. He's inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2010.

2000: Ron Low is hired as coach of the New York Rangers. He takes over a team that has missed the playoffs for three consecutive seasons and goes 69-81-5 with nine ties in two non-playoff seasons before being fired.