Before players from the former Soviet Union were able to freely matriculate to the NHL, the league exploited what is arguably hockey's hottest rivalry ever: Canada vs. the U.S.S.R., with the NHL serving as Canada's surrogate (incorporating Americans and Europeans as merited).
Penguins owner Mario Lemieux was in the middle of that setup's final incarnation: Rendez-vous '87 in Quebec City.
The NHL and Soviets split two games. Lemieux got three assists: Two in a 4-3 Game 1 victory, one in a 5-3 loss in Game 2. The series took place Feb. 11 and 13, 1987.
Lemieux set up Philadelphia's Dave Poulin for a game-winning tip-in with 1:15 remaining in Game 1. (Lemieux was initially credited with the goal.)
Lemieux was the only Penguin playing in Rendez-vous '87, although the NHL squad included three future Penguins: Defenseman Ulf Samuelsson (then with Hartford), defenseman Mike Ramsey (Buffalo) and winger Tomas Sandstrom (New York Rangers). Bob Johnson was one of the NHL's assistant coaches. Johnson was bench boss at Calgary then, but later guided the Penguins to their first Stanley Cup in 1991.
The level of play was breathtaking. As Soviet Coach Viktor Tikhonov said after, "The NHL didn't win and neither did we, the person that won was hockey itself. Both games were like holidays, like festivals, two of the greatest hockey games you'll ever see."
Dale Hawerchuk, who scored 518 goals in 16 NHL seasons, played for the NHL in Rendez-vous '87, He summed up the romance of that series thusly: "It was a real game - not like the All-Star Game. It was competitive and hard-hitting. There was a lot of physicality in those games. Both teams were playing for keeps."
Added Soviet forward Vladimir Krutov, "You had to give out at all times. At no time could you let up."
The precursor to Rendez-vous '87 was the Challenge Cup on Feb. 8, 10 and 11, 1979. The NHL won Game 1, 4-2. But the Soviets stormed back to win the series' final two games, 5-4 (after trailing 4-2 in the second period) and by a demoralizing 6-0.
"We prepared ourselves as well as we could, and we worked as hard as we could," said Montreal winger Bob Gainey after. "It's tough to take."
No Penguins played for the NHL, but future Penguin Bryan Trottier did. Trottier was with the New York Islanders and in the middle of his Hart Trophy (NHL MVP) season.
Each of the NHL-Soviets all-star break confrontations had interesting postscripts:
\One year after the 1979 Challenge Cup, the United States "Miracle on Ice" team beat the Soviets at the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics.
\Seven months after Rendez-vous '87, Canada and the Soviets played in the championship series of the Canada Cup tournament. Canada won, two games to one, with Lemieux scoring game-winning goals in Games 2 and 3.
Mark Madden hosts a radio show 3-6 p.m. weekdays on WXDX-FM (105.9).
