Most important goal in Canada's history?

[Bouboumaster]

All in the title

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[heretik27]

Voted for 1972. The Summit Series was pretty huge. Crosby's goal is a distant third here for me.

 

[libertarian]

"Cournoyer has it on that wing. Here's a shot - Henderson made a wild stab for it and fell. Here's another shot! Right in front - THEY SCORE!!! Henderson has scored for Canada!"
-- Foster Hewitt

Henderson's goal was much more then a game winning hockey goal. The Canada Russia series in 1972 was the free world against the communist. In a age when war was unthinkable because the loser of the war would use nuclear weapons the battle of the cold war was played out on ice. It was US against THEM and the good guys won. There will never be a hockey goal as important as Henderson's goal was in 1972.

 

[Devonator]

Henderson easily!

 

[FlappyGiraffe]

"Cournoyer has it on that wing. Here's a shot - Henderson made a wild stab for it and fell. Here's another shot! Right in front - THEY SCORE!!! Henderson has scored for Canada!"
-- Foster Hewitt

Henderson's goal was much more then a game winning hockey goal. The Canada Russia series in 1972 was the free world against the communist. In a age when war was unthinkable because the loser of the war would use nuclear weapons the battle of the cold war was played out on ice. It was US against THEM and the good guys won. There will never be a hockey goal as important as Henderson's goal was in 1972.

I was born over 25 years after the goal and we had an entire unit about it in highschool, definitely the Henderson goal out of these 3 imo.

I have the most fond memories of the Crosby goal though, as it's the only one of these I celebrated live.

 

[treple13]

Important? Does any of these goals really change a lot of history? It's not as if any of these goals made hockey bigger in Canada. I don't know that any of them were really all that "important"

The Henderson goal is BY FAR the most iconic though, with Crosby a clear second. So that's how I'll put them.

 

[Artorius Horus T]

Other.

Anson Carter's golden goal.

 

[frisco]

Mike Bossy to beat Russia in 1984. It had been eight years since Canada had won a best-on-best and a loss to the Soviets would've solidified that Soviet group as clearly best in the world for that time period.

Henderson's GWG's in Game Six and Seven were probably equally as important as Game Eight.

One that sometimes flies under the radar is Mario's goal in OT to tie the 1987 series at 1-1.

Henderson's Game Eight goal though is a great choice, too, obviously.

My Best-Carey

 

[klingsor]

Henderson

Made me proud to be a Canadian even though I'm not a Canadian.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

Paul Henderson. I still get goosebumps hearing Foster Hewitt’s call on that goal. I can remember exactly where I was having skipped school to watch the game.

 

[snipes]

Henderson not even close.

 

[snipes]

"Cournoyer has it on that wing. Here's a shot - Henderson made a wild stab for it and fell. Here's another shot! Right in front - THEY SCORE!!! Henderson has scored for Canada!"
-- Foster Hewitt

Henderson's goal was much more then a game winning hockey goal. The Canada Russia series in 1972 was the free world against the communist. In a age when war was unthinkable because the loser of the war would use nuclear weapons the battle of the cold war was played out on ice. It was US against THEM and the good guys won. There will never be a hockey goal as important as Henderson's goal was in 1972.

NBC did a fantastic documentary on it a number of years ago. Leave to the Americans to make probably the best documentary about that series. Audio cuts out for a few seconds around the 45 minute mark but this is an annual must watch.

 

[libertarian]

NBC did a fantastic documentary on it a number of years ago. Leave to the Americans to make probably the best documentary about that series. Audio cuts out for a few seconds around the 45 minute mark but this is an annual must watch.

Wow! Thanks Snipes.

 

[habsrule4eva3089]

For something so iconic, unfortunately I feel like not many in Canada under 30 maybe even 35, even knows who Henderson is apart from hard core Hockey followers at this point. He's no hero of the nation if gently put.

Canada doesn't do a good job in promoting history growing up to begin with but Crosby's goal will age much better the next decades as it was at an event like the Olympics with the entire planet watching (300 million+ people tuned into that game if I recall).

 

[Golden_Jet]

For something so iconic, unfortunately I feel like not many in Canada under 30 maybe even 35, even knows who Henderson is apart from hard core Hockey followers at this point. He's no hero of the nation if gently put.

Canada doesn't do a good job in promoting history growing up to begin with but Crosby's goal will age much better the next decades as it was at an event like the Olympics with the entire planet watching (300 million+ people tuned into that game if I recall).

During the 72 series, kids watched the game at the school gym, or teachers wheeled a tv into the classroom, never happened for the others.
72 series and Henderson’s 3 game winning goals in games 6,7 and 8. Plus the controversies throughout the series.

 

[wetcoast]

Important? Does any of these goals really change a lot of history? It's not as if any of these goals made hockey bigger in Canada. I don't know that any of them were really all that "important"

The Henderson goal is BY FAR the most iconic though, with Crosby a clear second. So that's how I'll put them.

This is my first thought as well, the whole most important goal narrative is just a popular story insecure people like to tell themselves to feel part of the tribe.

Remember when WE won that game with that goal?

Importance is simply a value judgment of the person making it and doesn't translate at all to reality.

 

[JackSlater]

Henderson easily. Even if you valued the Summit Series, 1987 Canada Cup, and 2010 Olympics equally it would still be Henderson - if he didn't score then Canada does not win the series and everyone looks on that team as a complete failure. If Lemieux or Crosby don't score their games just continue until either team scores the winning goal.

 

[ole ole]

72 series. Just to bad Clarke tarnished what would have been a great come-back series win for Canada.

 

[BannedFromCDC]

The only correct answer:

 

[Golden_Jet]

The only correct answer:

Lol

 

[Erik Alfredsson]

Henderson, with Crosby's OT winner right behind it.

 

[XXIV97]

I picked Crosby since I wasn't alive for the other ones.

 

[BB06]

"Cournoyer has it on that wing. Here's a shot - Henderson made a wild stab for it and fell. Here's another shot! Right in front - THEY SCORE!!! Henderson has scored for Canada!"
-- Foster Hewitt

Henderson's goal was much more then a game winning hockey goal. The Canada Russia series in 1972 was the free world against the communist. In a age when war was unthinkable because the loser of the war would use nuclear weapons the battle of the cold war was played out on ice. It was US against THEM and the good guys won. There will never be a hockey goal as important as Henderson's goal was in 1972.

"Good guys" lol

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

Crosby for sure. Story book goal

 

[daver]

Each one has a unique storyline besides the obvious drama of the timing of each goal.

1972 - Wins the Series as the Soviets were going to claim victory on having the better GF and GA but the overwhelming political overtones and the tension of Game 8 make the goal so much more than the game of hockey or saving Canada's pride.

1987 - quite possibly the greatest hockey matchup in hockey history. The KLM line vs. two GOATs, three nail-biting 6-5 games. If Canada lost this, there could be no excuses.

2010 - You could not script a bigger stage - the Olympics, on home ice, in the home of hockey against a rival who may be a bigger threat to Canada's hockey supremacy than the Russians ever were. IMO, Crosby faced the most pressure of any hockey player in history to deliver in that OT. He would have 100% blamed if they lost given he hadn't put up a point since the round robin and failed to seal the Gold Medal game with a missed breakaway with 3 minutes left.