Big Phil
Registered User
- Nov 2, 2003
- 31,703
- 4,145
Okay the team that was picked for the Summit Series in Canada was a great team, but you have to wonder how some of the guys got on there. i know Eagleson had a hand in picking some of "his" players but some guys that were left off you have to wonder. I'm not including guys like Hull, Sanderson, Cheevers, Tremblay and co. who went to the WHA. I'm also not including Orr who was injured. Also Eddie Giacomin if I recall was injured and not picked. Just guys who were NHLers, and good ones, who werent picked. So who was the most shocking player left off the team?
Jacques Lemaire - Although I think its more of a shock he wasnt on the '76 team, he was still a great player in '72. He hardly was a plug on the habs teams then, and he would have skated well with the Russians
Dave Keon - For the life of me I dont know why he wasnt there. Its hard to say anything bad about Ron Ellis' checking performance against Kharlamov (which is underrated) but you'd have to think that Keon could skate with the Russians and would have been used as a great shadow against any of them. His all around game would have been appreciated there.
Norm Ullman - Age is the only thing that I think kept Norm Ullman off that team. He was 36 at the time. He had 73 points in '71-72. Again he would have been very responsible out there.
Johnny Bucyk - He was 37 at the time, but was still a great scorer. Had 83 points that year. The knock on Bucyk I think was that he was too slow. he'd of been eaten alive at that time in his career against the Soviets.
Ken Hodge - His number dropped off a bit that year, but he was still in the middle of his two first team all-star seasons. I know he benefitted form having Espo and Orr, but with him in the Series it would have made things more familiar for Espo.
Jacques Lemaire - Although I think its more of a shock he wasnt on the '76 team, he was still a great player in '72. He hardly was a plug on the habs teams then, and he would have skated well with the Russians
Dave Keon - For the life of me I dont know why he wasnt there. Its hard to say anything bad about Ron Ellis' checking performance against Kharlamov (which is underrated) but you'd have to think that Keon could skate with the Russians and would have been used as a great shadow against any of them. His all around game would have been appreciated there.
Norm Ullman - Age is the only thing that I think kept Norm Ullman off that team. He was 36 at the time. He had 73 points in '71-72. Again he would have been very responsible out there.
Johnny Bucyk - He was 37 at the time, but was still a great scorer. Had 83 points that year. The knock on Bucyk I think was that he was too slow. he'd of been eaten alive at that time in his career against the Soviets.
Ken Hodge - His number dropped off a bit that year, but he was still in the middle of his two first team all-star seasons. I know he benefitted form having Espo and Orr, but with him in the Series it would have made things more familiar for Espo.
