Dennis Hull, the two-way NHL forward who starred alongside superstar brother Bobby Hull with the Chicago Blackhawks and was a member of Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series, passed away today. He was 81.
While brother Bobby was excluded from playing for Canada against the Soviet Union in '72 because he was in the World Hockey Association, Dennis went and had two goals and two assists in four games, playing on a line with New York Rangers stars Jean Ratelle and Rod Gilbert.
Hull had 303 goals and 351 assists for 654 points in 959 regular-season NHL games. He had another 67 points in 104 games in the playoffs, during an era Chicago came close but never won the Stanley Cup. #teamcanada72 #1972SummitSeries
Just hearing that Gary Smith, Diplomat, Storyteller, and a man who played a prominent role in the 1972 Summit Series, passed away unexpectedly on May 12, 2026 at the age of 81.
Gary joined the Canadian Foreign Service and his career took him to Canada’s mission at the United Nations in New York City and then, in 1971, to the Canadian Embassy in Moscow.
During his posting in Moscow, Gary played an instrumental role in organizing the historic 1972 Summit Series between Canada and the Soviet Union.
The experience became one of the defining passions of his life, blending his love of diplomacy, storytelling, hockey and Canada itself. In 2022, he published Ice War Diplomat, a behind-the-scenes account of the Summit Series from his unique perspective as a young Canadian diplomat who accompanied the Soviet team in Canada and served as liaison to Team Canada in Moscow. Shortly afterward, the bilingual feature-length documentary IceBreaker: The Legacy of the ’72 Summit Series, featuring Gary and inspired in part by his book, premiered during the 50th anniversary celebrations of the famed series.
On a personal level, we exchanged numerous emails while I was writing Path to the Summit Part I & II.
A celebration of Gary’s life will be held in Perth, Ontario, on Saturday, June 6, 2026.
@Sz1909_Szemberg Anatoli Tarasov & I talked at length about NHL ‘development’ in 1987. His plan was pitched to the Leafs & Canucks in 1997. That will be the central topic in a future book.
In June 1975 Guy Dyotte and André Ruel were part of a Concordia University hockey study internship that travelled to Moscow to study the Soviet hockey system. In 1976 they published this french language book detailing their visit and what they learned. Path to the Summit: Part II compares the Soviet Youth development system to the Canadian system in the lead up to the 1972 Summit Series. Available now on Amazon. #soviethockey #teamcanada1972 @usahockey@HockeyCanada #anatolitarasov #stanleycup
Checking out the Amazon New Release Bestseller list. This is a humorous ‘blank book’. 100 employ pages - lampooning the Maple Leafs. Seems the troll gods are getting their Christmas stocking shopping done to needle their Lesf fan friends #GoHabsGo
@codyghosthost@VinnysCorner1@S_U_Network One of the planned books in the ‘Path to the Summit’ series will cover the period 1972 up to the 1980 ‘Soviet Olympic Disaster’
The smaller one my Dad acquired from a vintage shop in the early 70s. We’d polish it up each year at the start of the Finals & on Stanley Cup night we would celebrate hockey with a drink of ginger ale from our ‘Cup’ as the players celebrated with theirs.
I’ve maintained that tradition since he passed away. Each year I toast his memory with that little bowl and have now added this full size rose bowl to the ritual as well.
The Stanley Cup tournament has started & hope springs eternal for 16 different teams. Montréal Canadiens launch their #Drivefor25 with a win tonight. One down, fifteen to go. Will we drink to a Canadian team victory this year?
Hockey’s reach is international. So far this week copies of Part II have sold in Germany, Italy & France. This comes from France. So awesome to hear from those who are interested in this topic.
#soviethockey#anatolitarasov#1972summitseries
Path to the Summit Part II has received its first rating on Amazon. A solid 5 stars ⭐️. Thanks for the feedback as we inch up to #7 on the new release bestseller list.
#Anatolitarasov#soviethockey#teamcanada72#usahockey
Path to the Summit Part II is finally available on Amazon. At 418 pages, it offers a captivating deep dive into the tumultuous world of Soviet hockey from 1957 to 1972 and highlights Anatoli Tarasov’s unwavering quest for greatness. Essential reading for fans seeking the raw, unvarnished story of Soviet hockey’s golden era.
I’m happy to announce that Part II (1957-1972) of "Path to the Summit: Anatoli Tarasov and the History of Soviet Hockey" is now available through amazon in both hardcover and paperback formats.
Thank you to all who have enquired & patiently waited for the release. I hope it meets, and exceeds, expectations.
https://t.co/2PwA0AGYUM