by John Austen

Where were you in ’72? Most Canadians over the age of 40 will remember where they were on Sept. 24, 1972, when Paul Henderson electrified a nation with his game-winning goal, leading Canada to a comeback win over Russia in the most exciting hockey series ever played.

Montrealers will get a chance to relive some of those memories when the Moscow Dynamo, featuring several Russian stars from the ’72 series, will play a two-game series against the Concordia men’s hockey alumni at the Pierrefonds Sportsplex on May 2 and 3.

Concordia Stinger head coach Kevin Figsby, who will lace up his skates in the series, said, “This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the guys who will be playing in the games in Pierrefonds. It’s also an amazing opportunity for anybody coming to the games to see these guys live.”

Leading the Moscow contingent will be legendary right wing Alexander Maltsev, Viktor Kuzkin, the captain of the Soviet team in 1972, Yuri Blinov, Alexander Gusev, Valeri Vasilev, Yuri Shatalov and Alexander Ragulin.

Longtime Concordia, Loyola and Sir George Williams hockey coach Paul Arsenault will be changing the lines for Concordia. Former Stingers assistant coach and Montreal Canadiens forward Sergio Momesso will suit up for the Maroon and Gold, as will current Stingers assistant and ex-Quebec Nordiques’ Gord Don-nelly.

As an added bonus, New Brunswick-born pop idol Roch Voisine will also play for Concordia. “I met Voisine through (Canadiens defenceman) Stéphane Quintal,” Figsby said. “Roch’s a great guy and a great hockey player. He practised with us a number of times this past winter and when I asked him if he’d like to suit up with us against the Russians, he jumped at the chance.”

Plans for this two-game series started a few months ago when Concordia alumnus Bob Soharov, who is working in Moscow, contacted Figsby about the possibility of bringing the Dynamo to Quebec. The Russian contingent, which includes several Moscow businessmen who are hoping to learn more about arena construction, arrived last Sunday evening.

Legendary Montreal Canadiens star Yvan Cournoyer, a key player for Canada in the ‘72 series, will drop the puck for the ceremonial opening faceoff. There will be a banquet for the participants at Brasserie Molson in Montreal on May 3. Sports trivia aficionado Liam McGuire will be the master of ceremonies.

The games will be played at the Pierrefonds Sportsplexe 4 Glaces, 14700 Pierrefonds Blvd. Tickets are $5 for adults and $2 for children. Game time is 7 p.m. on May 2 and 2 p.m. on May 3. Proceeds from the event will go into the Concordia men’s hockey program.