Do you know this player? He become well known in the ... Soviet Union literally overnight. The main soviet newspaper "Central Pravda" published the article devoted to him and his partner. The article was located outside of sports area and was named "Canadian Hockey Trade Items" ("канадский хоккейный товар")
So the hero of this publication and the man from my photos is...
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Richard Farda. Defected with Vaclav Nedomanski to Canada in 1974. Stillremember re-print from Rude Pravo in the Soviet Sports called "Traitors"
ReplyDeleteI had no doubt you name him, Arthur...
ReplyDeleteBut do you remember, nobody blamed them from "common" people. To this time normal people hated the "iron curtains"...
actually, i am not sure if it was true with me and people i knew. i remember only that there was a huge article in the paper stating how terrible those guys were. i wasn't questioning if it was right or wrong, i was just curious how could something like this happened overnight. perhaps, it is very individual. i was too young to hate the iron curtain at that time...
ReplyDeleteArthur, I was brought up with very strong anti Sovietic family spirit coming from my grandpa, the 6th level worker of Putolovsky factory in 1917. So it was obvious for me and the people around of me. I guess I shared this views "automatically" way before I understood whole problem...
ReplyDeleteI think the finns are defenseman Timo Nummelin and goalie "Upo" Ylönen.
ReplyDeleteDefenseman- Seppo Lindström
ReplyDeleteI am not sure on Ylönen. Looks like him. My sourse from this photo sais "Wetzell".
One goalie on 72 Olympics was Valtonen (but I guess, it's not him, he played #19)
I'll try to find out who was the second (both Ylonen and Wetzell used to play #1)
Personally I think this is Wetzell...
Surpizing Olympic 1972 Finalnd roster gives...only 1 goalie - Valtonen...hm
S. Wetzell was the backup goalie of Team Finland @ 1972 Olympics in Sapporo. Although, Jorma Valtonen played all 5 games in the tournament.
ReplyDeleteSource: Official Report of the 1972 Winter Olympics
Arthur,
ReplyDeleteDo you know about any games between Cze and Finl were played before or after 1972 Olympics?
No doubt this is Sapporo on photo and no doubt it's not Valtonen...
I have a few reference books in Russian but they don't cover the exhibition games of Finland and CSSR. I agree that it's most likely a pre-Olympics friendly game and I do remember Valtonen as #19... They also another goaltender Antti Leppanen but he began to play national team after 1972. I'll look up in my notes - I don't have them handy though...
ReplyDelete"Pappa" Lindström of course!! Little bit confusing this about the goalie. First WC for Leppänen was 1973 I think.
ReplyDelete