Rendez‐Vous

In February of 1987, for the second time in its history, the annual National Hockey League All‐Star Game was replaced by an exhibition challenge between its stars and those from the Soviet Union. The two‐game series in Quebec City, Quebec, pitted the Soviet National Team against a squad of NHL All‐Stars. As with the previous Challenge Cup in 1979, the North American fans had the chance to vote on the starting line‐up for the NHL squad. A triumvirate of General Managers, Glen Sather, Serge Savard and Bob Pulford, rounded out the rest of the team that would face the powerful Soviet squad.

Game one was a hard‐fought, edge‐of‐the‐seat battle. Despite the presence of the veteran superstars from the Edmonton Oilers, 21‐year‐old Mario Lemieux set‐up the winning goal in a 4‐3 NHL victory. The second game was again a close affair, however, the Soviets took control with the help of their young star, 20‐year‐old Valeri Kamensky, who scored a hat trick en route to a 5‐3 Soviet victory. The series ended in a 1‐1 split, thus proving the parity that existed between North American and Soviet hockey.