This Official First Day Cover celebrates the 50^th anniversary of the 1972 Summit Series.

The Official First Day Cover features an illustration by Toronto-based artist, Gary Alphonso. The image depicts silhouetted fans, gathered around a 1970s-style television as they cheer on Team Canada 1972. The issue date for the Summit Series stamp is September 21, 2022. The cancel location is Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Do you remember where you were on Thursday, September 28, 1972? That was the day millions of Canadians were gathered around televisions and radios, in workplaces and schools, for a seminal moment in Canadian sports history. Team Canada scored the tie-breaking, series-winning goal in the last seconds of the third period of the Game 8 final of the Canada-USSR hockey series that has come to be known as the Summit Series. It marked the first time that the national Soviet Union team and a Canadian team (composed of professional hockey players) competed against one another in international play.

Going into the third period of Game 8, the Soviet team was ahead 5 to 3. Canada scored two goals to tie the game. With only 34 seconds remaining on the clock, Paul Henderson picked up Phil Esposito’s rebound off the Soviet goalie and took another two shots – slipping his own rebound past the goalie and into the net. Canada held on for a 6 to 5 win – and the series victory.

The success of the Summit Series inspired the creation of the Canada Cup tournament starting in 1976, as well as the Super Series of exhibition games between Soviet and NHL teams. In 2005, the team was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.

Product # 414216131

Summit Series: Official First Day Cover