Ледовые войны

He called the WHA proposal “asinine” arguing there was a danger of saturating the Canadian market for international hockey and that too much international hockey could destroy “domestic hockey” in Canada.

The WHA, at that time, had been negotiating with several European clubs. NHL president Bill McFarland said the league needed the venue international competition would generate. “We’re not afraid of international hockey undermining our game or ruining our leagues,” Palladin said. “Quite the contrary, we believe, and always believed, that this sport as any other sport of international character can only develop if there is more opposition from other countries.

” He said it was from these encounters that hockey would prevent itself from getting into a stalemate position.

Hockey has now bumped soccer as the number one sport in the USSR since being introduced to the Russian sports scene 30 years ago. Palladin estimated there were as many as 6 million children now playing hockey in Russia.

He drew chuckles from Rotarians when he jokingly told them that so great was their dedication to the sport that Russian women “are now having an incredible high percentage of delivering boys and not girls.”

He said one of the reasons for the success of Russian hockey teams is that their hockey enthusiasts were willing to approach the game scientifically. “That is why some reporters in the West are still trying to disbelieve what our coaches and players say whenever they come to Canada.

We come to play hockey and to learn.” He said the Russian hockey experts were always alert to learn tactics and skills “in this country where this excellent game was born.”

“Our officials never counted the number of steaks your players consumed while staying in our country. And, of course, I don’t know of any Soviet player who would come out on ice to meet the evils of capitalism while chasing the puck.”

Palladin said he has seen the good hockey has done to international relations.

He interviewed Bobby Hull on the eve of his visit to Russia in December. At that time the Golden Jet told him he sincerely believed in the ability of hockey to bring “your and my people at least a little bit closer to understand how other people live and think.”

“Of course I’m not willing to say that all those positive changes in international climate of which we both are witnesses now were only possible through hockey,” Palladin said.