 A few Canadians gave a dissenting prognosis of the series . John Robertson of the Montreal Star warned that Team Canada was too poorly prepared and out of shape to win the series . He blamed the NHL : " This , the most important hockey event of our time , has been tacked onto the front of the NHL season as something only tolerated by the owners , and endorsed by the players as a means of enriching their pension plan . " Former professional player Billy Harris who had coached Sweden 's national team earlier in the year , predicted a Soviets ' win , largely on the strength of Tretiak 's goaltending . 
