 The NHL became involved in international play , starting with the Summit Series in 1972 , which pitted the top Canadian players of the NHL against the top players of the Soviet Union . Canada won the eight @-@ game series four wins to three with one tie . The success of the series led to the creation of the Canada Cup , held five times between 1976 and 1991 . NHL teams also faced Soviet League teams that toured North America between 1975 and 1991 in what was known as the Super Series . The fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989 saw many former Soviet @-@ Bloc players stream into the NHL , joining several players who had defected in the 1980s . 
