 The Summit Series , or Super Series ( in Russian <unk> СССР — <unk> ) , known at the time simply as the Canada – USSR Series , was an eight @-@ game series of ice hockey between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and Canada , held in September 1972 . It was the first competition between the Soviet national team and a Canadian team represented by professional players of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) , known as Team Canada . It was the first international ice hockey competition for Canada after Canada had withdrawn from international ice hockey competitions in a dispute with the International Ice Hockey Federation ( IIHF ) . The series was organized with the intention to create a true best @-@ on @-@ best competition in the sport of ice hockey . The Soviets had become the dominant team in international competitions , which disallowed the professional players of Canada . Canada had had a long history of dominance of the sport prior to the Soviets ' rise . 
