Rendez-vous ’87 was an international ice hockey series of games between the Soviet Union national ice hockey team and a team of All-Stars from the National Hockey League….which was held in Quebec City, Canada…. as it replaced the NHL’s All-Star festivities for the 1986–87 NHL season. The Soviet team was paid $80,000 for their appearance in Rendez-vous ’87….while the NHL players raised $350,000 for the players’ pension fund.
Rendez-vous ’87 was designed as a follow-up to the Challenge Cup series in 1979….while hoping that the team of NHL All-Stars could beat the Soviet team….unlike before….and to this end….the series was a two-game affair instead of a three-game affair as in 1979. The two-game series took place during five days of festivities starting on February 9, 1987 and finishing on February 13. The series was very successful…. with many like Wayne Gretzky calling for more international hockey….especially between Canada and the Soviet Union….the two top powers of hockey at the time….and still today. The teams split the games, with the NHL winning the first game 4–3, followed by a Soviet 5–3 victory two nights later…..as seen in this video herewith….giving them victory on aggregate score 8-7.
Though they outscored the NHL 8-7 over the two games, Soviet coach Viktor Tikhonov made no claim to victory….saying “The NHL didn’t win and neither did we, the person that won was hockey itself. Both games were like holidays, like festivals, two of the greatest hockey games you’ll ever see.”
