Tensions run high as the Philadelphia Flyers face off against the Moscow Central Red Army team in this January 1976 Super Series matchup in Philadelphia. Philly's "Broad Street Bullies" frustrate the Russians with their highly physical play, and the Russians walk off the ice in protest after Flyer Jack Van Impe levels Russian star Valeri Kharlamov. In this clip, CBC's Brian McFarlane speaks to Flyers captain Bobby Clarke after the Russian walkout, getting some very candid opinions about Russian sportsmanship.
Broad Street Bullies vs. The Red Army
• This game is part of the 1976 Super Series, a string of exhibition games played between Russian and NHL teams. The Russians won the overall series, winning five games, losing two and tying one. The Flyers and the Buffalo Sabres were the only teams to beat the Soviets.
• Bobby Clarke and Valeri Kharlamov had their own controversial moment in the 1972 Summit Series. Clarke, perhaps acting on a suggestion from assistant coach John Ferguson, took a chop at the Russian's sore ankle, cracking it and causing him to miss the pivotal seventh game.
• Valeri Kharlamov is considered one of the finest Russian hockey players in history. He was one of the main stars of the 1972 Summit Series, winning game MVP in a stunning upset win in Montreal. His career was cut short by a car accident at age 33 and he was posthumously inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame. Each year, the best Russian player in the NHL is awarded the Kharlamov Trophy.
• Bobby Clarke was a diabetic who consumed massive amounts of sugar to avoid experiencing seizures or comas. He had two serious seizures during training camp in his rookie year, so a Flyers assistant coach devised a sugary diet plan: Clarke would drink a bottle of Coca-Cola with three spoonfuls of dissolved sugar before each game and drank sugar-laced orange juice in between periods and after the game.
• Clarke was considered a potential number one NHL draft pick, but his diabetes left many teams worried about his NHL readiness. He was eventually drafted 17th overall in 1969.
• Despite his aggressive style of play, Bobby Clarke was the first Philadelphia Flyer to win the NHL's Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, an annual award given to "the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey."
Broad Street Bullies vs. The Red Army
Medium: Television
Program: CBC Sports
Broadcast Date: Jan. 11, 1976
Guest(s): Bobby Clarke
Interviewer: Brian McFarlane
