Frankly, as an all-time hockey player Paul Henderson deserves about two stars. He played from '62 to '74 for the Red Wings and Maple Leafs before defecting to the WHA to finish his career. A fiesty player with some skill, Henderson managed 200 plus goals during his career, but he really belongs on this list, and the extra 2 stars I've given him because of this......

Its 1972, and Canada and the Soviet Union play an eight game super-series between all-star teams of NHL players and Soviet international players. While the Soviets have dominated the Olympics in several games prior to this, Canadian teams have largely been low level club teams, with NHL players, supposedly the best in the world, prohibited from playing. As a result, the NHL had never met the Soviets straight up, and there was widespread anticipation in Canada that the Series would be an 8-0 sweep for the Canadian boys.

It didn't work out that way. In the first four games in Canada, the Soviets won two and tied one, going back to the four games in Moscow leading the series, and then winning the opener there. Distraught Canadian fans were nearly suicidal, before the Canadian players started to find their form, winning the next two games to tie the series 3-1-3.

For the eighth game, Canada virtually shut down to watch the game, schools putting TVs in the gym, workplaces coming to a halt, even provincial and federal legislatures recessing. The Soviets held the lead until well into the third before the Canadians tied it on a goal by Cournoyer, and then, with a minute and a half left, this happened. In the words of legendary play by play caller Foster Hewitt:

"The puck comes up at centre ice. Vasiliev carries it back into his zone, to Shadrin who missed it....Peter Mahovlich at cente, driving into the Soviet zone. Liapkin gets there first. Cournoyer just touched it.. Savard, getting it at centre ice, clearing it off a skate...it goes into the Canadian zone...Yakushev, a dangerous player is belted on that play. Cournoyer rolled it out, Vasiliev going back to get it... There's 1:02 left int he game. A cleared pass on the far side, Liapkin rolled one to Savard.... Savard clears to Stapleton... He cleared to the open wing to Cournoyer... HERE'S A SHOT! Henderson made a wild stab for it and fell... HERE'S ANOTHER SHOT, RIGHT IN FRONT -- THEY SCORE!!! HENDERSON HAS SCORED FOR CANADA!!! HENDERSON RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE NET AND THE FANS AND THE TEAM ARE GOING WILD!"

I doubt that there is a Canadian alive who heard that call or saw that goal who doesn't remember it.

It is the goal that won the series that changed the face of hockey forever, and as such is the most important goal in the history of the game.