This morning in Winnipeg, Canada Post unveiled its eighth of 10 Canada 150 stamps, this commemorating the 1972 Summit Series victory by Team Canada.
Helping with the unveiling were various players from the iconic 1972 team, including Pat Stapleton, who chairs the board of Team Canada 1972; Bobby Clarke; Yvan Cournoyer; Pete Mahovlich; Frank Mahovlich; Eddie Johnston; Brad Park; Wayne Cashman; and Jean Ratelle. Sean Goldsworthy (representing his father Bill Goldsworthy) and John Ferguson Jr. (representing his father John Ferguson) also participated with Colonel Andy Cook, 17 Wing Winnipeg Commander.
“After 27-and-a-half years in the RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force), today is the highlight of my service,” said Cook, adding he was seven years old when he watched the series’ final game on TV at elementary school. “You guys were true heroes and you took it to the Russians, and you beat them—and we’re so proud. We’re here to celebrate the victory you gave us and the intense pride you gave us, and we’re here to celebrate Canada 150 at the same time.”
On September 28, 1972, millions of Canadians watched as Team Canada defeated the Soviet national hockey team in the eighth and final of the Summit Series. Team Canada beat the odds, overcoming an early two-goal deficit and scoring the thrilling winning goal in the final seconds of the third period. The stamp shows Canadian forward Paul Henderson celebrating his game-winning and series-clinching goal against the Soviet team.
UNVEILING SCHEDULE
This official first-day cover (OFDC) depicts Team Canada lining up for the final game of the Summit Series in Moscow.
The first stamp of the Canada 150 series was unveiled in Montréal on April 27 by Habitat 67 architect Moshe Safdie in commemoration of Expo 67. The second stamp, this in celebration of the Constitution and Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, was unveiled on May 3 on Parliament Hill. The following day, the series’ third stamp was unveiled by Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen. The fourth stamp, this honouring the 2005 passing of the Civil Marriage Act, was unveiled May 8 in Toronto. The fifth stamp of the Canada 150 series was unveiled on May 16 in commemoration of the Trans-Canada Highway. Most recently, the sixth stamp was unveiled in honour of Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope. Yesterday, the seventh Canada 150 stamp was unveiled in Iqaluit in honour of the 1999 creation of Nunavut.
The OFDC was cancelled in Ottawa.
The final unveiling is slated to take place tomorrow in Vancouver, where the program’s final two stamps will be unveiled.
Each of the 10 maple-leaf shaped die-cut Permanent domestic-rate stamps measures 40 mm x 40 mm and is printed in six colours plus tagging. The self-adhesive stamps are available in booklets of 10 stamps (for a total of four million stamps). A gummed pane of 10 stamps, with circle perforations 4.5 cm in diameter, is also available (for a total of 80,000 panes). Official first-day covers, one for each stamp design and each cancelled in Ottawa, are also available in packs of 10 covers (with a total of 10,000 packs).
Members of the 1972 Team Canada, which won the eight-game Summit Series against the Soviet Union.
The stamp issue was designed by Roy White and Liz Wurzinger, of Subplot Design in Vancouver, B.C., and printed by the Lowe-Martin Group.
For more information, visit canadapost.ca/canada150.