Paul Henderson (born January 28, 1943) is an ice hockey player, born in Kincardine, Ontario, Canada who scored the most famous goal in the history of international hockey.

Summit Series

In 1972 an eight-game competition, known as the Summit Series, was held for the first time ever between Canada's best professional hockey players and the top players from the USSR's Red Army team. The heavily favoured Canadians were stunned by the Soviets' speed, stick-handling, and passing capabilities.

In an event that gripped the nation, the series came down to the last game in Moscow, Russia. On that day, business from coast to coast came to a near complete standstill as the television play-by-play of broadcaster Foster Hewitt held Canadians spellbound. Henderson, who had also scored the game-winning goals in games six and seven, scored the winning goal in the eighth and final game. The goal made Henderson a national hero.

Professional Career

Henderson played 13 seasons in the NHL. He began his career in 1962 with the Detroit Red Wings, staying there until 1968 (with the exception of the 1963 season, when he played for the Pittsburgh Hornets of the AHL). He joined the Toronto Maple Leafs for the 1968 season, and played there for seven seasons. He also played one season (1980) for the Atlanta Flames.

In 1974, Henderson jumped ship to the rival WHA, where he played for the Toronto Toros and Birmingham Bulls . He remained with the Bulls after they transferred to the CHL in 1979, and retired after playing the 1981 season with them.

External link

• Paul Henderson's statistics at hockeydb.com