The head of sports television of the USSR spoke of the appearance of the phrase “We do not need this kind of hockey!”

The head of sports television of the USSR spoke of the appearance of the phrase “We do not need this kind of hockey!”

One of the leaders of sports television in the USSR Arkady ratner told how the legendary phrase of commentator Nikolai Ozerov appeared “We don’t need this kind of hockey!”

“Director Yan Sadekov assured that Ozerov’s phrase” We don’t need this kind of hockey! “Leaked on the air not in 1972, as is generally believed, but in 1974? Yasha was wrong. To begin with, Ozerov is one of those who participated in the organization of the Super Series. The 1960s he attended NHL games for the first time and was stunned. The level of hockey, the atmosphere in the arena, the musical inserts. Certainly what they were for, Ozerov did. didn’t guess. But after his stories, an electric organ sounded in the Union during hockey games. Perceived as cute entertainment. It wasn’t until many years later that it became clear that these inserts are a signal for television, where advertising is immediately activated, and the referee can only continue the match with the last agreement.

How did Ozerov participate in the Super Series? By Alexander Yakovlev, then in a managerial position in the propaganda department of the Central Committee. He loved hockey, rooted for Spartak, listened to Ozerov. He never tires of repeating that our team’s matches with Canadian professionals will be an unforgettable spectacle. But the idea did not find support either from sports officials or Tarasov. Another offer from Canada came in 1972, when the national team was already led by Bobrov. And he immediately accepted! It didn’t even bother me that that spring I lost my first world championship with a bang.

The decisive match of the Super Series. On Nikolai Nikolaevich’s “Volga” we arrive in Luzhniki. He is in a good mood, we sit down for a coffee at the service buffet. I’m away for five minutes. I come back – Ozerov is not himself, he is dark before our eyes. I later found out that some of the party workers, who were full of it backstage at the time, approached him and criticized him, they say, that you praise Canadians in vain.

He just objectively assessed their skills. The broadcast has started. Ozerov was making a side report, I stood nearby and heard how his tone changed. I paid more and more attention to the dirty tricks of the Canadians, jabbing. And then a mess with Alan Eagleson. Policemen tied him up, Makhovlich rushed to help them, threw his stick at them … It was Ozerov then and he exclaimed: “We don’t need this kind of hockey!”

Impromptu? One hundred percent! After the game, Ozerov took me to the metro. I saw that he was depressed, terribly worried about a conversation with a party member. I never said that sentence on the air again. But she always went to people “, – quotes Ratner” Sport Express “.