It was a pretty normal late December winter day 45 years ago in 1977. But when the sun went down, the hockey world tuned in to watch the Vancouver Canucks face off against Spartak Moscow in the first of 5 games that team would play against NHL clubs.

It was only the third time a Russian team would face off against NHLers. There was the summit series of 1972 and the 1975/76 super series in which two different Russian squads would play four games each against teams from the NHL. 

It was still the height of the cold war and there was no doubt the Russians were still considered "the bad guys". People didn't know very much about Spartak Moscow but one thing was clear, the NHL teams wanted to win. These were no regular exhibition games - it was as if the cold war was happening on the ice. At the center of it all? Two legendary Portage hockey players. Rick Blight and Curt Ridley. Both were in the starting line-up for the Canucks, Blight, as one of their top-scoring forwards, and Ridley, the main netminder for the team that season. They would also play a pivotal role in the Canucks victory.

Portagers settled in that evening to watch the two familiar faces take on the enemy from overseas as the game was broadcast on national television. It was a chippy affair with plenty of slashing and hacking, which was pretty normal at the time. When the dust settled three periods later, the Canucks would celebrate a 2-0 triumph with Blight scoring both of the goals and Ridley picking up the shutout. Of the 5 games Spartak would play, only one other team would beat them, the eventual Stanley Cup champions that year in the Montreal Canadians. But even hall of fame goaltender Ken Dryden wouldn't get a shutout as the Habs won their match 5-2 nine days later.

ticket stuba ticket stub to get in from that magical night 

Blight is one of the best players from Portage la Prairie to ever suit up in the NHL. The local product would play two seasons as a young teenager with the Terriers before moving on and lighting things up with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL. After seasons of 130 and 112 points with the Wheaties, the forward would be drafted 10th overall in the first round of the 1975 NHL entry draft by the Vancouver Canucks. He would go on to play more than 300 games with that team including the battle against Spartak 45 years ago. His best season was his second in the league when he scored 28 goals and added 40 assists and led the team in scoring. He spent his entire NHL career with that team with the exception of 2 games where he suited up with the LA Kings. When he finally retired he had amassed 221 points over 326 games. Following his hockey playing days, Blight would return to Portage where he became a fixture with the family business and the farming community until his passing in 2005.

Grant Farncombe, the unofficial head of the Portage Terriers alumni knew Blight quite well and said you could tell he was a special player at a very young age.

"Right from the get-go, he really had a nose for scoring goals. He showed up for training camp in 1970 and he wasn't even 15 yet. We played on the same line and he sure had a knack for scoring. When he passed you the puck, it was always on your stick, nice and flat, ready to go" 

Farncombe adds he ended up being a bit of a mentor to the young player.

"At the end of the season when we got beat by Selkirk, Rick and I had an opportunity to go and play with the Wheat Kings. We spent two months in the Prince Hotel together during the playoffs. I told his mom and dad when we left Portage I would look after him cause he was still only 16 years old. It's pretty unusual to see players at that age contributing as much as he did. He ended up staying and I returned to Portage where we won the Centennial Cup"

As for Ridley, the goaltender was born in Minnedosa but grew up in Portage. He would make his way to the Terriers as an 18-year-old. It wasn't overly common at the time but Ridley was drafted right from that team in the 2nd round of the 1971 draft by the New York Rangers. He would then bounce around in the minor pro leagues for a couple of seasons before moving on to the NHL with the Rangers, who then traded him to the Canucks. Here, he would reunite with Blight. He would end up playing 104 games in the show including 6 with the famed Toronto Maple Leafs.

Farncombe also remembers his time with Ridley fondly and adds he too was a great person.

"I played just one year with Curt when he came to the Terriers in 69. Believe it or not, he came as a defenseman but was persuaded to be a goalie. That's amazing in itself but the rest is history. Curt was a special person. You didn't get near his crease in practice or raise the puck at him. If you did,  he would let you know. He was a really fierce competitor and was a great athlete"

After finishing his playing career, Ridley lived in Winnipeg and sold telephone systems as well as newer wireless communications. Later, he would move to Dallas where he passed away a year ago on December 19th at the age of 70.

Farmcombe would stay in touch with both Blight and Ridley following their hockey careers and both would sometimes talk about the infamous night that they took down the Russians. Both Blight and Ridley are members of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame.

programa program for sale on e-bay from the game 45 years ago