Gary J. Smith is a former Canadian Career Ambassador and Diplomat with over 30 years of service beginning in 1968. More than 20 years were spent abroad at: the United Nations in New York; the Soviet Union during the Cold War; NATO Headquarters in Brussels. Gary was a diplomat at the Canadian embassy in Moscow from 1971 to 1974. He was instrumental in making the 1972 Canadian-Soviet Hockey Series happen—and keeping it from falling apart.
It is a case of classic sports diplomacy at its best. Stereotypes were broken down. The heated rivalry between the 1972 players transformed into mutual respect. Anniversary celebrations were held in 2012 and 2017.
But now this hockey bridge, constructed between Canada and the Soviet Union/Russia back in 1972, is in jeopardy due to Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
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