Documentary Revisits 1976 Flyers Win Over Soviet Red Army

A new documentary, Cold War in Philly, revisits the Jan. 11, 1976, Flyers vs. Soviet Red Army game at the Spectrum, a landmark moment in hockey history.

Directed by Joe Amodei, a Philadelphia native, and produced by Virgil Films & Entertainment, the film features interviews with Flyers players like Bobby Clarke, Bernie Parent, Bill Barber, Dave Schultz, Reggie Leach, Joe Watson, Gary Dornhoefer, and Ed Van Impe, as well as journalists, broadcasters, and fans.

According to PhillyVoice, a May 27 screening will be held at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre with proceeds benefiting the Philadelphia Flyers Alumni Association. A second screening will take place at the Philadelphia Film Center, with a theatrical release in June and a digital release in late summer or early fall, according to a Deadline report. 

The film draws on insights from sportswriters Ed Gruver and Joe Watson, whose 2023 book, The Game That Saved the NHL, analyzed the series' lasting influence on hockey strategy and international competition.

According to the PhillyVoice, more than 17,000 fans attended the game at the Spectrum, which featured its share of controversial moments. Early in the game, Flyers defenseman Ed Van Impe delivered a crushing hit on Valeri Kharlamov, triggering a near 20-minute Soviet protest and a threat from Flyers owner Ed Snider over payment.

The Flyers covered the Red Army team, allowing only 13 shots on goal against Wayne Stephenson, who stood in as goalie for an injured Bernie Parent. The Flyers took 49 shots on goal, leveraging coach Fred Shero's system in classic NHL style.

Cold War in Philly is the latest in several recent hockey-themed releases. Netflix recently debuted the documentary Miracle: The Boys Of '80, which profiles the U.S. men's national hockey team's unlikely victory over the Soviets at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, a game known as the Miracle on Ice. Gabe Polsky's 2014 documentary Red Army and ESPN's 2015 documentary Of Miracles And Men detailed the Soviet national team before and after the Olympic defeat.

“In all of those, including the one that just premiered on Netflix, no one has ever mentioned the fact that the Flyers, four years previously in 1976, beat the same team,” Amodei told Deadline. “Being a fan and being someone who has idolized them, I wanted a living document of the guys who are getting up in age.”