The 1990-91 North Stars finished the season in a memorable way, playing for the Stanley Cup. But people might not remember where that campaign started.
Moscow.
The Stars, along with the Montreal Canadiens, were part of the Friendship Series, an eight-day trip to the Soviet Union that featured games in Moscow and Kiev.
As it turns out the tour was anything but friendly, with teams being subjected to lengthy searches they considered harassment.
Relations between the NHL and Soviet officials were not good because of player defections to North America.
"Next year we will not be having these exchanges,'' NHL President John Ziegler said at the time.
Added Canadiens coach Pat Burns, "We've been stalled, we've been lied to, we've been shafted in every corner and nearly every place we've been.''.
RANDY JOHNSON
