April 01, 2026
Jeff Tomik/PhillyVoice
'Cold War in Philly,' a film directed by Joe Amodei, will premiere May 27 at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre on Broad Street.
Fifty years ago, the Broad Street Bullies took the Soviet Union's Red Army team to task at the Spectrum in South Philly in the midst of the Cold War.
A new documentary will tell the story of the Flyers' bruising 4-1 victory over CSKA Moscow, one of the world's most dominant and technically gifted teams, during their winter tour of North America in 1976.
"Cold War in Philly," a film directed by Joe Amodei, will premiere May 27 at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre on Broad Street. A second screening will be held the next night at the Philadelphia Film Center before a theatrical release in June and a digital release in late summer or early fall, Deadline reported Tuesday.
The Flyers were one of eight NHL teams to compete against the Red Army team, whose core featured most of the Soviet national team at the time. The game in South Philly was part of the Super Series '76, a new event that pitted the Soviets' top talent against the best players from the U.S. and Canada.
The Flyers, an all-Canadian team led by captain Bobby Clarke, were fresh off back-to-back Stanley Cups. They epitomized the physicality of North American hockey during an era when the Soviets' pass-heavy, patient style of play prevailed on the global stage. At the Olympics and in past international exhibitions, the Soviets largely had their way with the North Americans.
CSKA Moscow and the Soviet Wings, the two teams facing NHL squads in the Super Series, got off to a strong start in late December 1975 and early January 1976. They were largely getting the best of the New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins. The Montreal Canadiens, who would become the next NHL dynasty, notched a tie against CSKA Moscow on New Year's Eve.
The Red Army team remained undefeated heading into their final matchup against the Flyers on Jan. 11.
More than 17,000 fans packed the Spectrum for the game, which became famous for Flyers defenseman Ed Van Impe's crushing hit on Soviet star Valeri Kharlamov about 10 minutes into the first period. The Soviets left the ice in protest for nearly 20 minutes, prompting Flyers owner Ed Snider to threaten withholding their pay.
The Flyers went on to smother the Red Army team, allowing only 13 shots on goal against Wayne Stephenson, who played goalie for an injured Bernie Parent. The Flyers got 49 shots on goal, flexing coach Fred Shero's system almost flawlessly in a bid to show the superiority of the NHL's style.
The documentary features interviews with Clarke, Parent, Van Impe and other Flyers players who competed against the Soviets. It also includes interviews with fans, journalists and broadcasters.
The Super Series '76 was viewed as a cultural proxy for the Cold War, and the Flyers' win became a defining moment in hockey history. Sportswriters Ed Gruver and Joe Watson trace the impact of the Flyers' victory in their 2023 book "The Game That Saved the NHL," which examines how the game led to strategic changes that bridged North American and Soviet hockey in the ensuing years.
Amodei, a Philly native, is producing "Cold War in Philly" through his Virgil Films & Entertainment. The company distributed past films including "Super Size Me," "I Am Chris Farley" and "Restrepo," the 2010 documentary about a pair of journalists embedded with U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.
The documentary will look to follow the success of Netflix's "Miracle: The Boys of ’80," which tells the story of the U.S. men's national team that upset the Soviets at the 1980 Winter Olympics. Virgil Films & Entertainment has not said where "Cold War in Philly" will be available to stream later this year.
