Fifteen years removed from one of the greatest exhibition hockey series between Canada and the Soviet Union, hostilities were renewed as the nations were set to meet in the 1987 Canada Cup Final.

Under Soviet rule, many of its top players were not permitted to play in the NHL. With professional hockey players also not permitted to take part in the Olympics at the time, organized exhibitions like the Canada Cup presented the only opportunity to see a true best-on-best tournament.

"The Canada Cup is not a world championship," Russian goaltender Vladislav Tretiak told the Toronto Star in 1987. "It's true that the strongest teams compete in the Canada Cup,　but it's not an official tournament."

You can watch the 1987 Canada Cup Final Game #1 – Canada vs. USSR: today on TSN 1/5, TSN Direct and TSN.ca at 3pm et/Noon pt and on TSN4 at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt.

Tretiak was in goal for the Soviets during the 1972 Summit Series and was promoting his autobiography during a month-long tour of Canada that coincided with the Canada Cup.

He was at the newly built Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ont.,　to watch Canada and Russia play to a 3-3 tie to wrap up round-robin action of the ’87 tournament. The two teams finished atop the standings, with Canada edging the Russia for top spot by a single point.

The Soviets defeated Sweden 4-2 in the first semifinal. Canada advanced after defeating Czechoslovakia 5-2.

"The level of hockey in each of the Canada Cup games I saw was very good," Tretiak told The Star. "Each game has been tense."

With cracks in the Soviet empire and communism appearing to be on the verge of collapse, Russian players saw this series as the best way to showcase their talents on the world stage.

They’d have to contend with Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux, who played together for the first and only time in their illustrious careers.

The Soviets countered with Vladimir Krutov, Igor Larionov and Sergei Makarov, known as the KLM line.

Game 1 took place at the Montreal Forum. Would Russia avenge a lost opportunity to pass Canada in round-robin play or will the star-studded Canadian lineup be too much to overcome?