I was in my later teens at the time and had been a fervent hockey follower (Leafs, Leafs, and more Leafs) since the late 1950s. His ability to analyze and break down games was already well-regarded. It was in many ways very different from what we had seen before him and it was a breath of fresh air: Quick, high-energy. Not unfair or unduly harsh, but few punches were pulled if he had a criticism to make.
That said, the comment that stuck out for me at the time was his reference to the Soviet players as having, to paraphrase, no heart.