Vsevolod Bobrov

[Kshahdoo]

The most unique player in hockey history. He captained two different teams at two Olympics: Soviet football team in 1952, and Soviet hockey team in 1956. He scored 6 goals in 4 games for Dynamo Moscow in the UK tour in 1945, playing vs Arsenal, Chelsea, Rangers and Cardiff City.

And he started to play hockey in 1946, when he already was 24, and won that Olympics in 1956.

Of course, they didn't play vs NHLers or NHL caliber players, but Canada and USA still had pretty competent teams, and lost to players, who couldn't even lift the puck 10 years before.

And don't forget, it was Bobrov, who coached Soviet team at the Summit series. Yeah, it wasn't probably the best coach work, but he wasn't afraid to play vs NHLers, at least, unlike Tarasov, who thought, it was too early for the Soviets to play vs best Canadians.

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[MaxV]

The level of competition that constantly gets brought up is a bit of a question to me.

Sure Canada fielded a team of amateurs, but there were just 6 NHL teams at that time. How many pros were there?

Also, I seem to remember something about cases of players choosing other professions. I know of Seth Martin, not sure about others.

 

[MaxV]

Bobrov was also an accomplished bandy player. That's really how he discovered hockey, as Soviet authorities wanted a sports program that was already an event in Olympics.

 

[Canadiens1958]

The level of competition that constantly gets brought up is a bit of a question to me.

Sure Canada fielded a team of amateurs, but there were just 6 NHL teams at that time. How many pros were there?

Also, I seem to remember something about cases of players choosing other professions. I know of Seth Martin, not sure about others.

You various minor leagues that were professional,semi-pro, as well as Senior and Intermediate leagues that included re-instated pros.

Distinction was that amateurs were considered players that were eligible for Allan Cup competition. This included a mix of semi-pros, reinstated pros and amateurs. Olympics did not allow reinstated pros.