1970s-80s Soviet Hockey Tactics/Strategy?

[martinjdunham]

Hello!

I am writing to inquire if anyone has resources regarding Soviet hockey tactics and strategy from the 70s/80s? (Tarasov, Tikhonov, etc.) I have found some good threads in regards to a 1-2-2 Tarasov built, and I read somewhere Tikhonov/Russian coaches in the late 70s/early 80s utilized a 2-1-2 forecheck. One book on my list to look at when libraries re-open is Road to Olympus by Tarasov. I know it had a large influence on Herb Brooks on the 1980 team too (if there's anything on them I'd read that too!). As a basketball coach (but an international hockey fan too!), I am interested in studying their philosophies. They seemed to have great offensive transition play and good motion/interplay in attack. Any help/leads are appreciated!

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[Theokritos]

A 1974 Canadian documentary on the Soviet team with observations on their tactics:

1974 Summit Series Documentary

 

[martinjdunham]

Thanks Theokritos! Through my forum searches you seem to be one of the most knowledgeable in Soviet hockey!

Any literature you'd recommend? Road To Olympus is on my list, any other materials worth studying?

 

[Nerowoy nora tolad]

Some more granular points, pre soviet contact, most shots were taken off of the outside foot (ie the one farthest away from your stick blade), in one sweeping motion.



This maximizes power, and debatably accuracy, with the one minor drawback of being very slow to release and easy for a goaltender to pick up coming off the blade. The slapshot fixes some of these problems by being unpredictable, both in flight, and in the sense that the trajectory of the shot can change depending on how the shooter snaps their wrists as they make contact with the puck, but its still very slow to get off.

The Soviets started off with very minimal, limited equipment, which may have been part of what led to them favouring shooting off of "the wrong foot", or what we now know as the snapshot

Which is now the dominant way of shooting in the NHL, as a long slow windup will get you checked in a heartbeat. Everything is about getting a quick, hard, accurate shot off, and hoping for the best. But, back in 72, this was something unheard of in NA hockey.

 

[Theokritos]

Any literature you'd recommend? Road To Olympus is on my list, any other materials worth studying?

There is a second book with English-language translations of writings by Tarasov, I think it's titled "Father Of Russian Hockey".

But I really like that 1974 documentary because it offers an informed perspective from the outside.

I have also tried to provide some source material myself here over the last couple of years, for example in this thread about the principle "five in attack, five in attack" (collected here together with coverage of other early Soviet articles) and in bios in an ATD thread (e.g. the Nikitin bio offers an illustration of the prevailing Soviet view on defencemen that chimes with what the 1974 documentary says about quick passing and immediate counterattacks).

It's interesting you have a basketball background. Basketball was among the sports Tarasov and other Soviet writers referred to when discussing hockey tactics and terms like "pressing" in their books and articles.

 

[Nerowoy nora tolad]

I have also tried to provide some source material myself here over the last couple of years, for example in this thread about the principle "five in attack, five in attack" (collected here together with coverage of other early Soviet articles) and in bios in an ATD thread (e.g. the Nikitin bio offers an illustration of the prevailing Soviet view on defencemen that chimes with what the 1974 documentary says about quick passing and immediate counterattacks).

It's interesting you have a basketball background. Basketball was among the sports Tarasov and other Soviet writers referred to when discussing hockey tactics and terms like "pressing" in their books and articles.

Something to chew on, its interesting to note how similar some of this sounds to Fred Sheros work:



in particular note how defencemen were brought up prior to expansion to think of their job as solely defending, scoring is the forwards problem. I think the point of rule 11 is that the defenceman needs to work as a team with the forwards on offence and vice-versa. This isnt a sport like soccer where the defenders sit back and reset when the ball is upfield, you either have your man, or you make a move to cut off a passing lane.