Non-Russians on the Soviet National Team

[Hedberg]

How many players from areas not part of Russia now played on the Soviet national team? Was it harder for Latvians (or other non-Russians) to make the national team?

Belarus:
D Yury Krivokhiza
D Oleg Michulchik
RW Alexander Andrievsky
RW Andrey Kovalev
RW Vladimir Zubrilchev
C Alexander Galchenyuk

Kazahkstan
D Yevgeny Paladiev
LW Boris Alexandrov
LW Igor Dorokhin
LW Yuri Leonov
RW Andrey Potaychuk

Latvia:
G Arturs Irbe
G Vitaijs Samoilovs
G Mihails Vasilonoks
D Viktors Hatulevs
LW Yuris Repsis
RW Helmut Balderis
C Mihails Sostaks
C Olegs Znaroks

Lithuania:
D Darius Kasparaitis

Ukraine:
D Igor Malykhin
D Valery Shiryaev
D Alexei Zhitnik
LW Dmitri Khristich
LW Alexey Tkachuk

Click to read more...

 

[crobro]

wasnt alex mogilny half uzbek.

 

[BamBamCam*]

wasnt alex mogilny half uzbek.

Nope, he was born in Russia but way over on the east coast of Russia in Khabarovsk.

 

[crobro]

thanks for the clarification

 

[finchster]

How many players from areas not part of Russia now played on the Soviet national team? Was it harder for Latvians (or other non-Russians) to make the national team?

Belarus:
D Yury Krivokhiza
D Oleg Michulchik
RW Alexander Andrievsky
RW Andrey Kovalev
C Alexander Galchenyuk

Latvia:
G Arturs Irbe
G Vitaly Samyorov
D Viktor Khatulev
LW Yuris Repsis
RW Helmut Balderis

Lithuania:
D Darius Kasparaitis

Ukraine:
D Igor Malykhin
D Valery Shiryaev
D Alexei Zhitnik
LW Dmitri Khristich
LW Alexey Tkachuk

I am not sure if there was favoritism shown to Russian players on the Soviet National team, but just look at the quality of former Soviet nations now in hockey.

Lativa, zero star players at the moment and their program was in serious trouble until they got a KHL team.

Belarus is only an emerging hockey nation because their president, Alexander Lukashenko, is a hockey fan and player himself. He spends large sums of government money promoting hockey in Belarus.

Lithuania is in the hockey wilderness

Ukraine could find its self falling deeper in the hockey wilderness if they don’t get their act together soon. They might have a KHL team next season so that should do wonders for their hockey program. I spent some time recently in Ukraine and I can say that hockey interest is on the same level as handball in Canada.

I don’t claim to be an expert on Soviet hockey, but I imagine it was easier for these nations to have good hockey players during the Soviet era. If these players had any talent at a younger age, they could be scooped up by a better Russian team and develop further, (Darius Kasparaitis is an example of this).

Players from other countries still play for the Russian national team; Kasparaitis, Tverdovsky, Zherdev etc. I am going to go out and guess there wasn't much if any discrimination at all, in the 70's at least there probably wasn't an opportunity for discrimination anyway . I think only Latvia was producing players good enough for the Soviet team then.

 

[Hedberg]

I am not sure if there was favoritism shown to Russian players on the Soviet National team, but just look at the quality of former Soviet nations now in hockey. I am going to go out and guess there wasn't much if any discrimination at all, in the 70's at least there probably wasn't an opportunity for discrimination anyway . I think only Latvia was producing players good enough for the Soviet team then.

I think that definitely accounts for most of it (I was actually surprised at the amount of Ukrainians and Belarussians on the national team), but tensions between Latvia and the Soviets existed, with Balderis apparently resisting being on CSKA:

hen the Soviet hockey authorities transferred Balderis (and a coach named Viktor Tikhonov) from Dynamo Riga, where he quickly became a living legend, to CSKA Moscow "in the interests of the national team," there was no shortage of outrage.

Balderis had no choice in the matter, but he played for the national team in a curious fashion. He would put on amazing displays of individualistic skills and rushes, almost toying with opposition, but would rarely score.

As the great book Kings of the Ice suggests, "it was his way of saying to the authorities, 'You forced me to be here, so you get what you deserve."

"I can get away with it on CSKA. If I don't score, Mikhailov, Petrov or Kharlamov will," Balderis added.

- International Hockey Legends

 

[Theokritos]

Oļegs Znaroks, Latvia.

 

[ozo]

Complete list of players from Latvia (SSR):

Helmuts Balderis (1976-1985) - 147 games and 74 goals
Artūrs Irbe (G) (1989-1991) - 42 games, GAA 2.00
Vitālijs Samoilovs (G) (1987-1988) - 10 games, GAA 2.42
Mihails Šostaks (1979-1980) - 10 games and 2 goals
Oļegs Znaroks * (1990-1991) - 9 games and 4 goals
Viktors Hatuļevs (1978-1979) - 6 games
Juris Repsis (1969-1970) - 3 games and 1 goal
Mihails Vasiļonoks (G) (1977) - third goalie, no appearances

* Born in Russia, later played for Latvia national team


Few more played for Soviet junior teams, notables are: Sandis Ozolinš, Sergejs Žoltoks, Pēteris Skudra and Harijs Vītoliņš III

 

[habsfan87]

Where's Nabokov from? Kazakhstan?

 

[Theokritos]

Where's Nabokov from? Kazakhstan?

Yes, but he's too young. The OP was talking about the Soviet National Team. Guys like Nabokov and Dainius Zubrus (Lithuania) are (were) members of the Russian National Team, but not the Soviet.

 

[Theokritos]

Players born in any Soviet Republic other than the Russian SFSR not mentioned yet (Source: http://www.chidlovski.com/personal/1954/00players.htm):

D Yevgeny Paladiev (*1948-2010), Ust-Kamenogorsk/Kazakhstan. 68 games for the Soviet National Team 1968-73.
LW Boris Alexandrov (1955-2002), Ust-Kamenogorsk/Kazakhstan. 19 games for the Soviet National Team 1975-77.
LW Igor Dorokhin (*1962), Ust-Kamenogorsk/Kazakhstan. 1 game for the Soviet National Team 1991.
LW Yuri Leonov (*1963), Ust-Kamenogorsk/Kazakhstan. 32 games for the Soviet National Team 1984-90.
RW Andrey Potaychuk (*1970), Temirtau/Kazakhstan. 7 games for the Soviet National Team 1990-91.

RW Vladimir Zubrilchev (*1960), Minsk/Belarus. 9 games for the Soviet National Team 1984-86.
D Igor Malykhin (*1969), Kharkov/Ukraine. 2 games for the Soviet National Team 1987.

Complete list of players from Latvia (SSR)

Good work. But what about Anatoly Antipov (*1959, C)? His birthplace is Riga/Latvia, not sure about his nationality though.
And, besides, it's Vitalijs Samoilovs, not Vladimirs.

 

[007]

Latvia:
G Vitaly Samyorov

I admit I have no idea who this is, but looking at his name, is he really Latvian? Just asking.

 

[007]

And, besides, it's Vitalijs Samoilovs, not Vladimirs.

OK, that answers my question. Thanks!

 

[ozo]

Players born in any Soviet Republic other than the Russian SFSR not mentioned yet (Source: http://www.chidlovski.com/personal/1954/00players.htm):

D Yevgeny Paladiev (*1948-2010), Ust-Kamenogorsk/Kazakhstan. 68 games for the Soviet National Team 1968-73.
LW Boris Alexandrov (1955-2002), Ust-Kamenogorsk/Kazakhstan. 19 games for the Soviet National Team 1975-77.
LW Igor Dorokhin (*1962), Ust-Kamenogorsk/Kazakhstan. 1 game for the Soviet National Team 1991.
LW Yuri Leonov (*1963), Ust-Kamenogorsk/Kazakhstan. 32 games for the Soviet National Team 1984-90.
RW Andrey Potaychuk (*1970), Temirtau/Kazakhstan. 7 games for the Soviet National Team 1990-91.

RW Vladimir Zubrilchev (*1960), Minsk/Belarus. 9 games for the Soviet National Team 1984-86.
D Igor Malykhin (*1969), Kharkov/Ukraine. 2 games for the Soviet National Team 1987.


Good work. But what about Anatoly Antipov (*1959, C)? His birthplace is Riga/Latvia, not sure about his nationality though.
And, besides, it's Vitalijs Samoilovs, not Vladimirs.

On eliteprospects.com Antipov is listed as born in Moscow so I excluded him because he have no real ties to independent Latvia as well. Where did you get info that his birthplace is Riga? I've seen him as listed as non-russian soviet player but I couldn't find any confirmation.

Fixed typo you mentioned.

 

[Theokritos]

On eliteprospects.com Antipov is listed as born in Moscow so I excluded him because he have no real ties to independent Latvia as well. Where did you get info that his birthplace is Riga? I've seen him as listed as non-russian soviet player but I couldn't find any confirmation.

I see. Eurohockey has Moscow as well (http://www.eurohockey.net/players/show_player.cgi?serial=2378), but Chidlovski has Riga (http://www.chidlovski.net/1954/54_player_info.asp?p_id=a009) and Antipovs first pro club ("pro" de facto, not de iure) seems to have been Dinamo Riga according to Eurohockey and Eliteprospects. Born in Moscow or Riga? The dissent is there and I can't solve the mystery.

 

[ozo]

Antipovs first pro club ("pro" de facto, not de iure) seems to have been Dinamo Riga according to Eurohockey and Eliteprospects.

Sadly that's not enough to draw any conclusions.