Top 10 Russian hockey players all-time(link)

TheNextOneX

Registered User
Apr 29, 2009
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0
Lausanne
Here's mine.

1)Vyacheslav Arkadevich "Slava" Bykov
2)Andrei Khomutov
3)Sergei Makarov
4)Vsevolod Bobrov
5)Vladimir Krutov
6)Viacheslav Fetisov
7)Boris Mikhailov
8)Valeri Kamensky
9)Vladimir Petrov
10)Valery Kharlamov
 

Peter25

Registered User
Sep 20, 2003
8,491
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my list:

1) Valery Kharlamov
2) Vladislav Tretiak
3) Sergei Makarov
4) Viacheslav Fetisov
5) Boris Mikhailov
6) Anatoli Firsov
7) Vladimir Petrov
8) Aleksandr Maltsev
9) Vsevolod Bobrov
10) Pavel Bure

Ovechkin & Malkin both have the potential to make this list imo.
My top 50. I will leave off the younger generation players such as Malkin, Ovechkin and Kovalchuk.

1. Mikhailov
2. Fetisov
3. Kharlamov
4. Krutov
5. Makarov
6. Petrov
7. Kasatonov
8. Maltsev
9. Firsov
10. Starshinov

....

11. Tretiak
12. Fedorov
13. Kapustin
14. Bobrov
15. Bure
16. Zubov
17. Tsygankov
18. Yakushev
19. Alexandrov
20. Bilyaletdinov

...

22. Khomutov
23. Shadrin
25. Bykov
26. Shalimov
27. Luchenko
28. Mogilny
29. Ragulin
30. Kuzkin

...

31. Almetov
32. Loktev
33. Kamensky
34. Pervukhin
35. Sologubov
36. Davydov
37. Zhluktov
38. Kovalev
39. Zhamnov
40. Konstantinov

....

41. Malakhov
42. Balderis
43. Babinov
44. Drozdetsky
45. Khabibulin
46. A.Yashin
47. V.Golikov
48. Lebedev
49. Y.Fedorov
50. Gonchar
 

pouskin74*

Guest
My top 50. I will leave off the younger generation players such as Malkin, Ovechkin and Kovalchuk.

1. Mikhailov
2. Fetisov
3. Kharlamov
4. Krutov
5. Makarov
6. Petrov
7. Kasatonov
8. Maltsev
9. Firsov
10. Starshinov

..............................


Top 50 ? no Larionov ?!
 

MaxV

Registered User
Nov 6, 2006
4,888
590
New York, NY
I also have a problem with Krutov over Makarov.

Don't get me wrong Krutov was great, but Makarov was spectacular.

Makarov was the most explosive Russian player of his generation and top 5 in the world at that time.
 

VMBM

And it didn't even bring me down
Sep 24, 2008
3,797
754
Helsinki, Finland
Well, I guess one shouldn't criticize too much when someone makes an effort to list 50 players, BUT...

Krutov over Makarov? Kasatonov #7? Kapustin #13? Balderis #42? :laugh:

And where's Vasiliev? (I'm pretty sure you simply forgot him, though)

You don't even need to list the reasons why Makarov was better than Krutov or that Kasatonov doesn't belong to top 10 - or even top 20. Let's talk about Balderis instead. He wasn't Russian per se, but since he's on the list...
I suspect that Balderis is so low since his international career was a bit on/off nature (mostly due to his stormy relationship with Tikhonov I believe). Still, he has a claim to be the best/most dangerous Soviet forward of the late Seventies, even though I prefer Mikhailov and Petrov myself (not nearly as flashy but more important players to the team IMO).

It's interesting that Peter25 has chosen Kapustin (clearly) and even Zhluktov over Balderis, as these 3 of course formed USSR/CSKA's feared 2nd line in the late '70s, and they sometimes rivaled and even outperformed the MPK line (1978 WC comes to mind). However, I think it was universally seen that Balderis was THE offensive star of that line. Kapustin (I love his skating!) might beat him career-wise, though (national team). Zhluktov just played longer in the Team USSR - nothing else.

I'm one of the biggest Mikhailov fans, but having him #1 is a bit of a scretch. The biggest problem for me is that in my opinion, compared to Firsov, Kharlamov and Makarov for example, he needed good playmakers around him (more), whereas the aforementioned guys could often create their own scoring chances. Hockey is a team sport, but at least for me, when making all-time lists, it's the individual skills that play even a bigger role than normally.

I'll give it a shot myself:

1. Fetisov
2. Firsov¨
3. Kharlamov
4. Makarov
5. Tretiak
6. Mikhailov
7. Maltsev
8. Petrov
9. Bobrov
10. Vasiliev
 

nzdiver

Registered User
Aug 23, 2010
13
0
Here's my personal top 10:

1. Tretiak.....Top 5 goaltender of all time. Period.
2. Kharlamov....His skills were Light Years ahead of his time, by any standards.
3. Fetisov....Arguably the best D-Man of his time (post-Orr).
4. Firsov....A player with a physical style, who also had great skills. One of the hardest shooters in the history of hockey.
5. Makarov....A VERY underrated player. A lot of people forget that he played in the NHL also, and played VERY well. One of the best forwards of his time, and he played in the same time as Lemieux, Gretzky and Messier. He could very well be the most talented Russian player of all time (he was bigger then Kharlamov and faster then Firsov).
6. Vasiliev....Another VERY underrated player, who was also a great one. He was an EXCELLENT all-around D-man.
7. Bobrov....The first Russian superstar. Perhaps, he's too low on my list, as he was a great player in his own right. A 2-sport athlete who was also one of the best Russian soccer players of all time.
8. Maltsev....Another one who seems to be kinda low on this list. Throughout his career he's been overshadowed by other great Russian players, but he too had GREAT ability.
9. Mikhailov....He wasn't as flashy as some other Russian forwards, but he could very well be the most accomplished of them. All-time Soviet scoring leader, his physical style of play reminded many of NHL players more so then other Russian forwards of his time.
10. Larionov....This one accomplished almost everything there is to accomplish in hockey. World Championships: Check. Olympic Gold: Check. Long and productive NHL career: Check. Stanley Cups: Check.

#10 was a tough decision, as I think a case could be made for Fedorov, Bure and Krutov.

I hope someday Ovechkin, Malkin and other young Russians could be mentioned on this list.

Regarding the #10 pick. I would personally pick Fedorov over Larionov. Igor is a good choice, but I would put Sergei over him any day (higher than 10th as well).

Talking about younsters, Alex Ovechkin will be in the list, few more years and he will be over 1000 points. What he really needs to cement himself in top5 is THE CUP
 

MaxV

Registered User
Nov 6, 2006
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590
New York, NY
Regarding the #10 pick. I would personally pick Fedorov over Larionov. Igor is a good choice, but I would put Sergei over him any day (higher than 10th as well).

Talking about younsters, Alex Ovechkin will be in the list, few more years and he will be over 1000 points. What he really needs to cement himself in top5 is THE CUP

Well, Larionov vs. Fedorov is a very good argument.

Yes, during their time in Detroit, Feds was MUCH better, but those weren't Igor's best years.

I would say, judging by their peaks, you are right, Feds was better. But Feds' peak didn't last long. Krutov's peak was better also then Larionov, but again Igor certainly has longevity on his side.

If I had to do this list over again right now, it might be a bit different.
 

RussianHockey96

Registered User
Nov 24, 2010
35
0
Top 10 forwards all time imo.

1 - Bure
2 - Kharlamov
3 - Maltsev
4 - Makarov
5 - Mikhailov
6 - Petrov
7 - Fedorov
8 - Mogilny
9 - Firsov
10 - Bobrov
 

RussianHockey96

Registered User
Nov 24, 2010
35
0
My top 50. I will leave off the younger generation players such as Malkin, Ovechkin and Kovalchuk.

1. Mikhailov
2. Fetisov
3. Kharlamov
4. Krutov
5. Makarov
6. Petrov
7. Kasatonov
8. Maltsev
9. Firsov
10. Starshinov

....

11. Tretiak
12. Fedorov
13. Kapustin
14. Bobrov
15. Bure
16. Zubov
17. Tsygankov
18. Yakushev
19. Alexandrov
20. Bilyaletdinov

...

22. Khomutov
23. Shadrin
25. Bykov
26. Shalimov
27. Luchenko
28. Mogilny
29. Ragulin
30. Kuzkin

...

31. Almetov
32. Loktev
33. Kamensky
34. Pervukhin
35. Sologubov
36. Davydov
37. Zhluktov
38. Kovalev
39. Zhamnov
40. Konstantinov

....

41. Malakhov
42. Balderis
43. Babinov
44. Drozdetsky
45. Khabibulin
46. A.Yashin
47. V.Golikov
48. Lebedev
49. Y.Fedorov
50. Gonchar

Tretiak 11th? Bure 15th? Mogilny 28th? No Larionov? Yikes
 

Nicky Santoro

Registered User
May 23, 2012
877
103
Montreal
Bump.

Hi, i'd like to ask any Russians here on this board 2 questions pls?



1- I know soccer is big in Russia, but is it really way bigger than hockey? is it close or not really close..

2- Who is the most famous Russian hockey player in Russia who fans love the most.. Ovechkin, Malkin, Datsyuk?? or even Chara, not sure though if he is considered a Russian..

i've always wondered this. my guess would be Ovy because he is a character and a 50 goal scorer. but so tough to beat Malkin who is great and Datsyuk who is unreal. can't wait to hear the answer.


thanks
 

Caser

@RUSProspects
May 21, 2013
13,564
12,287
Riga/Yaroslavl
twitter.com
Bump.

Hi, i'd like to ask any Russians here on this board 2 questions pls?



1- I know soccer is big in Russia, but is it really way bigger than hockey? is it close or not really close..

2- Who is the most famous Russian hockey player in Russia who fans love the most.. Ovechkin, Malkin, Datsyuk?? or even Chara, not sure though if he is considered a Russian..

i've always wondered this. my guess would be Ovy because he is a character and a 50 goal scorer. but so tough to beat Malkin who is great and Datsyuk who is unreal. can't wait to hear the answer.


thanks

1. I would say soccer is actually bigger in terms of popularity, but it is close. In terms of kids choosing the sport, soccer is much bigger, because it almost doesn't need any special equipment/rinks and also because we still desperately need more rinks (there's quite a lot of big towns where you basically can't find any rinks at all)

2. If we are talking about fans who really follow hockey, then Datsyuk is being deservingly adored. If talking about the "fans", who are just turning the TV on to see Russia NT once a year at WC/Olympics, then Ovi is a face of the "franchise".

Chara? The fact that he is as big as a bear doesn't make him Russian, you know :D
 

Nicky Santoro

Registered User
May 23, 2012
877
103
Montreal
thanks so much, caser. i tried to google this question and could never get it. then i remembered this board. i live in a building here in mtl with 95% russians, and i've asked 4 guys this question in the elevator and i thought they were going to stab me. they looked like they had no interest in sports and didn't speak much english.

i am glad hockey is almost as popular watching as soccer. i am in a bit of a shock datsyuk is the most popular cause he's not an outgoing player. very quiet, unlike ovi who is charismatic and controversial. i really hope russians in russia follow the NHL russians and are interested in the sc finals, etc.

also, i would have easily put my money on Malkin over Datsyuk because he plays with sid and is sooooo amazing, too.

thanks again.
 

arion52

Registered User
Feb 9, 2010
14
0
Fetisov average player with the Devils, more of a positional player than a physical player, HOF but over-rated to a large degree.
 

VMBM

And it didn't even bring me down
Sep 24, 2008
3,797
754
Helsinki, Finland
Fetisov average player with the Devils, more of a positional player than a physical player, HOF but over-rated to a large degree.

Well, if you are the best player on the 1980s Soviet National Team/CSKA (though some favour Makarov) in your prime, I don't think you are very overrated.
To hell with his NHL career.
 

Scotty B

Registered User
Jan 1, 2014
1,713
4
MaxV:
6. Sergei Fedorov - played 1986 through present. Fedorov is the highest ranking "NHL Russian" - in other words he played the vast majority of his career in the NHL, not in international competition. This three time Stanley Cup champion became the first and only NHLer to be named as the league's MVP and best defensive player in the same year. In many ways he is a classic Russian centerman which prevents him from truly dominating the NHL offensively like he is capable of. Although highly respected, in many ways very underrated.

With respect, the bold part is pretty misleading imo...Fedorov was the only player to be declared NHL MVP and to win the Selke trophy as the league's best defensive FORWARD, in the same year...but that's light years from being league MVP + top defensive player (aka top defense man ). Only one guy was ever the NHL's top scorer, league MVP , playoff MVP, top defense man, and best +/-, all in the same year, and that was ROBERT Gordon ORR.

***

Bobby Orr won three consecutive Hart Trophies as NHL MVP , and 8 consecutive Norris trophies as top defensive player. He also won the league scoring title twice! The ONLY NHL defense man ever to accomplish this feat. Orr’s +/- is far and away the best in NHL history. Orr’s team, Boston, scored, on average, roughly one more goal per game, than did the opposition, when he ( Orr ) was on the ice...and he was +124 one year. Think his career high for goals was something like 46, and points 139 in a single season.

Although Orr officially retired at age 31, he was pretty much done at age 28, because of e chronic knee injuries. Orr’s last hurrah came in the 1976 Canada Cup — his one and only appearance in an international hockey tourney – where he was once again honored as MVP, despite playing on one knee!

. Fedorov was damn good, but ( to an old timer like me ) Orr was, far and away, the greatest hockey player who ever lived. Too bad he and Bobby Hull couldn’t play in the 1972 Summit Series. And too bad we didn’t see Firsov there either!

For the record, I would have to say that Kharlamov was the best Russian I ever saw play

PEACE OUT
 
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Yakushev72

Registered User
Dec 27, 2010
4,550
372
Fetisov average player with the Devils, more of a positional player than a physical player, HOF but over-rated to a large degree.

You obviously have never seen any film of Fetisov when he played in the Canada Cups, NHL-Soviet Super Series, and World Championships against Gretzky, Lemieux, Messier, etc. He was always as good, and sometimes better, than NHL Hall of Fame players.

You can't judge the quality of Soviet/Russian players by whether they stand out as leaders in the NHL. There are a lot of other forces at work beyond hockey. I remember the story published by Brendan Shanahan, who was a team mate of Fetisov's at NJ, about how much hatred Fetisov faced from by his teammates and rival teams when he first joined the Devils. They didn't want any Commies coming over and taking Canadian jobs, and his defense partners, according to Shanahan, would deliberately get out of the way so that Fetisov could be "back stabbed" when pursuing a loose puck along the boards. The Russian players of that era (it hasn't really changed much) kind of "hung back" rather than try to make themselves noticed and challenge the dominant culture. Fedorov and Bure were the first to somewhat break the mold in that era.
 

Atas2000

Registered User
Jan 18, 2011
13,601
3,269
Here's mine.

1)Vyacheslav Arkadevich "Slava" Bykov
2)Andrei Khomutov
3)Sergei Makarov
4)Vsevolod Bobrov
5)Vladimir Krutov
6)Viacheslav Fetisov
7)Boris Mikhailov
8)Valeri Kamensky
9)Vladimir Petrov
10)Valery Kharlamov

Oh, the swiss bias is nice, but that's far from realistic.
 

Atas2000

Registered User
Jan 18, 2011
13,601
3,269
My top 50. I will leave off the younger generation players such as Malkin, Ovechkin and Kovalchuk.

I like the approach. We should talk about the active players when they are done with their player's careers. And the only one tough to judge here is Datsyuk. I'm really tempted to put him on th list already. He is just that great.
 

Atas2000

Registered User
Jan 18, 2011
13,601
3,269
Bump.

Hi, i'd like to ask any Russians here on this board 2 questions pls?



1- I know soccer is big in Russia, but is it really way bigger than hockey? is it close or not really close..

2- Who is the most famous Russian hockey player in Russia who fans love the most.. Ovechkin, Malkin, Datsyuk?? or even Chara, not sure though if he is considered a Russian..

i've always wondered this. my guess would be Ovy because he is a character and a 50 goal scorer. but so tough to beat Malkin who is great and Datsyuk who is unreal. can't wait to hear the answer.


thanks

1.If we're talking popularity it is way bigger. Talk about the power of promoton. We suck at soccer, and will suck at soccer for another 200 years probably. Yet it's very popular. I would go out and say nonetheless hockey has a much more commited fan community with far less casual fans.

2.Talking active players. Ovy, Kovy, Malkin, Datsyuk is definitely everybody's top 4. Nearly every single fan would pick one of them probably. There is no clear no.1 I think. There is also a lot of regional pride to it. Ppl from Ural are definitly Datsyuk or Malkin fans for example.

Chara is slovak. Among Russians following the NHL there is also that typicla Boston antagonism going. Some like the Bruins, some don't. And they pin it to sngle players at times. I don't like several players on the Bruins, but I think chara get's too much flak for no reason. And what's most important he's a very smart and polite guys off the ice and btw speaks Russian very well(as well as several other languages).
 

Atas2000

Registered User
Jan 18, 2011
13,601
3,269
1. I would say soccer is actually bigger in terms of popularity, but it is close. In terms of kids choosing the sport, soccer is much bigger, because it almost doesn't need any special equipment/rinks and also because we still desperately need more rinks (there's quite a lot of big towns where you basically can't find any rinks at all)

2. If we are talking about fans who really follow hockey, then Datsyuk is being deservingly adored. If talking about the "fans", who are just turning the TV on to see Russia NT once a year at WC/Olympics, then Ovi is a face of the "franchise".

Chara? The fact that he is as big as a bear doesn't make him Russian, you know :D

1.I'd add to that that a lot of change is going on recently. Back in my days living i a typical average russian climate zone with cold winters and hot summers we'd play scocer in summer and hockey in winter. Getting a hockey stick for your say 5th birthday was pretty normal. Outdoor hockey rinks(i.e. boards, nets) would be built up at every corner. We'd make the ice by ourselves. then it was all gone in the 90s. Right now It's different in every region. We in Tatarstan are back to that practice. Most schools have outdoor rinks set up in the winter. I personally use two of them to play with friends 2-3 times a week. There are quite a few indoor rinks too. And thus a lot of kids choose hockey. It is a result of AkBars' success obviously too and the policiy of the regional government on developing youth sports. Sadly we are probably the most bright spot in Russia in that matter.
 

Atas2000

Registered User
Jan 18, 2011
13,601
3,269
Dose Moginly work his way into any of these discussions? I didn't have the chance to see some of these other players play so I wouldn't know if he was one of the best ever or not.

On one hand he gets underrated a lot. On the other hand the russian top 10 is so stacked, there is no shame at all in not making it.
 
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