Twenty years of Soviet Hockey: 1962 - 1982 (Index of player profiles in OP)

Sturminator

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Clean English version of Veniamin Alexandrov's profile at the Russian site Championat:

alexandrov_zpsol82pgbt.jpg


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Veniamin Alexandrov was born April 18, 1937 in Moscow and, like most boys of that era, played football and hockey in the yard from an early age. But unlike most boys, he was selected to play for CSKA Moscow at the age of 18.

Alexandrov played on Almetov's wing. His game is considered a classic - he played correctly, and cleanly. Here is how Anatoli Tarasov spoke of this trio:

Anatoli Tarasov said:
"Konstantin Loktev - Alexander Almetov - Veniamin Alexandrov - these outstanding forwards were the driving force of CSKA and the Soviet national team in the mid 1960s. Different characters, different styles of play, cemented by the same highly creative understanding of hockey, pursuit of the intellectual game and, of course, a strong friendship. As a result of this unity on the ice, Loktev, Almetov and Alexandrov developed great technique together, intuition necessary to guarantee the highest synchronicity of action. This was the first line on our team; they started the intuitive game, paving the way for the others."

After the retirement of Loktev and Almetov, Alexandrov played briefly on a line with Vladimir Petrov and Boris Mikhailov. Alexandrov is still fifth all-time in Soviet/Russian league scoring, and his legend and glory have not faded. His main advantage as a player, and the force which drove his play, was outstanding technique. When executed by Alexandrov, any complex technique seemed simple, accessible to everyone. But no one could use these techniques as Alexandrov did. His service to Soviet hockey is that he acted as creator and pioneer, opened a lot of new, interesting techniques, and brought them to perfection. To play in the style of Alexandrov meant to play cleanly, easily and naturally.

His head coach, Tarasov, spoke thusly of this brilliant player and his comrades on the top line:

Anatoli Tarasov said:
"Sometimes inexperienced hockey fans, and not only them, but also some sports commentators, wonder who would win if Babich, Shuvalov and Bobrov would play Loktev, Almetov and Alexandrov. The question is, of course, naive. Hockey is different now. Loktev, Almetov and Alexandrov certainly know all that their predecessors knew, but they have gone further (and how could they not?...for hockey, as well as life, in general, progresses!). Take Alexandrov, who is now called the second Bobrov, but really plays like Alexandrov. He has managed to rid himself of the vice of individualistic play. For him, as well as for his center Almetov, one could not say that improvement is needed. Alexandrov can and loves to use his teammates, and remains at the same time the brightest "star" in the hockey sky. I have already said that in the one-touch passing game, individual players may seem to remain in the shadows. But when the one-touch line of Alexandrov and Almetov play, is it impossible not to notice Alexandrov! One sees immediately how amazingly sharp, witty and cunning are his passes, how strikingly accurate they are in power, and unexpected in timing."

At the Grenoble Olympic Games in 1968, a gallery of famous athletes was set up. Under the portrait of Alexandrov stood the following caption:

Grenoble Olympics said:
"Key player of the strongest hockey team in the world. Olympic champion and world champion. At home, known for his virtuoso technique. One to whom those Russian teams owe their great victories."

For Veniamin Alexandrov, nothing was impossible on the ice. He could easily stickhandle around any number of opponents, lay an excellent pass, or no less skillfully play the puck off the boards. History was made by his clever flashes up the wing. Very well-rounded player, was equally good as a playmaker or goalscorer, and was extremely difficult for even the best defensemen to contain.

In March, 1963, for example, after many years of failure, the Soviet national team finally overcame the Canadian national team, in many respects thanks to the inspired and powerful play of Alexandrov. Anatoli Tarasov's account of that game:

Anatoli Tarasov said:
"This tournament was one of the most dramatic and intense in the history of hockey. Before the last match, the final standings of the Soviet and Canadian national teams depended not only on victory or defeat, but also on the margin of victory. In order to become world champions again for the first time since 1956, our team needed a 1-0 victory, or a victory by at least two goals. All other outcomes would make Sweden world champions. Here the author will quote the dearly departed longtime sports observer Victor Frolov's description of the first minute of the game:

' … He (Alexandrov) beat the defense at great speed, and flew towards the Canadian goal. After beating the goaltender, he did not shoot the goal, himself, but laid a pass on Almetov's tape for an easy tap-in. Martin, the phenomenal Canadian goalkeeper, was powerless to stop him… The score became 1:0, but the game was all but over at that point. After that, our national team was inspired, and played powerfully, easily'".

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Assorted Tarasov quotes:

The Father of Russian Hockey: pg. 15 said:
"A few words about the purpose of stickhandling. True, they say there are different types of stick handling past an opponent. It is one thing when the attacker gets past his guard by skating around in a big arc, deviating from his goal, that is to say, just to get past his opponent without creating a dangerous moment. But it is altogether something else when an attacker stick handles past a player causing panic in the enemy ranks, when there is a threat to the goal.

Some of our leading players have developed such an important quality when it comes to stick handling - purposefulness. I have in mind Veniamin Alexandrov or, for instance, Anatoli Firsov. Defensemen really start sweating when they see these two players rocketing down on them."

Road to Olympus: pg. 74 said:
"Standing in the left wing slot of the forward line is another hockey great, Veniamin Alexandrov.

I have already pointed out that Alexandrov grew up in the Central Army hockey school. He is 29 and has already earned himself a good name in world hockey. But I remember not only the cheering crowds in the USSR, Czechoslovakia, Sweden and Finland whenever he came out on the ice, I remember not only the posters reading "ALEXANDROV" at stadiums in the United States and Canada. I also remember his first steps in big time hockey.

His sports biography could hardly be better. He was already in the first string when Babich and Bobrov were still playing, and ever since then, for more than ten years now, he has been considered one of the leading hockey players in the country.

Alexandrov's main weapon is perfect technique. He never allows himself to rest on his oars. For him there is no limit to learning. The famous French painter, Degas, once said: "If you have talent worth a hundred thousand francs, buy another five sous worth." And Alexandrov will always spend those five sous. At training sessions, he keeps on polishing new feints, passes, fake motions. If he does not know how to do something, he will keep on practising until he does.

Alexandrov has contributed a great deal to Soviet hockey. It is indicative that he is not afraid of taking chances and will show something new, something that he did not have before, not only at training sessions, but even during a most crucial game.

Following the creative and sports development of this hockey player down through the years, I come to realize more fully what K. Stanislavsky meant when he wrote: "There is no art that does not require virtuosity, and their [sic.] is no limit to this virtuosity."

Road to Olympus: pg. 92-93 said:
"In such an outstanding hockey player as Veniamin Alexandrov courage also acquires peculiar features.

In fact, at one time it even became quite popular to speak and write about his cautiousness, and even cowardice. Moreover, one highly respected Soviet newspaper claimed that this was the case. But is it right?

No, a thousand times no! Alexandrov is a brave, resolute and courageous hockey player. The fact that he has 280 goals scored speaks for itself. Alexandrov is, in fact, the highest scoring player in the history of the USSR National team. He has chalked up 68 goals in the World Championship games. He was high scorer in the 1966 World Championship Tournament. And all this in difficult and rough games against the Canadians, the Swedes and the Czechs, in games where there were no compromises in the fight for the world hockey crown. Only a courageous sportsman, knowing sports, taking chances when need be, able to play cautiously, attentively, and at the same time, presenting a great danger to the enemy, could have attained such results.

In a game against a strong opponent you will never score if you do not fight for the puck, and take chances. It is not so easy to score from the wings or from the blue line. This means is it necessary to get into a more convenient position to get a shot at the net. But this 'kill zone' is especially well-guarded. And any player who is taking a shot at the enemy net or in a scramble near the goal is almost sure to get hit by the opponent.

How then is it possible to label Alexandrov a coward? Of course, he can be lucky in one or two games, but he cannot always be lucky, not in every game, and for so many seasons in a row!

Any forward charging in on the enemy net at top speed stands a chance of being cut down. But even in the most crucial moments, Alexandrov never loses his head, nothing can distract from his shot at the net.

I remember my conversation with the famous Maurice 'The Rocket' Richard. When I asked him how he had managed to score more than 500 goals playing against such strong teams in the NHL, he told me that he always kept the goal in his line of vision, and secondly, he tried to get the goalie out of the net by some fake motion, or a pause when the goalie's nerves give in and he starts to move in the direction of the expected trajectory of the puck. Richard said that he always tried to bear it or not pay any attention to the knocks he got from the burly defensemen. He really knew how angry the enemy would be when he scored and did not pay and attention to them.

And this is why I think our Alexandrov, by his style of game, by his ability to keep a level head even in the most explosive situations, looks something like Maurice Richard, that brilliant master of attack."
 
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Sturminator

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Clean English version of Vyacheslav Starshinov's profile at the Russian site Championat:

starshinov_zps4qcadkwj.jpg


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Vyacheslav Starshinov was born in Moscow on May 6, 1940. As all boys of that era, he was obsessed with soccer, kicking a ball in the yard (to the horror of his mother, even destroying his last pair of shoes), and in the winter, of course, hockey. At the age of 17, he began a brilliant hockey career at Spartak Moscow, where he would spend the next 15 years, scoring 405 goals in 540 games. He became Soviet league champion three times at Spartak (1962, 1967, 1969), and twice won the Soviet Cup (1970 and 1971).

Starshinov centered the famous Mayorov - Starshinov - Mayorov Spartak line, one of the best units in Soviet hockey. Combination play, improvisation, unpredictability, and irresistible attack - all of these things characterized these talented players.

Twice, Starshinov became Olympic champion as part of the Soviet national team – in 1964 and 1968. He captained the national team from 1969 to 1972. In 182 games for the national team, Starshinov scored 149 goals. In the World Championships and Olympics, he scored 64 goals in 78 games.

The best proof of the brilliance of this surprising player comes from the words of his national team coach, Anatoli Tarasov:

Anatoli Tarasov said:
"He was quiet, with massive shoulders - reserved and a bit clumsy - but Vyacheslav changed when he took the ice, became angry and ruthless – both to his opponents and to himself. He was filled with an unbending will to win, not only in games, but also in practices.

In battles in front of the opposing goal, he was unstoppable. The Canadians always believed that they could closely "check" opposing forwards with their own, and did not wish to admit that they could do nothing with Starshinov. With the sturdiness of a tree trunk, strong on his skates, Vyacheslav never hid his intentions – moved straight towards the goal and challenged his opponents to stop him. The effect of this directness on defenders was like that of a boa constrictor on a rabbit.

The quality of Starshinov pushed us, the coaching staff of the national team, to consider what could be done to expand his role on the team. At Spartak, he often fired goals from some distance. We suggested that he start trying to finish in tight, closer to the goalkeeper. And in this way, in combination with his quick and decisive stick-work, Starshinov became a thunder-storm for opposing goalkeepers.

We must also discuss another aspect of Starshinov's play: with the possible exception of Victor Yakushev – there was never before and has never been since a center who was able to win physical battles against opponents of great strength as Starshinov could.

This outstanding player possessed an incredible amount of strength, and an unshakable desire to achieve glory for himself and his team. Starshinov's dependability would be the envy of even the great masters of hockey - he played practically without injury, without missing a game, from his youth to the end of his storied career.

From whence did he draw his great strength? I answer the question thusly: Vyacheslav loved to train, and his training was constant and severe. I cannot remember that Starshinov even once complained of excessive weight or difficulty in team training exercises. And in games – in basketball by hockey rules or in soccer, which we let the hockey team play as a reward - there was almost no equal to Vyacheslav. We, the trainers, held him up as an example to others. I think that the present generation of players could learn a lot from Vyacheslav Starshinov."

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Assorted Tarasov quotes:

Road to Olympus: pg. 75 said:
"However, there are specialists who rebuke him for not working enough. They claim that Almetov works less than, say, Starshinov, that he seems to have lead in skates when it comes to pulling back to help his teammates in defense."

Road to Olympus: pg. 92 said:
"It would, of course be good if Almetov had the strength and power of Starshinov. He was truly a unique master. But...

Vyacheslav Starshinov's courage is also unique. In this department he really shone in the last two seasons, when he started playing right in front of the net, instead of at long range. For it is in this 'kill zone' in front of the net where the toughest battles are fought, where the defense is especially hard-hitting, that Starshinov most fully displays his qualities as a fighter. In the last and most crucial game of the 1966 World Championship tournament, when the USSR played Czechoslovakia, Starshinov was the sparkplug of the team and did the hat trick in the first 4 minutes of the game!

Playing farther away from the enemy net, Starshinov spent up to 2 and 3 minutes on the ice before being replaced. Now, when he plays in the 'hotspot' in front of the enemy net, Starshinov gets his fill in a minute. He began to play better and brought more goals for his team.

Sometimes they say that Starshinov is an absolutely undisciplined player. That is both right and wrong. When playing for the Army club team, it is true that Starshinov sometimes takes a quaint attitude towards the rules and can interpret them quite freely. In fact, he simply plays rough. But when he plays for the USSR National team, Starshinov transforms into an absolutely different man. He knows how high the requirements are, and he knows the price the team will have to pay if he is penalized. That is why he plays clean game, without losing control of himself, without acting up. Therefore, it is not surprising that in all the games of the 1965 World Hockey Championship he had only one two-minute penalty."

Road to Olympus: pg. 126 said:
"Before they went back on the ice, I gave Starshinov a little pep talk, reminding him that we expected him to produce results, that we have faith in him and that he was doing a good job in neutralizing the Nielsson line."
 
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Sturminator

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We owe the above (with a small amount of cleanup and clarification on my part) to my friend and colleague (and great fan of Soviet hockey) Viktor, a Russian-German ("Russlanddeutscher") who emigrated from Khazakstan to Germany in the early 90's. I will try to get Viktor to work through clean translations for all the rest of the 60's and 70's era Soviets in the coming months, though the process will probably proceed in fits and starts.

Note: Viktor seems to have revealed an error in earlier translations of Starshinov's profile. I asked about his translation of the following passage:

И еще об одной стороне хоккейного мастера Старшинова необходимо сказать. Пожалуй, не было – возможно, за исключением Виктора Якушева – прежде, нет и сейчас у нас такого другого центрфорварда, который умел бы с таким огромным желанием и сноровкой, как Вячеслав, выполнять задания по нейтрализации сильных игроков соперников.

...and he assures me that it is referring to battles of physical strength. In older profiles of Starshinov, this passage was interpreted as a description of his checking, or defensive game. Viktor is fairly certain that this was a translation error.
 

rmartin65

Registered User
Apr 7, 2011
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We owe the above (with a small amount of cleanup and clarification on my part) to my friend and colleague (and great fan of Soviet hockey) Viktor, a Russian-German ("Russlanddeutscher") who emigrated from Khazakstan to Germany in the early 90's. I will try to get Viktor to work through clean translations for all the rest of the 60's and 70's era Soviets in the coming months, though the process will probably proceed in fits and starts.

Note: Viktor seems to have revealed an error in earlier translations of Starshinov's profile. I asked about his translation of the following passage:



...and he assures me that it is referring to battles of physical strength. In older profiles of Starshinov, this passage was interpreted as a description of his checking, or defensive game. Viktor is fairly certain that this was a translation error.

Hmm... I would be interested in reading his translation. As a non-native speaker, that certainly strikes me as a description of his defensive game... "the task of neutralizing"... hmm. I need to know!
 

Sturminator

Love is a duel
Feb 27, 2002
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Hmm... I would be interested in reading his translation. As a non-native speaker, that certainly strikes me as a description of his defensive game... "the task of neutralizing"... hmm. I need to know!

Viktor translates it like this:

We must also discuss another aspect of Starshinov's play: with the possible exception of Victor Yakushev – there was never before and has never been since a center who was able to win physical battles against opponents of great strength as Starshinov could.

I asked about the translation of this passage, as it contradicts previous information about Starshinov, and he said the verb which you are translating as "neutralize" only means that in a scientific sense. In normal speech, it means something more like "hold off", and the word which is correctly translated as "strength" refers to physical strength, not quality of play. You are free to seek out your own interpretation of the passage, but I am confident in Viktor's work.

This is a perfect example of how we can get in trouble using machine translators. For how many years have we thought Tarasov's quote was referring to Starshinov's checking?
 

rmartin65

Registered User
Apr 7, 2011
2,660
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Viktor translates it like this:



I asked about the translation of this passage, as it contradicts previous information about Starshinov, and he said the verb which you are translating as "neutralize" only means that in a scientific sense. In normal speech, it means something more like "hold off", and the word which is correctly translated as "strength" refers to physical strength, not quality of play. You are free to seek out your own interpretation of the passage, but I am confident in Viktor's work.

This is a perfect example of how we can get in trouble using machine translators. For how many years have we thought Tarasov's quote was referring to Starshinov's checking?

I certainly dont think that I know more than your friend; like I said, I am not a native speaker, I only studied the language for 6 years in college and grad school, so there are lots of things that I dont know about the language.

Thanks for posting the correct translation!
 

Sturminator

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Clean English version of Eduard Ivanov's profile on the Russian site Championat:

ivanov_zpsxcnwivdf.jpg


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"The defensive side of 'the system' - great skater who scores a lot of goals," - Eduard Ivanov as described by his coach, the great Anatoli Tarasov.*

True were the words of his legendary coach. With these three skills, Eduard Georgiyevich Ivanov became an irreplaceable player to the Soviet national team. He grew up in a working-class family – his parents worked their whole lives in the factory - and young Eduard took his first steps in ice sport at the "Young Pioneers'" stadium under the tutelage of trainer Vladimir Blinkov.

Even in his first practices, success for Ivanov in the sport was clearly only a matter of time. As a teenager, he was highly disciplined, not focused on childish pursuits, and his tenacity impressed even the older players. His character was reminiscent of Alik Rainbow from the famous novel "Over the Rainbow" by Sergei Abramov and the movie of the same name - tireless, dreamy, ambitious. With a passionate desire to succeed at the sport that he loved, Eduard won sympathy from coaches and fans, alike.

Early on, Ivanov chose to play defence, and spent some time playing for Moscow "Chemist". He was a local star there for two seasons, one of the best players on the team. After his time with the "Chemists", he moved to Voskresensk and Krylja Sovetov where he also fit in well. He played there for five years on a pairing with Alfred Kuchevsky, one of the first Olympic champions in the USSR.

This talented defenceman was noticed by CSKA Moscow, the preeminent club of the Soviet Union, but did not accept the voluntary transfer proposal he was offered. For a long time, Eduard Georgiyevich was able to deny the great club's overtures, but in 1962 when coach Anatoli Tarasov personally asked him to join the Red Army team, the transfer took place.

It was at precisely this point in his career that the quality of his play improved sharply - he was always pushing for a position on the national team, and was eventually paired with Alexander Ragulin, also a defenceman of great quality. The "forward" part of this five-man unit consisted of Konstantin Loktev, Veniamin Alexandrov and Alexander Almetov - considered one of the strongest in the Union. The partners understood each other perfectly, and sometimes worked such artful combinations that opponents could only marvel.

Ivanov on the ice was like a locomotive - an athlete of great size and quite muscular, yet able to skate at incredible speeds, unusual for hockey. Opponents tried, to put it mildly, to avoid direct confrontation with this imposing figure, who was capable of winning any struggle and coming out with the puck, in open ice as well as the corners. In addition, Eduard G. had (as is often the case with attacking defenders) a powerful shot, but differed from many of his colleagues in that he also had excellent vision of the ice and amazing accuracy on his passes. For many years, these qualities allowed him to be one of the best offensive defensemen in the country.

What can be said of 1964 - the first (and, unfortunately, only) Olympic Games in which Eduard Georgiyevich won the prize for best…forward! It went like this: the Directorate of the Winter games handed out individual awards as they saw fit: Canadian Seth Martin won best goalkeeper, Czech Frantisek Tikal best defenseman, and best forward was awarded to the captain of Soviet national team, Boris Mayorov. Arkady Chernyshev and Anatoli Tarasov disagreed with this assessment, however, and asked organizers to allow them to choose the best Soviet forward. Unexpectedly, the Directorate agreed! After that, the coaches and players discussed it, and decided that Ivanov was most deserving of the award. Thus, for the first time in history, two defenders were awarded best player prizes at the World Championships.

By the time he won Olympic gold, Ivanov was already World and European champion in 1963. He managed to accomplish this twice more – in 1965 in Finland and in 1967 in Austria. But his career floundered at this point. Frequent violations of team rules caused him to be first dropped from the national team, and then from CSKA. In 1968, he began playing for SKA Kalinin, where he would spend two seasons without distinction.

After the end of his playing career, Edward G. joined MVO, where he was responsible for the organization of teams in several sports for the Armed Forces. For nine years, until 1988, he worked with children as the chief of youth development for CSKA. According to Ivanov, mainly due to his discovery, Alexander Mogilny was brought in from Khabarovsk, and became a famous forward and Olympic champion. Connection to the past generation surely inspired Alexander, remembering the hockey exploits of his teacher.

In the 1990s, retired lieutenant colonel Eduard Ivanov worked as vice president of the veterans' association with his close friend Alexander Ragulin. Now the legendary defender is 72 years old, but he is still strong and full of life. The number of his awards will command respect from any person familiar with hockey. Just think: Olympic gold, four world titles and bronze at the world championships, eight medals in the Soviet championships (including four gold), two Soviet Cups and the "Badge of Honor".

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*here, Tarasov probably refers to the midfield of the innovative 1-2-2 system, which he employed with CSKA and the Soviet national team.
 
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Sturminator

Love is a duel
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Clean English translation of Boris Mayorov's profile at the Russian site Championat:

mayorov_zpsswvf7clq.jpg


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The man eventually became a seminal figure in the history of Soviet hockey, but there was a time when the great Starostin believed he would become a soccer player...

Anatoli Tarasov said:
"He had a great love for the game. He never sat on the bench peacefully, but struggled constantly in the crucible of competition. And when we let him out on the ice, he did not simply skate, but took off as though on wings. He was full of pride and ambition - conceded nothing, to no one. This includes the referees - though Boris was seldom sent off, in my opinion, he never once agreed with the decision when he was."

Anatoli Tarasov spoke thusly of our hero, and it is difficult to disagree with the legendary trainer.

The future two-time Olympic and many-time World Champion was born on February 11, 1938. He did not come into the world alone; his twin brother Evgeny also became a well-known hockey player and won a pile of gold medals, but Boris's career was more conspicuously great. This ingenious man was called Spartak's greatest player; fans of the red-and-white idolized him, and he repaid them with magnificent play. He fit with the team like a favourite stick fits a strong hand, and he never gave reason to doubt his devotion. Boris Aleksandrovich always set lofty goals for himself, and he always achieved them. He won his first medal long before he joined Spartak – at school. At that time, it was silver, but eventually he developed a taste of gold.

Mayorov treated every match against rivals CSKA and Dynamo like the last game of his life, and the legendary red-and-white line was irreplaceable.

The "extraterrestrial" 1961 World Championships in Switzerland were the first serious test for the Mayorov brothers and Vyacheslav Starshinov. Boris and Evgeny were 23 years old at the time, and Vyacheslav only 20, but they were already recognized as leaders of the national team – Tarasov held them in awe, teammates recognized their skill, and opponents were demoralized. This line scored three goals in a victory over Sweden (6:2) and three more in a loss to Czechoslovakia (4:6). The hero of our story became the leading scorer of tournament, with seven goals and ten assists, but that year, they wore only bronze.

Anatoli Tarasov said:
"During the game, he liked to receive the puck from the defense and quickly move it through the neutral zone with his linemates, attacking the opponent like a whirlwind. Boris did all of this not only with great passion, but also with a surprising beauty which could not help but leave an impression on the viewer."

This is how Tarasov described him. They say that because of Mayorov, fans at soccer stadiums began to shout "Puck...Puck"...Spartak fans thus supporting the famous hockey player even at soccer matches.

Boris Aleksandrovich was the real driving force of the line. Around the world, defensemen knew that when the puck got to this fast, agile forward, the goal was immediately in danger. After the defeat in 1961, for three World Championships in a row (including the 1964 Olympic Games), Mayorov and his linemates remained at the top of the hockey world. But then Evgeny Mayorov was dropped from the national team, and his place on the legendary line was taken by a succession of different players. None of them gelled completely with Mayorov and Starshinov, but the masters, though they may have grumbled, were true professionals, and did not allow it to affect their style or quality of play. As before, the famous Spartak linemates scattered their opponents and bulged the twine behind opposing goaltenders. After Mayorov's retirement from top-level hockey, no trace of the line's signature style remained. Starshinov's skill allowed him to become a world champion three more times, but Vyacheslav Ivanovich, alone, was not enough to preserve the line's great tradition.

The Spartak captain compiled very impressive statistics. In 400 games in the Soviet League, he scored 255 goals, and in 50 matches between the World Championships and Olympics, he scored 30 goals. Boris Mayorov was a real fighter, one who could not be driven into a corner because he attacked without interruption or rest. Some foreign commentators considered him to be a rude fellow, but Boris Aleksandrovich was simply very emotional. Unfortunately, he could be enraged by the provocation of opponents, but he compensated for going to the penalty box by scoring goals, so much so that provocateurs were left dumbfounded.

His soccer career was also of interest. Twice, Boris Aleksandrovich took the field for the Spartak senior team. This happened in 1961, at the beginning of his career, when the red-and-white played against Pakhtakor and Kayrat. The leaders of the country's sporting association, however, having learned of this decision by the Spartak coaching staff, gave Nikolay Starostin and Nikita Simonyan a real dressing down for letting Mayorov play. "If he is injured and cannot play hockey, we will be sunk at the World Championships", officials said. Starostin was forced to obey, though in personal conversations with Boris Aleksandrovich, he stated more than once: "I am embarrassed to look at you; you are a lost man. What a soccer player you could have become!"

However, soccer remained among Mayorov's favourite sports for a long time: he played for the Spartak senior team in the Moscow championship, and for the second team in the Soviet championships.

Everyone who knew Mayorov well understood his extraordinary dedication. He was always willing to sacrifice himself for the common cause, putting team and teammates before himself. He entered any skirmish, any collision without fear, but with the smile and passion of a man who has lived his whole life on a raging sea, and fears not to jump into the rapids of a small river. Once Boris Aleksandrovich understood the burden of leadership – and that the great "Red Machine" could stall - he became a true leader, fired up his teammates, encouraged them. In the tensest situations, he always kept his focus, inspiring his teammates to smile, and joyfully go out and get one back or score still more goals.

This great forward could lay an absolutely unpredictable pass at the perfect time, could help his team on defense, block a shot, enter a scrum, work in on goal. And what clever passing! Sharp, quick movements allowed Mayorov to escape defenses and create scoring chances literally from nothing. And if he managed to get in on the goalkeeper, the latter was usually doomed – an easy feint, a twitch, an imperceptible movement of the stick - and the puck went into the net as if returning home. Often, he shot without windup, and the goalkeeper simply could not react to the puck flying past him.

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note: there is a bit more in the profile about Mayorov's coaching career which we have not taken the time to translate cleanly.
 
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Sturminator

Love is a duel
Feb 27, 2002
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West Egg, New York
Clean English translation of Alexander Ragulin's profile at the Russian site Championat:

ragulin_zpsbtxw8s3k.jpg


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Alexander Pavlovich Ragulin was born in Moscow one and a half months prior to the beginning of the Second World War (the Great Patriotic War), on May 5, 1941. The boy was born with not one, but two brothers – Anatoly and Mikhail also came into the world on that day. Triplets were a great surprise for the famous architects Pavel Nikolaevich and Sofya Viktorovny Ragulin, but their physical development was a bigger surprise still. The boys were rail thin as children, and their mother worried often about their health. Having met the famous Leonid Utyosov during the evacuation, Sofya Ragulin recognized the singer and greeted him. They got to talking, she showed him her children, and complained about their skinniness. "Don't worry, they will be strong fellows", Utyosov said, and as if from a wishing well, so it came to be. Later, it became clear that the Ragulin brothers would grow to become great athletes, on whose shoulders the fate of all Russia would hang.

The brothers went in similar directions, but to different ends. Anatoly Pavlovich became a sport instructor, international master of sports, and decorated coach of the USSR. He worked training cosmonauts for many years. Mikhail Pavlovich was fond of indoor field hockey (floorball), and became a master of the sport. Alexander Pavlovich preferred the career of "the ice fighter". He enjoyed success, as well.

The three brothers, all of whom studied at the 51st Moscow school, were destined for great futures as musicians. For them, hockey was for a long time only a hobby; they played for the school team, but the main events of their lives at that time occurred onstage. Sasha learned to play the bass, Tolia – a piano, and Mischa – cello. Beyond that, all three were wonderful artists, and their teachers noted that they were talented painters. Here, the proverb that the talented person is talented in all endeavors is confirmed. Who knows, perhaps the world would still speak of the great bass player Alexander Ragulin had Nikolai Semyonovich Epstein not brought these three onto his hockey team. Interestingly, the brothers played for the same team, but at different positions: Anatoli became the goalkeeper, Alexander – the defender, and Mikhail – the forward.

The brothers started up with "Chemist", which had long been famous for a technical and fluid style of hockey. It was not necessary to teach Ragulin how to play a physical game – his great size allowed him to easily toss opponents about, but the brilliant mastery of the technical or "smart" game became Alexander's calling card. Ragulin distinguished himself with the touch and accuracy of his passes, and an extraordinarily hard shot. In 1962, he was invited to play for CSKA and the Soviet national team, events which would alter the course of his life.

At the World Championships and Olympic Games, opponents immediately noticed the positional defenseman winning every battle. He surprised not only by way of his size, but also by his brilliant control of the game. Saint Pavlovich, as he was called (despite his tender age) by his partners on the national team, literally formed the foundation of all the team's actions. He was, as is now known, like a point guard, with great ice vision and exact passing. And Ragulin's level-headedness became widely known. If other legendary defensemen - Eduard Ivanov or Nikolai Sologubov – inspired teammates with charisma and passion, Ragulin instilled confidence and tranquillity. Such a fine attacking sense was, at that time, perhaps unique to him. The old music school proverb about patience and work was probably most clearly expressed in his person.

Unlike many modern "heavyweights", Alexander Pavlovich wasn't given to pugilism. He was peaceful and benevolent, rude neither in life, nor on the ice. If someone, out of inexperience or foolishness, tried to provoke him or start a fight, he would simply clamp his arms around the offender and squeeze until not only equipment, but also ribs were cracked.

Ragulin's offensive value should also be noted. At the 1966 World Championships, the Soviet defender registered 6 points (4+2), outscoring, for example, the legendary forward Anatoli Firsov, and tallying more goals than even Boris Mayorov. Not surprisingly, Alexander Pavlovich won the Directorate award for Best Defenseman of the tournament.

Among all the awards held by the greatest players in the history of hockey, it is necessary to place his final Olympic Games - Sapporo '72 - in a special category. At these games, Ragulin (along with Vitaly Davydov, Victor Kuzkin and Anatoli Firsov) won his third Olympic gold in ice hockey. This record has never been broken, though Vladislav Tretiak and Andrei Khomutov have tied it. Alexander Pavlovich is tied with Vladislav Aleksandrovich for the all-time record of World Championship gold medals, with ten each.

Alexander Ragulin said:
"We went to Sapporo with gold as our only goal, and it seems to me that we would have won even if the Canadians had played. We had a very strong and balanced team. We were ready to conquer all. Just like in 1972 - we proved that not only Canadians can play hockey, but Soviets, as well, and every bit as well."

These were his words regarding those Olympic Games and the legendary Summit Series, in which Canada also took part.

Ragulin's authority on CSKA and the national team was indisputable. Even when Sasha was still young, veteran CSKA players would defer to him in internal conflicts. If his teammates ever had a question that for any reason they could not take to the coaching staff, they would approach the clever, educated, and keenly aware Pavlovich, who over time became a sort of "final authority". His life experience, even-handed view of problems, and habitual kindness helped engender a familial environment on the team, which was many years later revived by the current staff of the national team.

Unlike the underrated Victor Konovalenko, the IIHF recognized Ragulin more than once as the best defender in the world, emphasizing his vision and unusual composure. He became famous far outside of the Socialist nations. Thousands came to watch "Big Rags" (as he was called in North America) play, and even after his retirement, Saint Pavlovich traveled far and wide with other veterans, even to countries where hockey is not so popular. For example, he was met in the Republic of South Africa (yes, you heard that correctly!) with love and appreciation. Even in this African nation, many had heard of the great Soviet hockey player.

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*description of his post-hockey career is left untranslated.
 
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Rob Scuderi

Registered User
Sep 3, 2009
3,378
2
Assist figures 60s Soviet stars

|GP|Assists|Assists Per Game
Boris Mayorov|211|77|.36
Veniamin Alexandrov|203|68|.33
Konstantin Loktev|109|34|.31
Anatoli Firsov|319|92|.29
Alexander Almetov|162|38|.23
Vyacheslav Starshinov|343|68|.20
 
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ImporterExporter

"You're a boring old man"
Jun 18, 2013
18,775
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Oblivion Express
I certainly think you will see some "adjusted" draft positions in upcoming ATD's the more we dig up here. I know some people have very differentiating opinions of Soviet players, especially pre 1970's stars but these are good finds and worth discussing moving forward.
 

Sturminator

Love is a duel
Feb 27, 2002
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The thing that I really like about the profiles on that site is that they seem to be extensively researched, not just boilerplate. From all the little details about the players' lives, to the Tarasov quotes, to the large variety of archival photos and cartoons of the players...the Championat folks seem to really know their stuff.

One can glean quite a bit of the overall narrative of the era from the profiles, as well, and though I haven't had much time to go through them, they also have fairly in-depth summaries of every single season in Soviet hockey history, the list of which can be found here (actually the results of a search query I fired off). Should be a treasure trove when we can find the time and energy to go through it all (I will not be asking Viktor to translate all of that).
 

Sturminator

Love is a duel
Feb 27, 2002
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Anyone interested in checking out what the 60's era Soviet team looked like on film, enjoy:



The Soviet lines:

Alexandrov (A) #8 - Almetov #9 - V. Yakushev #13
Yaroslav #7 - Starshinov #18 - B. Mayorov (K) #10
Firsov #11 (A) - Polupanov #12 - Vikulov #17

Pairings:

Ragulin #5 - Ivanov #3
Kuzkin #2 - Davydov #4
Zaitsev #6 - Nikitin #19​

- Canadian #17 is Carl Brewer

edit: after watching the video more closely, I noticed that the Soviets were not using 5-man units at this time, but rather switching lines/pairings out independently, in the North American style. I have seen it mentioned in other sources that the 1-2-2 system / 5-man units deployed on the Soviet national team did not come fully into form until 1968, though my knowledge of the exact timing of this tactical shift is incomplete.
 
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jarek

Registered User
Aug 15, 2009
10,004
238
The thing that I really like about the profiles on that site is that they seem to be extensively researched, not just boilerplate. From all the little details about the players' lives, to the Tarasov quotes, to the large variety of archival photos and cartoons of the players...the Championat folks seem to really know their stuff.

One can glean quite a bit of the overall narrative of the era from the profiles, as well, and though I haven't had much time to go through them, they also have fairly in-depth summaries of every single season in Soviet hockey history, the list of which can be found here (actually the results of a search query I fired off). Should be a treasure trove when we can find the time and energy to go through it all (I will not be asking Viktor to translate all of that).

If someone did go through the trouble to translate all that, we'd have such a wonderfully clear picture of the play style of all the Soviet players.. it just might take a decade. LOL
 

Sturminator

Love is a duel
Feb 27, 2002
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West Egg, New York
Clean English translation of Vitali Davydov's profile at the Russian site Championat:

davydov_zpsqa2q4d2d.jpg


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Among athletes, there are some individuals whose achievements are eternal, unreachable for future generations. Vitali Semyonovich Davydov is a shining example of this sort. Three times, this legendary defenseman became Olympic champion: only six other people in history have matched this record, and none have bettered it.

Vitali Semyonovich's entire life revolved around Moscow "Dynamo". He lived with his mother Claudia Ivanovna close to the club's stadium. His father, Semyon Ivanovich, died on the front in 1942, and life after the war was very hard for the future hockey hero. Vitali's hockey career started on a rink on the Lower Maslovka, knocking a puck around with the neighbourhood boys. His entrance into the Dynamo program was a complete accident. Once, during a game, one of Dynamo's trainers, Ilya Vasilyevich Bizyukov, passed by and took notice of the tiny but fleet youngster. He called Vitali over, and invited to join the club's program. From that day on, the walls of Dynamo stadium became home to Davydov.

At that time, the young man was literally in love with hockey, though he was also skilled at soccer. The hockey boom in the country was massive, although special sports academies did not yet exist, but were introduced incrementally over the next 14 years. All Soviet hockey of that era was played on "wild" domestic teams, of which Vitali Davydov was a product.

He began his career as a forward, and became a defenseman by chance. He rose together with Vladimir Yurzinov up the ladder of Dynamo teams – third, second, and finally the first - coach Arkady Chernyshev's senior team. Davydov's position switch occured at this time. Here's how it went: in 1956, the blue-and-white went on exhibition tours across the Soviet Union, taking with them only three defensemen. One of them - Oleg Tolmachyov – was injured in Kirovo-Chepetsk, and Chernyshev suggested that young Davydov play on the blueline. Vitaly, of course, wanted to answer with Vladimir Vysotsky's words "I shall die of exhaustion - I will not sigh, but will run, perhaps, only the first lap, then I will die", but he simply accepted. The luckless forward got no sleep that night, and said to his coach in the morning: "If it is not necessary, it would be better not to...". Nevertheless, Chernyshev asked him to take the ice at the unfamiliar position, he was successful, and forever after remained a defenseman.

It would be misleading, however, to say that this transition came naturally to the young Dynamo player. He had no problem with physical play, often sought out contact, but unlike other defensemen of that time such as Nikolai Sologubov, Ivan Tregubov, Alfred Kuchevsky, and Alexander Ragulin, he did not possess intimidating size. Arkady Chernyshev, however, saw in him great potential as a defenseman, and was not mistaken. Wise psychologist, and great strategist, that man.

Though lacking in great natural strength, Davydov developed excellent technique and leverage, and so became a hero of international hockey. More bulk came over time - thanks to Vitaly Semyonovich's dedication and training. His commitment soon won him a place on the Soviet national team, the strongest in the world. Many experts noted his great speed and agility. The fire burned within him almost every game, and even the best forwards considered it a great achievement to get by this brilliant technician. Davydov became the symbol of Dynamo, and the original "dynamo" of the Soviet team. He filled his teammates with energy and verve, a quality which was particularly valued by his coaches.

The story of how Vitali Semyonovich was injured during the Canadian-American tour is well-known. Doctors said that it would be a long time before he could return to the ice, but he had different ideas. Training with a single-minded determination, he quickly returned to fitness, and was back with the national team for the World Championships in Finland.

Team Canada was always Davydov's "favorite" national team – and against them, he always played his best matches. Representatives of the "Maple Leafs" were generally surprised by the versatility of the Soviet defensemen, who excelled not only in defense, but also in attack.

Vitaly Semyonovich was always friendly with journalists, and for a long time, even published his own magazine on hockey players. As material for the "Glavred", Davydov used letters from home which were sent to the national team in huge sacks. Often children wrote with childish spontaneity to demand goals against the Czechs instead of, say, candy or chocolate.

Davydov considered Nikolai Sologubov, the great veteran, first Soviet Olympic champion and fixture on the national team, to be the greatest defenseman in history. Vitali Semyonovich seldom met the legendary player, but considered him his mentor, all the same.

The most unlikely and heroic episode in Davydov's career occurred against Canada during one of the friendlies. Anatoli Tarasov's description of the incident:

Anatoli Tarasov said:
"Brave and bold players were always selected to play for our national team, but even they were once amazed by an act of valour — I shall not hesitate to use this term — from defenseman Vitali Davydov. It happened in the USA, in Colorado, where we met the Canadian national team. In the second period, the center Bourbonne, seeing that he could not beat Davydov honestly, struck him with his stick. Like an axe, with two hands, he struck Vitali in the lower jaw. Our defenseman fell, but seeing that the Canadian had stolen the puck and was headed towards the Soviet goal, he jumped up, pressed his left hand to his bloodstained face, and rushed off to catch him.

Next occured something unexpected even to us, the coaching staff, and we have seen a lot. Vitali caught the Canadian from behind, knocked the puck away, and ended the threat. He could not rise from the ice, and was carried off by his teammates. When helped up, Vitaly lost consciousness. At the hospital, they said Vitali's lower jaw had been broken in eight places. What force of will - despite excruciating pain, to rush not to the doctor, but to the aid of his goalkeeper".

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*small section on his coaching career omitted
 
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Sturminator

Love is a duel
Feb 27, 2002
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Clean English translation of Viktor Kuzkin's profile at the Russian site Championat:

kuzkin_zpsujckijhv.jpg


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"A little bit goes a long way" – teammates on the national team said of the famous defenseman from the legendary Young Pioneers Stadium, Victor Kuzkin.

Along with many other famous Soviet hockey players, Victor Kuzkin grew up fatherless, his father having died on the front. The boy spent his childhood in the shadow of the Botkin hospital, where his mother Maria Afanasyevna worked for 40 years as the nurse. The soccer field on hospital grounds was flooded in the winter so that local boys had the chance to play both soccer and bandy ("Canadian hockey" having not yet been introduced here). Vitya was an all-around athlete as a child, and besides team sports, got involved in skating, volleyball and even boxing.

The famous Young Pioneers Stadium, which served as the first "professional" hockey rink for many great masters, was Kuzkin's home ice. "The Children of Botkin", as Vitya and his companions were called, would carry on using the skills they had learned on the stadium rinks. These brave boys, united by the loss of their fathers, spent interminable hours driving rag balls or cans across the field, as if trying to suppress the pain of loss. Among Vitya's companions at the "Young Pioneers" stadium were future "Lokomotiv" hockey players Yuri Chumichkin, Boris Spirkin and Victor Yakushev, with whom Kuzkin would play on the national team. Valeri Vasiliev, who would later become a famous hockey player and coach, was also one of Viktor's companions.

Soon enough, Kuzkin started training with CSKA and was invited to join the club's youth team, from which he eventually graduated to the senior team. His best friend, Oleg Parinchuk, who was at that time considering his own move to the red-and-blue, helped prepare the teenager mentally for life on the Red Army team.

Two famous coaches - Boris Ivanovich Afanasyev, the first teacher of many Olympic champions, and Alexander Nikolaevich Vinogradov, World and European Champion in 1954, gave Victor Grigoryevich a start. Incidentally, both were brilliant football players from the legendary "lieutenants' team".

Both teachers were very strict with their pupils – besides training them in the fine techniques traditional of Soviet hockey, they were also required to do a lot of dirty work on the ice. Viktor's partners at that time were the goaltender Victor Zinger, Oleg Golyamin and Vladimir Kamenev, all of whom eventually became famous, as well. It is worth noting that smallish players were generally put at the forward positions on youth teams, but Victor started his career on the youth team already a defenseman. When Kuzkin was recommended to Anatoli Tarasov for the national team, the coach remarked: "spindly, weak, with thin legs", intimating that the young boy could not hold up in the physical game required of a defenseman. Ah, had Anatoli Vladimirovich known that this "little boy" would become a three-time Olympic and eight-time World Champion, he might have taken more care with his words.

But Kuzkin became a leader on his youth team, and in 1960 won his first real victory – his team capturing the youth championship of the country. Victor was again the object of scrutiny, and this time Tarasov's intuition didn't hold him back. At first Kuzkin was a practice team player for the team that won the Armed Forces' title, but by the next season, he was already part of the senior Red Army team. Along with Kuzkin, the red-and-blue was defended by Nikolay Sologubov, Ivan Tregubov, Dmitry Ukolov, Heinrich Sidorenkov, and Nikolay Puchkov. All of these excellent defensemen were Olympic champions, but Viktor still managed to stand out from the crowd.

Kuzkin lacked the amazing physical strength of a Ragulin, but his small size and medium strength were balanced out by great passion and courage. In soccer, tenacious, fearless defensemen are called "bull terriers", but Kuzkin also counted among his virtues inner peace, and an absolute rejection of the dirty side of the game.

If Ragulin was Saint Pavlovich to the national team, and settled disputes in a sincere and even-handed manner, Kuzkin was "best friend" and confidant - because he was not indiscreet, but rather understanding and helpful. Even the greatest collection of stars paid Victor Grigoryevich their respects, more than once electing him as captain of both CSKA and the national team.

He gave his best hockey years to the club. Kuzkin led the team to the Soviet league title 13 times, establishing one of the eternal records (shared now with Vladislav Tretiak). On the national team, the defenseman also gathered victories: three Olympic golds, eight World Championships, and eight European Championships. Victor Grigoryevich has traditionally been called one of the best defenders in Soviet hockey history.

Boris Mayorov said:
"On the ice, he was distinguished by his great skating. Such defensemen are extremely difficult to beat. When paired with the stay-at-home style of Davydov, opponents simply had no chance to break in on our goal. Kuzkin did not take risks, nor make unnecessary movements. This, by the way, became his credo."

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*section on his coaching career omitted.
 
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BenchBrawl

Registered User
Jul 26, 2010
30,844
13,628
Neat profiles, thank you Sturm and thanks to your russian friend.

I'll use that in a Kuzkin profile.
 

Sturminator

Love is a duel
Feb 27, 2002
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West Egg, New York
For anyone not completely clear on the timeline of Soviet national team performance in the 1960's through to the 1972 Summit Series, here it is:

Year | Tournament | Place | Record | Goal Differential | Score(s) vs. Canada
1958 | WEC-A | 2nd | 5-1-1 | +29 | (2-4)
1959 | WEC-A | 2nd | 4-1-0 | +10 | (1-3)
1960 | WEC-A/Olympics | 3rd | 2-2-1 | +5 | (5-8)
1961 | WEC-A | 3rd | 5-2-0 | +31 | (1-5)
1962 | WEC-A | -----| ----- | -----| Boycotted Tournament Total | ----- | ----- | 16-6-2 | +75 | Record: 0-4 :: GF/GA: 9-20

As you can see, up until 1962, there was nothing much impressive about the Soviet national team. They were one of the better European sides, but couldn't beat the Canadian amateur teams in international competition and hadn't won a tournament for quite some time. The USSR boycotted the 1962 World Championships held in Colorado Springs, Colorado in solidarity with the East German players, many of whom had had their visas denied by the American government.

Some time between 1961 and 1963, Anatoli Tarasov returned as coach (or rather co-coach with Chernyshev) of the national team. Here is their record from that point to the Summit Series in 1972:

Year | Tournament | Place | Record | Goal Differential | Score(s) vs. Canada
1963 | WEC-A | 1st | 6-1-0 | +41 | (4-2)
1964 | WEC-A/Olympics | 1st | 7-0-0 | +44 | (3-2)
1965 | WEC-A | 1st | 7-0-0 | +38 | (4-1)
1966 | WEC-A | 1st | 6-0-1 | +48 | (3-0)
1967 | WEC-A | 1st | 7-0-0 | +49 | (2-1)
1968 | WEC-A/Olympics | 1st | 6-1-0 | +38 | (5-0)
1969 | WEC-A | 1st | 8-2-0 | +36 | (7-1) ; (4-2)
1970 | WEC-A | 1st | 9-1-0 | +57 | Beginning of Canadian Boycott (ended 1977)
1971 | WEC-A | 1st | 8-1-1 | +53 | -----
1972 | Olympics | 1st | 4-1-0 | +20 | -----
----- | ----- | ----- |----- |-----| Tarasov Fired
1972 | WEC-A | 2nd | 7-2-1 | +63 | -----
Total | ----- | ----- | 75-9-3 | +487 | Record: 8-0 :: GF/GA: 32-9
 

Sturminator

Love is a duel
Feb 27, 2002
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West Egg, New York
Here is another excellent game video of the Soviet national team in the 1960's - this time from the 1964 USSR - Canada tilt:



The Soviet lines:

#8 Alexandrov - #9 Almetov - #7 Loktev
#12 B. Mayorov - #11 Starshinov - #14 E. Mayorov
#13 Firsov - #10 V. Yakushev - #15 Volkov

Pairings:

#4 Ragulin - #3 Ivanov
#5 Davydov - #2 Kuzkin​

*the Soviets appear to have used only two regular pairings in this game.
 
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Theokritos

Global Moderator
Apr 6, 2010
12,538
4,911
Thanks for the excellent contributions Sturminator! At the risk of being greedy, I hope there is more to come.

A comment on the "Tarasov Fired" note: Both Tarasov and Chernyshov were let go after the 1972 Olympics. The latter doesn't get a lot of press (and didn't get it back then either) but he was the head coach and his influence and importance for the national team are severely underrated/understated. He deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Tarasov here.
 

Sturminator

Love is a duel
Feb 27, 2002
9,894
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West Egg, New York
Clean English translation of Anatoli Firsov's profile at the Russian site Championat:

firsov_zpsifhbgq0k.jpg


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Today's story concerns one of the best forwards in hockey history, whose game the demanding Anatoli Tarasov called "ideal".

Anatoli Firsov was born in Moscow on February 1, 1941. Like many of his cohort, the boy grew up fatherless, his father having died on the front. And like many others, he got into sports at an early age. He started playing bandy, then the more popular sport in the USSR, and didn't begin playing ice hockey until the age of 16. Spartak Moscow was his first senior team. Here, Firsov describes in an interview how he came to play for CSKA:

Anatoli Firsov said:
"I was 19 years old, and played for Spartak. The time came for military service, and the CSKA coaches took notice of me. I didn't really want to join the Red Army team at that time, and hid from coach Alexander Novokreshcheny for three days. When I came home, I found the military commissar and the chief of police waiting for me. They took me to enlist in the military, processed all of my documents, and sent me to Riga that same day to play for my new team. In the match against Riga, I scored two goals, which accounted for CSKA's margin of victory - 4:2".

At that time, it would have been hard to picture Firsov as a terrifying striker – so thin was he that Anatoli Tarasov called him "skeleton". These words were taken by Anatoli as a call to action, and within six months he no longer had to fear the weigh-ins, having gained five kilograms of muscle. Firsov trained like a man possessed; often Tarasov had to throw him out of the gym. Firsov always recalled the former coach, who in some ways was a father figure to Anatoli, with profound gratitude and respect:

Anatoli Firsov said:
"Because I lost my father in the war, Tarasov was somewhat more tender in his treatment of me. He not only taught me to play hockey, but forced me also to learn. So I finished my studies in school, then at the institute, then the university program for sports science. I am grateful to him for so many things. But I never asked for special privileges from Tarasov. On the contrary: he always demanded more from me than from the others".

And Anatoli Tarasov, for his part, had great admiration and respect for one of his greatest players:

Anatoli Tarasov said:
"I cannot picture Anatoli Firsov without a smile on his face – clear, open, but with a slight frown. This thing - this Firsovite smile - put everyone around him in a good mood. But not all – for Anatoli's opponents it meant a bad mood. Not only did the great forward beat them, but he smiled while doing so. And when his opponent became angry while trying to keep up with Firsov and finally fouled him, Anatoli could – with the same smile on his face – pat him on the shoulder as if to say: go have a rest…and so many had to "have a rest" in this way, including the best international players in the world.

His unique style was expressed in a flow of feints, dekes, fake passes and, of course, "crowned" by shots - rehearsed, determined by game situation, but resulting almost always in goals – all this distinguished Anatoli Firsov, even among the exclusive group of outstanding domestic and international forwards. Anatoli had mastered all methods of attack. And when he sensed that his opponent had "fallen into the trap" - a burst of speed, the whistle of the wind - off Firsov went.

And the famous Firsovite shot – score! Unlike many current players, he never used it blindly. Everything - the movement of the goaltender, the position of teammates and opponents – was seen and calculated by Anatoli. Depending on the situation, he might hesitate before shooting, or lay a pass on his linemate's tape, all with the same result – goal. His game had such a simple perfection when viewed from the stands that he was once asked: 'It is difficult to play as you do?' In his natural style, he answered: 'It is simple...very simple. It is rather difficult, however, to train to play this way…'

In training, Firsov improved upon old methods, found new ones, simply made the most of his time. His infected many, especially younger training partners, with his passion. "Passion", however, is not quite the right word with regard to Firsov. More precisely, perhaps, one might say: he trained and played violently…

Sometimes we, the coaches, attempted to constrain the irrepressible Anatoli's training, but our attempts were in vain. Moreover, he added complexity to the exercises we set out for him - complicated jumps by maintaining control of the puck - like dance steps, or modern aerobics. He made things so difficult for himself that other soldiers who could hardly be shocked anymore were left speechless in his presence.

When Firsov came to us at CSKA, he was not much of an athlete – here and there even bones could be seen sticking out from under a thin layer of muscle. But he immediately and unconditionally came to believe in the value of training, and his training quickly yielded visible results: his muscles grew stronger, weight increased, shots got harder. Externally, however, he never did look like the heroic sort, but it was rare, indeed, for opponents to win an individual struggle against him. It is not only that Anatoli developed the highest level of strength, speed and dexterity – he also possessed a god-given cunning which he had honed to perfection. It should suffice to recall the famous "skate – stick" move which (as they do in gymnastics) should really be named after its creator, Anatoli Firsov.

Literally from his first steps as a hockey player, opponents gave Anatoli special attention - with all that implies - and from year to year this "attention" grew. Checking became tighter and checkers more plentiful. At this point, Firsov began tricking his opponent into thinking he had lost control of the puck, baiting them into trying to play it with their sticks. Just as the opponent believed he would win the puck, Firsov would put on a burst of speed and move the puck in a "stick – skate – stick" sequence, blowing by his mark. Anatoli eventually perfected this technique, and though all of the hockey world knew of this Firsovite weapon, no one learned how to stop it.

I must say another word about Firsov the athlete. It often happens that the athlete, having achieved recognition, begins to take certain liberties. In twelve years of working with Anatoli, I could not once find fault with his conduct – neither lateness nor violations of team rules. I believe: the future of sport is men such as Firsov, in which the concientious attitude of the athlete shall become the norm.

Strong skills, the ability to fight for victory – all of this Anatoli demonstrated more than once. And yet, as coach, I see that such a player as Firsov has even greater value to the team.

We gave Anatoli a place on one of the top three lines at CSKA. Later, when we put seventeen year old Vladimir Vikulov and Victor Polupanov on his line, Firsov's influence on them was so great that the young line managed to become the top line, first at CSKA, and then on the national team.

Anatoli was, of course, the leader, but in the process, Vikulov developed many subtle tactics, and Polupanov progressed as a goal scorer. Whoever had the benefit of playing with Firsov began to shine as never before.

For ten years, Anatoli played on the left wing, but when we suggested that he move to midfield in the new system, he agreed at once, without hesitation. This was a fundamentally different role for him - to be engaged primarily in the build-up of attacks, the creation of conditions for the two high forwards – Vladimir Vikulov and Valery Kharlamov. Anatoly Firsov played this role, essentially new in the history of hockey, perfectly, as always, and his line in 1972 did not concede even a single goal against.

I don't recall that anyone else in 10–12 years of hockey at the highest level has proven to be so versatile. He could bring together such excellent teams, such excellent lines".

Firsov was the first Soviet player to use a curved stick. He quarrelled with Tarasov for a long time about it, but eventually the coach relented. For a long time, though, only Firsov was allowed to play with a curved stick.

We no longer have enough people like Bobrov, Tarasov, Firsov, and many others, those who created Soviet hockey out of whole cloth, and devoted everything they had to it. Anatoli Firsov said of his favorite coach:

Anatoli Firsov said:
"Tarasov - the man who I always held up as an example. Yes, he was strict, sometimes even cruel. I would call him a dictator, to some extent. Even when we won World and Olympic Championships, Tarasov kept a tight rein on us. He was fanatically devoted to hockey, and spared neither himself nor others in pursuit of his goals. I will never forget a match between CSKA and Spartak when the referees made a mistake and gave our opponents a goal scored illegally. Tarasov took the team off the ice for half an hour, and would bend neither for the club president, the Minister of Defence, nor even the chairman of the sport committee, who demanded that the match continue. He relented only when Brezhnev made a personal request that his team return to the ice. Tarasov lived hockey. He needed neither money, nor other material things. Having received a simple two-room apartment, he lived in it all his life. I remember, after victory in the '64 Olympics, we planned to travel to Gorky. The government did not provide us with a special car, nor even with reserved seating. Tarasov decided that the team can ride in the general passenger compartment. No one was indignant: if that was the coach's decision, then so be it".

Firsov also loved the theatre, which one can agree is quite unusual for an athlete. He counted many actors as friends:

Anatoli Firsov said:
"…my friends in the theatre gave me brilliant acting lessons. From them, I learned to be an actor on the ice. Sometimes, while struggling with an opponent, I could fall so beautifully, with such a matching grimace on my face that the referee sent him to the penalty box straight away".

Men play off of women. This truism is perfectly exemplified by Anatoli Firsov. He met his future wife Nadezhda at the age of 18. In forty years of marriage, they experienced many things together, so much so that Firsov could not endure his wife's passing – shortly after her death, he began having heart problems which quickly claimed his life. Anatoli Firsov considered his sporting achievements to be in many ways a testament to his wife's virtue:

Anatoli Firsov said:
"It is not outside the realm of possibility that had I remained single, I might have wasted my talent. When you have a family, you hurry home. When you are single, as a rule, you spend time with other bachelors, you go with them to restaurants, you drink...".

1972 was a critical year for Firsov - an hour after receiving a medal for victory at the Olympic Games, he learned that he had been dropped from the national team. And so his career in international hockey ended at the age of 31. After the Olympic Games, Vsevolod Bobrov was appointed head coach of the national team. Firsov's detractors convinced Bobrov that Firsov - Tarasov's pet - would make trouble for the new coaching staff. He was left off of the team that went to the World Championships in Prague in spite of the fact that it had been Firsov and his linemates - Valery Kharlamov and Vladimir Vikulov - who had largely been responsible for the Olympic victory in Sapporo. After the Prague fiasco, Firsov hoped to return to the national team, but it never happened. He recalled:

Anatoli Firsov said:
"I was immediately invited by NHL clubs to come play in North America. I must admit, I even secretly met a representative of the Montreal Canadiens. Naturally, I was prepared to play in the NHL only at the pleasure of the Soviet government. When sports officials learned of my meeting with the Canadiens, there was a scandal. I was "purged" from all official positions and permanently banned from traveling abroad".

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*section on his post-playing career omitted
 

Sturminator

Love is a duel
Feb 27, 2002
9,894
1,070
West Egg, New York
Thanks for the excellent contributions Sturminator! At the risk of being greedy, I hope there is more to come.

I will needle Viktor to do the translations for all of the players that I can get, though lesser lights like Viktor Yakushev or Polupanov will probably not warrant the effort. He just sent me a funny note with the Firsov translation:

Viktor said:
Ah, that Firsov profile took forever. I will be happy when we are finished with the players who skated for Tarasov. His text is a joy to read, but hell to translate. He writes more in the style of a novelist - like Dostoevski - than a writer of hockey books. I try to preserve the poetic quality of Tarasov's words, but it is difficult, and his meanings are not always crystal clear. I look forward to some dumb and straightforward quotes from Kulagin and Tikhonov.

A comment on the "Tarasov Fired" note: Both Tarasov and Chernyshov were let go after the 1972 Olympics. The latter doesn't get a lot of press (and didn't get it back then either) but he was the head coach and his influence and importance for the national team are severely underrated/understated. He deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Tarasov here.

I wish I knew more about Chernyshev's role on the national team. I see him mentioned only rarely when reading about those teams, and generally only in connection with the Dynamo players, who he coached at the club level. I gather that he was the more diplomatic figure, the players' coach, and that Tarasov was the primary X's-and-O's guy, but that feels like a terribly superficial account of what was really going on.

What do you know about Chernyshev, Theo?
 
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Sturminator

Love is a duel
Feb 27, 2002
9,894
1,070
West Egg, New York
Clean English translation of Vladimir Vikulov's profile on the Russian site Championat:

vikulov_zpsnrwubfub.jpg


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Moscow native Vladimir Vikulov was born on July 20, 1946, and began to draw the attention of coaches at a young age with his performances on the ice. He was eventually brought into the CSKA training program at the age of 15. Three years later, in 1964, the 18 year old Volodya was invited to play for the senior team at the behest of the great Anatoli Tarasov, who could see his talent from the beginning.

Vikulov's qualities were truly impressive. He was a terrific skater with outstanding speed, an incisive shot and brilliant intuition around the goal. Vladimir was unpredictable in attack, often leaving opponents grasping, not knowing what to expect as he rushed at them. Vikulov was, above all, an excellent stickhandler, for which he earned the nickname "slalom racer", and then the informal title of "craftiest" forward in the world. His actions on the rink were always sudden, unexpected, but at the same time sure and purposeful.

For many years, his linemates on the club and national teams were Anatoli Firsov and Victor Polupanov; all opponents feared this formidable line.

Anatoli Firsov said:
"Cunning, very cunning, unusually cunning hockey player. Understands the game very well. Artistic forward. Controlling the puck, carrying it with great speed, seeing the ice clearly and thinking, thinking...his pass is precise...punishes his opponent for the slightest, most imperceptible error. Tremendous hockey sense. Loves the puck, knows what to do with it, but gives it up willingly, gladly. Of course, not out of kindness - Vikulov has a keen sense for the moment, the time to "deliver" a pass. And our production, our goals — Volodya's passes, his work."

- so spoke Firsov about his linemate.

Polupanov echoed his sentiments:

Viktor Polupanov said:
"Invention, initiative - Vikulov had these qualities over everyone. He was always in motion, searching, offering himself to receive a pass, aiding the defense, if necessary. Having received the puck at the red line, he doesn't wait for numbers to attack - initiates the attack himself, takes over the game. Physically strong, agile, nimble, not afraid of the physical game, and almost never loses battles. But always very polite, correct - is very seldom sent off! Weaknesses? His shot. Ah...Vikulov's shooting - the butt of many jokes! How often we laughed at him, trying to get him to shoot on goal from the blueline (18 meters) - it was useless. Volodya does not favor hard shots. For him, a goal from far away is not a goal. To deke the defenseman in the "slot", to "lay down" the goaltender with a clever feint, and flip the puck into an empty net - this, he considers a real success. Volodya doesn't always hunt for goals - he is not greedy for them. Even when he is in a good position, he will gladly give the puck to his linemate - let him have the goal. Vikulov doesn't seem to mind".

Some time later, the coaches of the national team transformed the excellent line into part of the top 5-man unit, one of the best in Soviet hockey history. Polupanov was replaced by Valeri Kharlamov, with Alexander Ragulin and Gennady Tsygankov behind them – the famous defensemen who played equally well wherever they were deployed. They were even referred to as "midfielders" for their attacking style of play.

And if, during the victory at the 1968 Olympics, Firsov and Polupanov considered Vikulov the "baby" of the top line, four years later, Kharlamov felt like a "pupil" in Vikulov's company.

Valeri Kharlamov said:
"Volodya Vikulov was born in 1946, making him two years younger than Mikhailov, but playing on a line with him, I did not consider him an equal, but deferred to him as a veteran. Is that strange? Not at all! Other concepts of age hold sway in hockey. Spring of 1967 - the World Championships in Vienna - the line of Vladimir Vikulov, Victor Polupanov and Anatoly Firsov stands above all others. Vikulov becomes a two-time world champion, and who but a few people had heard the name Mikhailov or Petrov, nevermind my name? Vikulov was already a master of the highest order by 1972...a six-time (!) world champion. This is why I write about playing in the "school" of Firsov and Vikulov, for though by that time I was already capable of much, myself, still I felt like like an apprentice in their company."

- said the legendary Kharlamov of his linemate.

When the magnificent five took the ice, even the team's most serious rivals (such as the Canadians or Czechoslovaks) could not resist them. Any mistake on the opponent's part, any false move - repaid by a counterattack in which Vikulov and his partners almost always scored a goal. Unique technique, brilliant combination play and excellent passing at terrific speed helped Vladimir Ivanovich overcome any obstacles in his way. More than once, his goals decided matches, and his playmaking talent was appreciated by partners, coaches, and, of course, fans of hockey.

In his long career, Vladimir Vikulov became Soviet champion seven times, and won the Soviet Cup three times as a member of CSKA. After leaving the Moscow team in 1979, he played for another army team - Leningrad SKA. Vikulov scored 283 goals in 520 matches in the Soviet league.

Vladimir Ivanovich played for the national team for 12 years, twice won Olympic gold, was a seven-time world champion, and also won silver at the World Championships and bronze at the Canada Cup. Our hero scored 52 goals in 71 international matches. More than once, he was best forward and best scorer of the Soviet championships and the largest international tournaments. Interestingly, such well-known figures as Victor Zhluktov and Boris Alexandrov also got their start playing on a line with Vladimir.
 
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seventieslord

Student Of The Game
Mar 16, 2006
36,080
7,131
Regina, SK
I have a lot of stuff on Firsov and Loktev from three books, most importantly Tarasov's two books that have been translated to english. I've had these passages bookmarked for nearly two months, with plans to dictate them out, but I haven't gotten around to it. I should at least take photos of the pages for you to see, and hopefully someone takes the time to type them in this thread for posterity.
 

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