Valeri Kamensky

[Sentinel]

Kamensky was a beast but injuries slowed him. I don't think he had effort problems. In fact, he was a very hard worker on the Avs teams. And his line with Lemieux and Forsberg was the stuff of legends. One of five best snapshots in the world at that time.

 

[Troubadour]

mogilny broke his leg in the 1993 playoffs against montreal.

Yeah, it was terrible. Ew. Anyway, I was probably wrong to begin with. Fedorov beat him in the final of the fastest skater competition in 92. Mogilny wouldn't have made it to the final in 94 (it was Coffey who got smoked by Sergei).

The video of the final race used to be on YouTube; just not anymore, which is too bad, as it's quite possibly one of the most (if not the single most) breathtaking race. You can probably imagine Mogilny held his own.

Anyway, unlike Staniowski who saw them play as a bunch of teenagers, I always thought and felt Fedorov was faster. Other than that, yeah, Mogilny was very smooth and elegant and natural.

EDIT:

Confirmed:

43rd NHL All-Star Game

A photo finish. Mogilny lost by a hair. Somebody should put the video back up.

Here's the ugly moment that feels painful to watch:



It was actually the second fracture in twelve months and quite possibly the one that kinda broke his spirit and passion for the game.

 

[mobilus]

Kamensky looked Kovalchuky...

 

[Jim MacDonald]

Val was unreal, and had skill to burn. I often wondered how he would've looked in the NHL had he not suffered that horrible leg injury.

Kamensky's injury cut short by a bad leg injury gang? Was this some point after he went to the Rangers I take it? What happened?

 

[Theokritos]

Kamensky's injury cut short by a bad leg injury gang? Was this some point after he went to the Rangers I take it? What happened?

It was before he even got to the NHL. He broke his leg in a game with the Soviet national team in August 1991 and was out for half a year. After he had finally joined the Nordiques in February 1992, an ankle injury apparently followed. He wasn't the skater he had been before:

Kamensky could really fly out there, damn, his acceleration was second to none [in 1987 Canada Cup]

Kamensky had an incredible first step before his broken leg. One of the best I saw. Helped him create instant separation. Would have served him well in the NHL.

Kamensky broke his leg right before his NHL career, then his ankle his rookie year.

His speed and acceleration were never the same afterwards, which unfortunately were important aspects of his game.

 

[TheGoldenJet]

Kamensky peaked at 29 years of age back in 1996 with that 85 point season. He had good two way-play and great foot speed to go along with his high hockey IQ. Probably a top 5 or 6 LW in the game at his peak, who could elevate his game to the next level in the big games (eg 96 and 97 playoffs).

 

[GlitchMarner]

Ah, yes. That goal. That's a classic.

 

[Troubadour]

He also knocked out Ulf Samuelsson with a single blow.

Well, was a 1-2 actually (in case the cross connects).

 

[Speedtrials]

He was finished by the time he signed with the Rangers. However, I remember when he went to the Devils, i was sitting behind him during a devil's game(guess he was a healthy stratch for them) don't think I ever saw someone in better shape in my life.

 

[Jim MacDonald]

Kamensky peaked at 29 years of age back in 1996 with that 85 point season. He had good two way-play and great foot speed to go along with his high hockey IQ. Probably a top 5 or 6 LW in the game at his peak, who could elevate his game to the next level in the big games (eg 96 and 97 playoffs).

Interesting to learn that he was considered a good two-way player....this piques my interest in terms of checking out his plus/minus numbers throughout his career and stuff. Although a lot of time has passed where I've forgotten about this a bit....and I focus more on Ranford supposedly "going off the deep end," in the Wings-Avs 99 quarters it was written the Avs getting Kamensky back for game 3 was a bit of a turning point in the series.

 

[Sentinel]

2008 in Quebec

View media item 2005

 

[Jim MacDonald]

2008 in Quebec

View media item 2005

Sweeettt!!! How cool is that??!! Way to go Sentinel!

 

[Boxscore]

Kamensky was really, really underrated during his career and continues to be so after it in my opinion...he was a monster. Big frame, very skilled, bomb of a shot. Unfortunately, he didn't want to be "on" 100% of the time, but when he wanted to do something ridiculous with the puck, he definitely could...kind of like Alexei Kovalev in a lot of ways...

I don't think he was quite as talented as Alexander Mogilny, but Kamensky could do some damage for sure...

I agree completely with this. Kamensky was a no drama, stoic, often-expressionless talent, who could dazzle and shoot with the best of them. I loved watching him play - definitely an underrated player.

 

[Klaus3154]

Thought he would break out and display all that talent when he came to the Rangers but he just absolutely disappeared You would see flashes of his skill then he would be irrelevant for the next 4 games. Another failed Ranger signing during the Dark Ages

 

[RorschachWJK]

He also knocked out Ulf Samuelsson with a single blow.

Well, was a 1-2 actually (in case the cross connects).

I had forgotten about this one. I always liked him as a player but that makes me love him

I f***ing hate Samuelsson.

 

[Khomutov]

I wanted to start a thread about Kamensky, than found this one. What a amazing player he was. Also i didn't knew that he scored the first goal in Colorado Avalanche history.



And it was against the Red Wings.

 

[Pominville Knows]

What is the time-line on the Kamensky injury? Because he never posted any stats in Russia that would indicate he was any better than Bure at least at any age really. Bure had 17 goals and 26 points in 32 games as a 17–18 year old.

Perhaps whoever said he was more talented forgot about their age difference when they were about to cross the ocean. I mean, Kamensky was still young but come on now.

 

[Vanzig]

He was streaky, but he did score the most incredible Goal I have ever seen in my life in the 1987 Canada Cup falling down with 1 hand on his stick deleting by Bourque and i think Patrick or someone, but he deked by like 4 guys.

The 80 Game schedule I think he couldn’t handle, though

It was a beauty, Best Goal I Ever Seen!!!

 

[MaxV]

Something could also be said about the age at which he made his NHL debut. He was already 26 by his NHL debut.

Soviet hockey was so different from NHL, there was a significant adjustment. Guys like Fedorov, Bure and Mogilny were younger and were able to make a fairly quick adjustment. The Green Unit guys were already on the back end of their careers, so their NHL careers didn’t live up to their standards.

Kamensky was between case. While he was still a fairly young player, a lot of his development as a player was already finished. He had to re-learn some things that were already established in his game.

 

[Boxscore]

Kamensky looked Kovalchuky...

Kamensky reminds me more of Kucherov in the way he played TBH.

 

[VanIslander]

When people talk about the Dead Puck era I think about how EXCEPTIONAL were the cycling duos of Hossa-Bonk in Ottawa and Forsberg-Kamensky in Colorado. Their ability to control the puck for entire shifts in the offensive zone was remarkable, about equivalent of a football running game's ability to keep the opposition's offense off the field, all the while a threat to score.

 

[Big Phil]

There was this slash against Ulfie Samuelsson in the late 1990s

Did he even get suspended for that one? Nowadays the internet would explode with that, but even then there usually was at least a couple games suspension for that.

So he had an edge, but while he wasn't a game in and game out player over a full season there is no doubt some fantastic goals he scored over his career. This was the goal of the year in 1997 I believe:


Or this:


And of course the eye-popper in the 1987 Canada Cup
start at 5:00. That was Rochefort and Crossman he split between with Gretzky and Lemieux looking on.
Canada Cup 1987 Second Game Goals - Canada vs. USSR