Would you consider Viktor Tikhonov great?

[Big Phil]

Was Viktor Tikhonov a great coach in your mind? Never mind whether he was a popular one or not cause the answer is no, but was he great in your minds?

He coached the Russians in the '76 Canada Cup, '81, '84 and '87. Not sure if he was there in '91 or not. In '81 they trashed Canada and in '84 and '87 they were both times an OT goal away from winning the Cup (they'd have killed Sweden in the finals in '84). Not to mention the '79 Challenge Cup.

So was he great or not? Or was his style too much of a tyrant, or did it work?

Click to read more...

 

[Kaizer]

Bobrov was great, Tarasov was great, Chernyshev was great. Tikhonov ? No way.

 

[Riddarn]

Tikhonov ? No way.

Though he has a pretty good list of merits..

 

[Peter25]

He is the most successfull Russian coach ever, but I´m not sure if it's because he was great or because he had great players. I would think that it was more to do with the players he had.

Especially those teams from 1977 to 1985 were so loaded that they would have won all those games WITHOUT a coach!

 

[Ogopogo*]

Was Viktor Tikhonov a great coach in your mind? Never mind whether he was a popular one or not cause the answer is no, but was he great in your minds?

He coached the Russians in the '76 Canada Cup, '81, '84 and '87. Not sure if he was there in '91 or not. In '81 they trashed Canada and in '84 and '87 they were both times an OT goal away from winning the Cup (they'd have killed Sweden in the finals in '84). Not to mention the '79 Challenge Cup.

So was he great or not? Or was his style too much of a tyrant, or did it work?

I consider the KGB great. The players weren't listening to Tikhonov, they were fighting for their lives.

 

[Kaizer]

I consider the KGB great. The players weren't listening to Tikhonov, they were fighting for their lives.

They weren't fighting for their lives they were fighting for their knees ... few times

 

[Malefic74]

Tactically and strategically Tikhonov can certainly be included in the pantheon of great coaching. It was the people aspect of the job he was never good at. He had all the personality skills of a brick and about as much subtlety too.

Someone can correct me but didn't he withhold a medal from Khabibulin?

 

[Psycho Papa Joe]

The Russian Mike Keenan.

 

[Peter25]

Tactically and strategically Tikhonov can certainly be included in the pantheon of great coaching.

I don't think he was great tactically. For example he never pulled the goalie if they were losing (not that it happened that often).

And the only "tactic" he really knew was to roll four lines and put that great KLM line on the ice in crucial situations. His approach to the game was all offense, offense and offense. He could survive with that tactic because he had such a great players. But I doubt Tikhonov could bring success to a team with mediocre talent. He couldn't do that last year with team Russia and he couldn't do that with CSKA team in the 90's. They always missed the playoffs under Tikhonov after 1992!

 

[Kaizer]

And the only "tactic" he really knew was to roll four lines and put that great KLM line on the ice in crucial situations

But you cannot blame him for this. Even our one of the greatest football minds - Beskov often said : "Don't know what to do with ball - give it to Gavrilov"

 

[David Puddy]

The Russian Mike Keenan.

I second that. I think both coaches possessed great hockey minds. However, they often went over the line with their players, and got a negative result with from their motivational tactics.

 

[Malefic74]

I don't think he was great tactically. For example he never pulled the goalie if they were losing (not that it happened that often).

And the only "tactic" he really knew was to roll four lines and put that great KLM line on the ice in crucial situations. His approach to the game was all offense, offense and offense. He could survive with that tactic because he had such a great players. But I doubt Tikhonov could bring success to a team with mediocre talent. He couldn't do that last year with team Russia and he couldn't do that with CSKA team in the 90's. They always missed the playoffs under Tikhonov after 1992!

True, but the puck possession offense the Russians use was a product of Tikhonov's tactics.

As for the goalie pulling, I believe part of it was pride and part was that in many international competitions goal differential is always included so why give up the freebie?

Tikhonov's offenses were a contributing factor to the offensive explosion the NHL underwent in the 80s. Suddenly set offensive plays started showing up in breakouts, teams skated in the offensive zone WITH the puck as opposed to after it. And the passing increased noticeably. No longer only used to move the puck forward, but also to create open ice and clear shots.

That's all tactics and strategies. His game management was adequate, but the Russian system didn't allow for much flexibility so when they get blown out by the Flyers in the 70s or soundly out-skated by the Nordiques in the 80s there were no adjustments made.

 

[c-carp]

I dont know enough about him, but this should be interesting discussion.

 

[Big Phil]

Another thing, he was talked about as the Russian Mike Keenan. Maybe in the 70s and 80s Tikhonov was great, but dealing with players who have a gun to their head is a lot harder to deal with than a millionaire player who knows you'll be gone before him. I think he was ideal for coaching in the Soviet System back then. I remember in the '87 Canada Cup after Mario's goal in Game 3, instead of motivating his players he was reall giving to them after the goal. Tikhonov brought fear in the players back then, it worked, but I'm not so sure it would today.

 

[acr*]

Tikhonov's legacy-at least from an American point of view-is pulling Tretiak after the first period of the Miracle on Ice game in 1980.

I've read some of Tretiak's interviews on the subject, and they're just hilarious. The guy is so cocky he makes Roy look humble, and he pretty much blames Tikhonov for "only" winning four gold medals instead of five.

 

[tml_4ever]

I consider the KGB great. The players weren't listening to Tikhonov, they were fighting for their lives.

Mogilny: "Only his wife and dog like him, and i do not know how they do. "