The popularity of the players in the Soviet Union, and later in Russia, the players of the hockey team, can hardly boast of other athletes.
Famous hockey players of Russia are becomingalmost national heroes, who know everything from schoolchildren to pensioners. Their biographies, sports achievements, personal life are discussed in companies, covered in the press, closely monitor their overseas successes. If in the USSR information about the players was not particularly distributed among the population of a huge country (many hockey players were considered servicemen), nowadays it is not difficult to learn all about your idol.
Heroes of our time
It is difficult to include in one article all those who deserve the title of "the most famous hockey players of Russia", but I want to recall a few particularly successful players separately.
One of such celebrities of Russian hockeyis Evgeni Malkin, who, despite a number of frankly unsuccessful seasons, nevertheless proved himself as a true leader of the national team. Participation in three world championships and two Olympics (2006 and 2010) speaks about the high skill and effectiveness of this hockey player. His career began in Eugene Magnitogorsk, where his father, who himself played in hockey in his youth, since three years put his son on skates.
Among the trophies of Evgeni Malkin there is also a rank"the best newcomer of the season" (2004), and the prize "Golden Helmet", which is awarded to the best striker, the awards of the championships of Russia and the world, but only the Olympic gold did not submit. Like many other famous Russian hockey players, Evgeni successfully performed in the overseas hockey league.
NHL Stars
With the fall of the Iron Curtain of the Soviethockey players a unique opportunity to try their hand at the most titled and famous hockey league, which collected "cream" of world hockey in their teams. Famous hockey players of the USSR and Russia have differently manifested themselves in the NHL. For some it was the beginning of a dizzying career (Pavel Bure, Vyacheslav Fetisov, Igor Larionov, Sergei Fedorov), and someone lost in the harsh world of the NHL, where survival of the fittest (Viktor Nechayev, Myl'nikov Sergei, Andrei Zyuzin).
Famous hockey players of Russia in different ways fell intoclubs of the national overseas league: some just fled the country (Alexander Mogilny, Sergei Fedorov), others were looking for the opportunity to officially leave their native walls (Sergei Pryakhin, Sergei Starikov, Vyacheslav Fetisov). Today, young and promising athletes such detective stories seem unrealistic: to get into the NHL, enough of their own talent and perseverance.
Modern stars of Russian hockey in the NHL
To date, Russian hockey players havea large representation in the overseas hockey league. They successfully play in various American and Canadian clubs, deserving the respect and honor of local fans. Artemy Panarin, Nikita Soshnikov, Fedor Tyutin, Dmitry Orlov, Mikhail Grigorenko - famous Russian hockey players spend a lot of energy and energy to defend their right to play in the main teams of NHL teams.
Many of the legionaries are regularly called inteam of Russia to participate in European and World championships, as well as Olympic tournaments. It is difficult to imagine the Russian national team without such NHL stars as Alexander Ovechkin, Pavel Datsyuk, Nikolai Kulemin.
Hall of Hockey Glory NHL
The first representative in this hall was ourfamous goalkeeper Vladislav Tretyak, later he was joined by Valery Kharlamov and Vyacheslav Fetisov. Only the most distinguished players from all over the world are in this room. Pavel Bure, Igor Larionov were also honored with this honor for their great contribution to the development of world hockey.
There is also in this hall the coach of the USSR hockey team- Anatoly Tarasov. Despite his ambiguous and not always simple relations with both players and party functionaries, without which any sport in the former Soviet Union could not do, he was highly appreciated by overseas specialists, especially after a series of matches with representatives of the star team of the NHL.
The future of Russian hockey
Despite a number of failures, which sufferedthe Russian hockey team at the last Olympic tournaments, the fans do not lose hope that their idols will still be able to become the best team in the world. Such glory, which was the Soviet national team, just does not get to anyone. To really become champions, some star names are not enough. Daily hard work, loyalty and dedication to the chosen profession are the invariable components of success.
Lists of all hockey players in Russia (famous andbeginning players) are replenished every year with new names that the country can rightfully be proud of. Perhaps, it is to the new generation of hockey players who have replaced the "old guard" that it will be possible to restore the former glory and respect, which the USSR team was rightly proud of. And our contemporaries will also begin to dedicate songs, as they did to their titled predecessors.
