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Valeri Kharlamov

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Valeri Kharlamov
Hockey Hall of Fame,2005
Kharlamov on a 2023 Russian stamp
Born (1948-01-14)14 January 1948
Moscow,Russian SFSR,Soviet Union
Died 27 August 1981(1981-08-27)(aged 33)
nearSolnechnogorsk,Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Height 5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight 168 lb (76 kg; 12 st 0 lb)
Position Left Wing
Shot Left
Played for CSKA Moscow
National team Soviet Union
Playing career 1967–1981
Medal record
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1972 Sapporo Team
Gold medal – first place 1976 Innsbruck Team
Silver medal – second place 1980 Lake Placid Team
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1969 Sweden Team
Gold medal – first place 1970 Sweden Team
Gold medal – first place 1971 Switzerland Team
Gold medal – first place 1973 Soviet Union Team
Gold medal – first place 1974 Finland Team
Gold medal – first place 1975 West Germany Team
Gold medal – first place 1978 Czechoslovakia Team
Gold medal – first place 1979 Soviet Union Team
Silver medal – second place 1972 Czechoslovakia Team
Silver medal – second place 1976 Poland Team
Bronze medal – third place 1977 Austria Team

Valeri Borisovich Kharlamov(Russian:Вале́рий Бори́сович Харла́мов,IPA:[vɐˈlʲerʲɪjbɐˈrʲisəvʲɪtɕxɐrˈlaməf];14 January 1948 – 27 August 1981) was a Russianice hockeyforward who played forCSKA Moscowin theSoviet Leaguefrom 1967 until his death in 1981. Although small in stature, Kharlamov was a speedy, intelligent, skilled and dominant player, being named the Soviet Championship League most valuable player in 1972 and 1973. An offensive player who was considered very creative on the ice, he also led the league in scoring in 1972. He was also a gifted skater who was able to make plays at top speed. Kharlamov was considered one of the best players of his era, as well as one of the greatest players of all time.

In international play, Kharlamov represented theSoviet Unionat 11World Championships,winning 8 gold medals, 2 silvers and 1 bronze. He participated in three Winter Olympics,1972,1976and1980,finishing with two gold medals and one silver, and participated in the 1972Summit SeriesagainstTeam Canada.He spent most of his career playing on alinewithVladimir PetrovandBoris Mikhailov,and this trio is considered one of the best in the history of ice hockey.

Kharlamov was killed in a car accident in 1981. After his death, Kharlamov was elected to theInternational Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame,theHockey Hall of Fame,theRussian Hockey Hall of Fameand was selected as one of the forwards on theIIHF Centennial All-Star Team.TheKharlamov Trophyis presented annually to the best Russian hockey player in theNational Hockey League,as chosen by his peers. TheKharlamov Cupis presented to the champion of theMinor Hockey Leagueplayoffs, and theKontinental Hockey Leaguenamed one of their four divisions after him.

Early life

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Kharlamov was born in Moscow to Boris and Begoñita Kharlamov. Boris was a mechanic at a factory, Kommunar, while Begoñita worked withAeroflot.[1]Begoñita, who was born Carmen Orive Abad, wasBasqueand originally fromBilbao, Spain,but moved to the Soviet Union in 1937 as a child refugee from theSpanish Civil War(seeNiños de Rusia). Kharlamov's parents were factory workers from Moscow.[2]He was named afterValery Chkalov,a pioneering Soviet pilot. He also had a younger sister, Tatiana.[citation needed]In 1956, when he was eight-years-old, Kharlamov moved to Spain with his mother, though they both returned to the Soviet Union after several months.[2]Due to his mother's heritage, Kharlamov would be nicknamed "The Spaniard" throughout his career.[3]

At age five, Kharlamov first started to skate, fastening his father's blades onto his own shoes. He was trained by Boris, who had played hockey himself.[1]However, Kharlamov, who enjoyed playingfootballas well, was quite sickly as a youth; in 1961, he was diagnosed withrheumatic feverand doctors ordered him to cease any physical activity, and spent several months in hospital, though he ultimately recovered with no apparent cause nor lingering effects.[1][4]

Playing career

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Soviet League

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Kharlamov successfully tried-out forCSKA Moscowwhen he was 12, and joined their sports school.[5]He joined the senior team for the1967–68 season,and made his debut with CSKA on 22 October 1967 againstHC Sibir.[6]However,Anatoly Tarasov,the coach of the team, felt Kharlamov was not good enough for the team, so after 15 matches with CSKA he sent Kharlamov to joinZvezda Chebarkul,who played in the third division. He would lead the team in scoring with 34 goals in 32 games.[7]

The followingseasonKharlamov was brought back to CSKA full-time. In 42 games he scored 37 goals and had 12 assists and finished third in the league in scoring with 49 points; it was during a match in October 1968 that he was first put on a line withVladimir PetrovandBoris Mikhailov;[8]the three of them would play together for the next years both with CSKA and internationally, forming one of the most famouslinesin hockey history.[9]In the off-season he and his linemates Petrov and Mikhailov were awarded the title ofMerited Master of Sportin recognition of winning an international tournament (which would become theIzvestia Cup).[10]Kharlamov scored a further 33 goals in1969–70,and had placed fifth overall in points with 43, as CSKA won the league championship once again. He led the league in scoring for the first time in1970–71,with 40 goals, and finished second overall in scoring with 52, and CSKA repeated as champions.[11]

Although Kharlamov never played in North America, he was drafted by theCalgary Broncosof theWorld Hockey Association,along with Soviet teammates Petrov andAlexander Maltsevin early 1972.[12]

International play

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World Championships

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Kharlamov in 1979

Kharlamov's career in Soviet hockey was well established by the time he came to greater attention through his play in international hockey. His first tournament for theSoviet Unionwas the1969 World Championship,where he helped the team capture the gold medal.[13]Kharlamov was a fixture on the Soviet national team roster for the next decade. He played in eleven World Championships in total, capturing 8 gold medals, 2 silvers and 1 bronze.[14]He was named to the tournament All-Star team four times (1971,1972,1973and1976).[14]He played a total of 105 games in the World Championships, scoring 74 goals and adding 82 assists (156 points).[14]

Summit Series

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As World Championships were commonly played in Europe, andNational Hockey League(NHL) players were not allowed to participate in the Olympics either, Kharlamov and his teammates were still a somewhat unknown quantity when the1972 Summit Serieswas played. The eight game series, with four games played in Canada, and four in the Soviet Union was one of the first opportunities for the two countries to put their best hockey players against each other. Most pundits thought Canada would win convincingly.[15]

In the first game of the series, the Soviet Union stunned Canada with a 7–3 victory. Kharlamov scored two goals onKen Drydenduring the second period, and was named the game's Most Valuable Player.[2][3]Fresh observers of Kharlamov's play were universally impressed. Summit Series defencemanSerge Savardranked him as one of the top five players of all time.[3]Team Canada head coachHarry Sindenwould later say of Kharlamov, "He had the skill and the ability of any player in the NHL at the time."[16]

In the sixth game of the series,Bobby Clarkeslashed Kharlamov, fracturing a bone in his ankle. He would miss the seventh game of the series, and returned to the lineup for the final game, but at much reduced effectiveness. At the time, many felt the slash was intentional. Assistant coachJohn Fergusonwould later say "I called (Bobby) Clarke over to the bench, looked over at Kharlamov and said, 'I think he needs a tap on the ankle'."[17]As for Kharlamov himself, he had little doubt that an attempt had been made to limit his effectiveness, "I'm convinced that Bobby Clarke was given the job of taking me out of the game."[17]Kharlamov's injury, and his diminished play in the aftermath have been regarded as a turning point for the series in Canada's favour, who won the series in the eighth and final game.[17][18]

Two years later Kharlamov was in the Soviet lineup again during the1974 Summit Series,playing against the best Canadian players from theWorld Hockey Association.The Soviets were victorious in this series, with four wins, one loss and three ties. Kharlamov scored two goals and added six assists in the series.[13]

Olympics

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Kharlamov helped the Soviet national ice hockey team to win gold medals at the1972and1976 Winter Olympics.In five games during the 1972 tournament, Kharlamov scored nine goals and added seven assists.[13]He won his second gold medal with the Soviet Union in 1976, contributing three goals and six assists. Kharlamov was also part of the silver medal-winning Soviet team at the1980 Winter Olympics,which was his last international tournament. Overall, Kharlamov won two gold medals and one silver at the Olympics, scoring 36 points in 22 career games.[14]

Kharlamov never played in aCanada Cuptournament. He missed the1976 Canada Cupdue to the injuries he sustained in his first major car accident, and was left off the roster for the1981 Canada Cupjust prior to his fatal car accident, as Tikhonov felt he was too old and not in good enough shape for the team.[19]According to his mother-in-law, Kharlamov had been planning to announce his retirement after playing in the 1981 tournament.[3]

Death

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Roadside memorial to Valeri Kharlamov, near the site of his fatal accident.

Kharlamov was still active with CSKA when he was killed in a car accident on 27 August 1981.[16]Prior to the accident, Kharlamov had been informed that he would not be a member of the Soviet team playing in the1981 Canada Cup.[20]CoachViktor Tikhonovsaid that Kharlamov was left off the team over concerns about his conditioning.[3]Irina, Kharlamov's wife, was driving back to Moscow from the family's cottage when she lost control and crossed into opposing traffic, hitting a truck head-on.[2]Irina did not have a driver's license at the time of the crash. When the bodies were recovered, Kharlamov was reaching over from his seat, holding onto the steering wheel.[3]Irina's cousin was also killed.[2]Fans lined the streets during his funeral procession in Moscow, and they filed past his casket which rested at centre ice of CSKA's arena.[3]Near the scene of the crash, a memorial stone in the shape of a hockey puck is inscribed, "The star of Russian hockey fell here."[16]

Legacy

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After his death, Kharlamov's teammates with CSKA decided that no one at any level of the organization would wear Kharlamov's #17 sweater, until his sonAlexanderwas old enough to wear it.[3]Alexander wore #17 until he was a teenager, but later switched to #22, feeling that the expectations that went along with his father's sweater number were too great.[3]When he found himself playing for Tikhonov with the CSKA in 1992, the decision was taken away from him, and he was issued the #17 sweater. After initially being reluctant, Alexander said "Now I am used to it. I felt an additional burden on my shoulders. But now I don't feel anything like that."[3]The #17 is not worn by any member of theRussian national teamat senior international competitions.[21]Ilya Kovalchukusually wears #17 in honor of Kharlamov in club competitions, his father's favorite player.[22]

Monument to Valeri Kharlamov inMoscow

In his memory,Sovetsky Sportnewspaper established theKharlamov Trophyin 2002; it is awarded annually to the best Russian player in theNational Hockey League,as selected by the Russian players in the league.[23]The annual winner of the playoffs in Russia'sJunior Hockey Leagueis awarded theKharlamov Cup.The trophy features a figure modeled after Kharlamov at the top.[24]One of the divisions in the Eastern Conference of theKontinental Hockey Leagueis named in his honor as well.[25]In 2013, directorNikolay Lebedevreleased the biopicLegend No. 17,withDanila Kozlovskyportraying Kharlamov for most of the film.[21]"Legend No 17" was nominated for 11Golden Eagle Awardsin 2013, and captured six of them, including Best Screenplay.[26]The movie has been described as a personal favorite ofVladimir Putin.[27]

Kharlamov was posthumously inducted into theInternational Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Hall of Famein 1998.[13]The Milestone Award is given by the IIHF Hall of Fame to teams that have made significant contributions to international hockey. In 2012, Kharlamov's 1972 Summit Series Soviet Union team was given this honor.[28]To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the IIHF in 2008, a panel of experts named Kharlamov to theCentennial All-Star Team,along with three other Soviet stars,Vladislav Tretiak,Viacheslav FetisovandSergei Makarov.[29]Kharlamov was inducted into theHockey Hall of Famein 2005. His induction was met with praise from one of the players who idolized him,Ilya Kovalchuk.[16]Kharlamov was the second Soviet trained player, after Tretiak, to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Upon hearing the news of his father's induction,Alexander Kharlamovsaid "I want to say thank you for remembering my father."[9]In 2014, Kharlamov was part of the inaugural class inducted into theRussian Hockey Hall of Fame.[30]

Playing style

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Small in stature (he was measured as 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) and 70 kilograms (150 lb) during the Summit Series), Kharlamov was a gifted offensive player.[31]During his prime, he was one of the dominant players in Soviet hockey, and he maintained this reputation during international tournaments. Kharlamov loved the creative opportunities his sport provided saying "I like to score beautiful goals."[32]Some compared Kharlamov's play toWayne Gretzky,in the sense that their overall play was greater than their individual skills, such as skating or shooting would indicate.[16]He was very popular with his fans and teammates.[16]

Personal life

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Kharlamov and Irina had two children, a son,Alexander,commonly known as "Sasha" and a daughter, Begonita. Valeri married Irina in 1975, after Alexander was born. At that time Kharlamov was unaware he had a son, until he received a phone call from Irina telling him he was the baby's father.[3]After their parents' death, the children went to live with their maternal grandmother in Moscow.[3][16]Alexander was only five years old when his father died, and does not remember him well, although he has seen recordings of his games.[16]Alexander would also become an ice hockey player, and was selected fifteenth overall by theWashington Capitalsin the1994 NHL Entry Draft,though he never played in the NHL, playing in the North American minor leagues where he made a significant contribution to theHampton Roads Admiralswinning theKelly Cup,and back in Russia before retiring in 2004. Alexander's son is named Valeri, after his grandfather, although his sport of choice is football, rather than hockey.[16]After his death, Kharlamov was buried in theKuntsevo Cemeteryin theKuntsevo Districtof Moscow.[33]

Career statistics

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Regular season

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Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM
1967–68 CSKA Moscow Soviet 15 2 3 5 6
1968–69 CSKA Moscow Soviet 42 37 12 49 24
1969–70 CSKA Moscow Soviet 33 33 10 43 16
1970–71 CSKA Moscow Soviet 34 40 12 52 18
1971–72 CSKA Moscow Soviet 31 24 16 40 22
1972–73 CSKA Moscow Soviet 27 19 13 32 22
1973–74 CSKA Moscow Soviet 26 20 10 30 28
1974–75 CSKA Moscow Soviet 31 15 24 39 35
1975–76 CSKA Moscow Soviet 34 18 18 36 6
1976–77 CSKA Moscow Soviet 21 18 8 26 16
1977–78 CSKA Moscow Soviet 29 18 24 42 35
1978–79 CSKA Moscow Soviet 41 22 26 48 36
1979–80 CSKA Moscow Soviet 41 16 22 38 40
1980–81 CSKA Moscow Soviet 30 9 16 25 14
Soviet totals 438 293 214 507 318

International

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Year Team Comp GP G A Pts PIM
1969 Soviet Union WC 10 6 7 13 4
1970 Soviet Union WC 9 7 3 10 4
1971 Soviet Union WC 10 5 12 17 2
1972 Soviet Union SS 7 3 4 7 16
1972 Soviet Union OG 5 9 7 16 2
1972 Soviet Union WC 9 8 6 14 10
1973 Soviet Union WC 10 9 14 23 31
1974 Soviet Union SS 8 2 6 8 4
1974 Soviet Union WC 10 5 5 10 8
1975 Soviet Union WC 9 10 6 16 4
1976 Soviet Union OG 6 3 6 9 6
1976 Soviet Union WC 10 4 10 14 4
1977 Soviet Union WC 10 9 7 16 4
1978 Soviet Union WC 10 4 5 9 4
1979 Soviet Union WC 8 7 7 14 4
1980 Soviet Union OG 7 3 8 11 2
World Championship Totals 105 74 82 156 79
Olympic Totals 18 15 21 36 10

Awards and honours

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Soviet Union and Russia

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Award Year
Merited Master of Sport 1969
Soviet LeaguePlayer of the Year 1971–72, 1972–73
Russian Hockey Hall of Fame 2014

International

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Award Year
World Ice Hockey Championships All-Star Team 1971, 1972, 1973, 1976
IIHF Hall of Fame 1998[34]
IIHF Centennial All-Star Team 2008
Hockey Hall of Fame 2005

References

[edit]
  1. ^abcMartin,p. 132
  2. ^abcdeMosko, Alexey (11 May 2013)."Film brings Soviet hockey legend to life".Russia: Beyond the Headlines.Retrieved22 January2014.
  3. ^abcdefghijklStaples, David (April 1995).Sasha and 17.Vol. 110. pp. 65–67.{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help)
  4. ^Dvortsov, V.A.; Yurev, Z.Y. (1984).Форвард № 17 (Forward No. 17)(in Russian). Moscow: Sovetskaya Rossiya. pp. 20–21.
  5. ^Kulagin, B.P.(1984). "Он играл для людей (He played for the people)". In Levin, B.M. (ed.).Три скорости Валерия Харламова (Three Speeds of Valeri Kharlamov)(in Russian). Moscow: Fizikultura i Sport. pp. 40–41.
  6. ^Tarasov, A.V.(1984). Levin, B.M. (ed.).Три скорости Валерия Харламова (Three Speeds of Valeri Kharlamov)(in Russian). Moscow: Fizikultura i Sport. p. 18.
  7. ^Martin,pp. 132–133
  8. ^Dvortsov; Yurev.Форвард № 17 (Forward No. 17)(in Russian). p. 60.
  9. ^abHockey Hall of Fame (2017)."Valeri Kharlamov Biography".LegendsofHockey.net.Retrieved29 May2017.
  10. ^Dvortsov; Yurev.Форвард № 17 (Forward No. 17)(in Russian). p. 97.
  11. ^Shea, Kevin (27 February 2009)."One On One With Valeri Kharalmov".HHOF.com.Retrieved29 May2017.
  12. ^Willes, Ed (2004).The Rebel League: The Short and Unruly Life of the World Hockey Association.Toronto: McClelland & Stewart. p. 25.
  13. ^abcd"Valeri Kharlamov".Elite Prospects.Retrieved23 January2014.
  14. ^abcdPodnieks,p. 467
  15. ^MacSkimming,p. 57
  16. ^abcdefghiBurnside, Scott (5 November 2005)."Kharlamov's life one of talent and tragedy".ESPN.Retrieved22 January2014.
  17. ^abcShea, Kevin."Spotlight – Pinnacle".Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum.Retrieved23 January2014.
  18. ^Fisher, Red (24 September 2012)."Summit Series 40th anniversary: Clarke's Game 6 slash on Kharlamov was turning point for Team Canada".The Gazette.Montreal.Retrieved29 January2014.
  19. ^Martin,p. 129
  20. ^Gibbons, Denis (21 September 2012)."Summit Series: Nine members of great Soviet team no longer with us".Toronto Star.Retrieved29 January2014.
  21. ^abTeh, Yvonne (13 June 2013)."Art House: ice hockey star Kharlamov is the stuff of 'Legend'".48 Hours.Retrieved29 January2014.
  22. ^Chere, Rich (20 July 2010)."For Devils left winger Ilya Kovalchuk, there is significance to #17".The Star Ledger.Retrieved29 January2014.
  23. ^Chesnokov, Dmitry (9 June 2012)."Evgeni Malkin wins Kharlamov Trophy for Best Russian Player in the NHL".Yahoo! Sports.Retrieved29 January2014.
  24. ^"Championship Winner Cup".Minor Hockey League. Archived fromthe originalon 2 December 2013.Retrieved29 January2014.
  25. ^KHL (2017)."About the KHL: Divisions".KHL.ru.Retrieved27 May2017.
  26. ^Kozlov, Vladimir (31 January 2014)."'Legend No. 17' Wins Golden Eagle as the Best Russian Movie ".The Hollywood Reporter.Retrieved7 February2014.
  27. ^Holdsworth, Nick (4 February 2014)."'Vampire Academy's' Danila Kozlovsky on Being a Russian in Hollywood: Cold War Is 'Still With Us' (Q&A) ".The Hollywood Reporter.Retrieved7 February2014.
  28. ^Podnieks,p. 8
  29. ^IIHF (2008)."Centennial All-Star Team".IIHF.com.Retrieved29 May2017.
  30. ^Podnieks, Andrew (18 February 2014)."Russians establish Hall of Fame".International Ice Hockey Hall of Fame.Retrieved18 February2014.
  31. ^MacSkimming,p. 51
  32. ^Cole 2015,p. 217
  33. ^Martin,p. 130
  34. ^"ХАРЛАМОВ, ВАСИЛЬЕВ, ФИРСОВ И ТИХОНОВ ИЗБРАНЫ В ЗАЛ СЛАВЫ ИИХФ".Sport Express(in Russian). Moscow, Russia. 3 June 1988.Retrieved3 July2023.

Cited sources

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Wikimedia Commons has media related toValeri Kharlamov.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Soviet MVP
1972, 1973 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Soviet Scoring Champion
1972 		Succeeded by
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