Best goalie chest protector hockey. Ultimate Guide to the Best Goalie Chest Protectors: Top Picks for 2024

What are the key features to look for in a hockey goalie chest protector. How do different brands compare in terms of protection and mobility. Which chest protectors offer the best value for youth, intermediate, and senior goalies.

The Evolution of Goalie Chest Protectors: From Bulky to Streamlined

The design and technology of goalie chest protectors have come a long way since the early days of hockey. Modern chest protectors offer superior protection while allowing for greater mobility and athleticism in net. Let’s explore how these crucial pieces of equipment have evolved over time.

Early Chest Protectors: Prioritizing Bulk Over Mobility

In the past, goalie chest protectors were notoriously bulky and restrictive. They prioritized maximum padding at the expense of flexibility and range of motion. This often led to a more stationary, “stand-up” style of goaltending.

The Shift Towards Athletic Performance

As goaltending techniques evolved and became more athletic, chest protector designs adapted. Manufacturers began focusing on creating gear that offered robust protection without sacrificing a goalie’s ability to move quickly and fluidly in the crease.

Modern Innovations in Materials and Construction

Today’s chest protectors utilize advanced materials like high-density foams, impact-absorbing plastics, and reinforced fabrics. These innovations allow for excellent protection in a more streamlined package, enabling goalies to perform at their athletic best.

Key Features to Consider When Choosing a Goalie Chest Protector

Selecting the right chest protector is crucial for a goalie’s performance and safety. Here are the essential factors to keep in mind when evaluating different options:

• Protection level and coverage areas
• Fit and adjustability
• Mobility and range of motion
• Weight and balance
• Ventilation and moisture management
• Durability and construction quality
• Compliance with league regulations

Protection Level and Coverage Areas

The primary function of a chest protector is to shield the goalie from high-velocity shots. Look for models that offer comprehensive coverage of vulnerable areas, including the chest, shoulders, arms, and upper abdomen. Pay special attention to reinforced zones in high-impact areas.

Fit and Adjustability

A properly fitting chest protector is essential for both protection and performance. Many modern designs feature adjustable components to customize the fit, such as:

• Adjustable arm length
• Removable belly flaps
• Customizable shoulder floaters
• Adjustable strapping systems

Mobility and Range of Motion

While protection is paramount, it shouldn’t come at the cost of restricted movement. Look for chest protectors that allow for a full range of motion in the arms and torso. Segmented designs and flexible materials in key areas can greatly enhance mobility.

Top Brands in Goalie Chest Protection: A Comparative Analysis

Several manufacturers lead the way in producing high-quality goalie chest protectors. Let’s examine some of the top brands and their standout features:

Warrior: Known for Adjustability and Fit

Warrior chest protectors have gained popularity for their excellent adjustability features. The brand offers models with interchangeable arm segments, allowing goalies to fine-tune the fit as they grow or their preferences change. Many users praise Warrior’s chest protectors for their balance of protection and mobility.

CCM: Innovative Protection Technologies

CCM is renowned for incorporating cutting-edge materials and design concepts into their chest protectors. Their D3O smart foam technology, for example, offers superior impact absorption while remaining flexible during normal play. CCM models often feature excellent ventilation systems to keep goalies cool under pressure.

Bauer: Emphasis on Lightweight Performance

Bauer chest protectors are favored by many goalies for their lightweight construction and athletic fit. The brand focuses on creating gear that moves naturally with the goalie’s body, promoting quicker reactions and smoother movements in the crease.

Brian’s: Custom Options for the Discerning Goalie

For goalies seeking a truly personalized fit, Brian’s offers extensive customization options. Their chest protectors can be tailored to individual body types and playing styles, ensuring optimal protection and comfort.

Sizing and Fitting Guide for Goalie Chest Protectors

Proper sizing is crucial for ensuring maximum protection and performance from a chest protector. Here’s a guide to help you find the right fit:

Measuring for the Correct Size

To determine the appropriate size, take the following measurements:

1. Chest circumference (around the widest part of the chest)
2. Waist circumference
3. Height
4. Arm length (from shoulder to wrist)

Compare these measurements to the manufacturer’s size chart for the specific model you’re considering.

Trying On and Evaluating Fit

When trying on a chest protector, pay attention to these key areas:

• The unit should cover from the base of the neck to below the waistline
• Shoulder floaters should sit comfortably on top of the shoulders
• Arms should be fully protected, with no gaps between the gloves and arm segments
• The chest protector should allow for a full range of motion without shifting or riding up

Adjusting for Optimal Performance

Many chest protectors offer various adjustment points. Take the time to fine-tune these elements for the best possible fit:

• Tighten or loosen straps for a secure, but not restrictive fit
• Adjust arm length if the model allows
• Position shoulder floaters for maximum coverage without impeding movement
• Ensure the belly pad sits at the right height for your stance

Breaking In Your New Chest Protector: Tips and Techniques

A new chest protector can feel stiff and uncomfortable at first. Here are some methods to help break it in and achieve optimal performance:

Gradual Wear and Practice

The most natural way to break in a chest protector is through consistent use. Wear it during practices and training sessions, allowing your body heat and movement to gradually soften the materials and mold them to your shape.

Controlled Flexing and Manipulation

Manually flex and bend the chest protector, focusing on areas that feel particularly stiff. This can help loosen up the materials and increase flexibility. Be careful not to damage any protective components during this process.

Moisture Application Techniques

Some goalies swear by controlled moisture application to speed up the break-in process. Options include:

• Lightly misting the chest protector with water and wearing it damp during practice
• Using a steamer to apply heat and moisture to specific areas
• Wearing the chest protector in a warm shower, then moving around to encourage flexibility

Always follow the manufacturer’s care instructions to avoid damaging the unit.

Maintenance and Care for Long-Lasting Performance

Proper care and maintenance are essential for extending the life of your chest protector and ensuring consistent performance. Follow these guidelines to keep your gear in top condition:

Cleaning and Odor Prevention

Regular cleaning helps prevent the buildup of bacteria and unpleasant odors:

• After each use, air out the chest protector in a well-ventilated area
• Wipe down the exterior with a damp cloth to remove surface dirt and sweat
• For deeper cleaning, use a mild detergent and lukewarm water, following the manufacturer’s instructions
• Consider using antimicrobial sprays designed for sports equipment to combat odor-causing bacteria

Storage and Transportation

Proper storage helps maintain the shape and integrity of your chest protector:

• Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight
• Use a high-quality equipment bag for transportation to and from games
• Avoid compressing or stacking heavy items on top of the chest protector

Regular Inspections and Repairs

Periodically inspect your chest protector for signs of wear or damage:

• Check for loose stitching, tears, or compressed padding
• Examine straps and buckles for integrity
• Address any issues promptly, either through DIY repairs or professional servicing

Future Trends in Goalie Chest Protector Technology

As hockey equipment continues to evolve, we can expect to see exciting innovations in chest protector design. Here are some potential trends to watch for:

Advanced Impact-Absorbing Materials

Researchers are continually developing new materials that offer superior protection while remaining lightweight and flexible. We may see the incorporation of:

• Non-Newtonian fluids that harden upon impact
• Advanced composites that distribute force more effectively
• Nano-engineered fabrics with enhanced protective properties

Smart Technology Integration

The integration of smart technology could revolutionize goalie equipment:

• Sensors to track impact forces and alert players to potential injuries
• Temperature-regulating systems for improved comfort
• Performance tracking capabilities to analyze goalkeeper movements and positioning

Customization Through 3D Printing

Advancements in 3D printing technology may allow for highly personalized chest protectors:

• Custom-fit components based on 3D body scans
• Rapid prototyping and testing of new designs
• On-demand production of replacement parts

As goalie chest protector technology continues to advance, players can look forward to gear that offers even better protection, comfort, and performance. Staying informed about these developments can help goalies make the best equipment choices for their game.

Chest Protectors – Hockey Goalie Parents

There are many different brands of chest protectors and, as with many items of protective clothing, the fit is critical. Warrior seems to be one of the more popular brands for fit and function, but others argue for brands such as Brown CCM, McKenny, Passau or Bauer. The Warrior chesty seems to be popular because it seems to be one of the most adjustable chest protectors available on the market.   Short of having a custom one made or buying a higher end piece from companies such as Passau, it can be adjusted to fit the player in several ways.  The arms can be adjusted/lengthened and are also interchangeable, so the arms from the intermediate can be placed on the youth, etc.  Other brands have similar features as well, but many of our members seem to like a Warrior chesty for their kids.  

It is best to buy a chesty in a store where it can be properly fitted and the goalie can determine whether it allows enough freedom of movement.  Ordering online is difficult, as different brands fit different body styles better.  It’s a good idea to have your bring their goalie pants and pads in when fitting so your goalie can tell how the chesty will fit as s/he moves.  To allow appropriate protection, the chesty must cover the clavicles (collar bones), the entire front of the chest and upper abdomen and the arms, all the way down to the wrists.  None of the wrist should be exposed between the arms of the chesty and the gloves.  Some chesties have adjustable arms, however, some are static and must be replaced when the goalie outgrows them.  Padded or anti-shock shirts can always be worn under the chest protector for additional padding.  Wrist guards can also be worn if there is space between the gloves and the end of the arm protection on the chesty to buy you some time before replacing, but don’t wait too long.  It’s best to upgrade all protective equipment as soon as it’s outgrown.    

As goalies get older, it’s important to upgrade the chesty to fit the player.  Moving from a junior to an intermediate size allows better protection as the players’ shots get harder.  They need that extra protection! Bottom line, get to a store that allows you to try on different brands to find the one that fits best, offers the most protection and allows for the best freedom of movement.  

Breaking In A Chesty

Many different methods have been suggested for breaking in a new chesty to get rid of the stiffness. Some of the most common methods others have tried are listed below. NOTE: HGP claims no responsibility for damage caused to your new chesty using any of the methods below.  Attempt at your own risk.  These are simply things our members have suggested as tips that have worked for them!

• Wear it.   Many will say that the best way to break in a chesty is to simply wear it and practice in it.  Tincture of time and use are key. 
• Mist lightly with water and store in a plastic bag between practices. 
• Wet it down or steam it in the shower and wear it damp to practice.  
• Put it in the dryer with 4-5 tennis balls on a low or low-medium temperature. 
• Get in the shower with it on and move your arms around while wearing it. 
• Run it through the washing machine (no soap) on gentle at a warm temperature setting. 
• Squish it into a pillowcase and put in the dryer on low heat. 
• Pound it with a baseball bat (not sure id recommend this one as it seems it could break down the foam). 
• Buy a Warrior.  They apparently come broken in. 

Advances in chest protectors give goalies confidence to make body saves

Classic NHL games have become prevalent since the NHL season paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. The games have been fun to watch, but they are also instructional. Unmasked focuses on the goalies from previous years, explaining how changes in equipment altered playing style.

This week, Unmasked looks specifically at the evolution of chest protectors. Next week, the changes in leg pads will be examined.

If there’s one thing that jumps out while watching the classic NHL games airing across multiple platforms while the NHL season is paused, it’s how different the goalies look. 

St. Louis Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo mentioned it this week in a casual conversation during a video call organized by the NHL, remarking to Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane about the difference in the appearance of goalies in those classic games. 

The size difference in goalies and the more form-fitting pads they wear are striking. But there is also a lot of extra movement from goalies, and reaching for the puck is much more prevalent than the quieter style used by current-era goalies. Limbs are flying everywhere. By the puck-stopping standards of today, the word “flailing” comes to mind. 

Columbus Blue Jackets goaltending coach Manny Legace remembers watching that generation of goalies when he was growing up and having a lot of similar questions about style.

“I was that guy that would sit there and watch the stand-up [goalies] and [New York Islanders forward] Mike Bossy coming down the wall and firing it on the ice and they’re standing up and I’m like, ‘Why aren’t you guys going down?'” said Legace, who played 365 NHL games in 11 seasons from 1998-2010. “But I didn’t realize the fear factor those goalies had. 

“The mentality of the shooter was waste one by [a goalie’s] head and then throw the next one by their feet, and I didn’t realize the whole thought process in that as I was watching it as a kid. My guys didn’t shoot that hard.”

[RELATED: Goalies receiving financial, mental health support from Goalie Guild]

Watching classic games and wondering how goalies got from there to where we are today, the most obvious answer is the position-specific instruction that predates similar evolutions for forwards and defensemen. While most shooters spent each offseason focused on getting bigger, stronger and faster, goalies spent time with coaches working to improve technique. 

But even that coaching evolution is predated by a key change to their equipment, specifically chest protectors. It wasn’t just that the chest pads became bigger — and made goalies look bigger — but more importantly, it reduced and eventually eliminated the fear factor Legace mentioned.

The shift stared in the mid-1980s with the introduction of integrated chest-and-arm protectors that began incorporating more plastic pieces and small blocks of foam. Previously, goalies wore separate pieces of protection on their chest and arms, primarily made of felt.

“It wasn’t that protective,” said Sean Burke, who played 820 NHL games in 18 seasons from 1987-2007. “Coming out of junior [in 1986] was probably the last time I wore a two-piece upper-body [pad] where your arm protection and chest protection were two different pieces and you didn’t have elbow caps or shoulder caps. Everything was protected, but not to the degree that if you took a shot you weren’t going to feel it. 

“So you just caught more pucks. You didn’t block. You didn’t go down into a butterfly position until you had to. It really has changed the way the position has been played because there’s not the same fear anymore, for sure.”

Burke, who was a goaltending coach for the Arizona Coyotes from 2009-15 and now works as a pro scout for the Montreal Canadiens, was careful to point out that the equipment needed to change as stick technology evolved and the speed of shots increased.  

With the improvements, Burke said it no longer hurt as much to take a shot off the arm or body, and the need to reach and catch the puck to avoid the pain associated with blocking high shots was eliminated, allowing goalies to think about new ways to make saves.

Not all goalies see limited protection as the biggest reason for the old style.

“I think we just learned to have active hands; most of us played baseball,” said Bill Ranford, who played 647 NHL games in 15 seasons from 1985-2000 and has been the Los Angeles Kings goaltending coach since 2006. “Not getting hit was never a thought for me. We talk about it now because the arm pads are so much more protective. The old what-if scenario: ‘What if I had this better protection?'”

As Ranford, Burke and Legace each said, it still hurt to get hit in certain parts of those early integrated chest protectors, especially when struck on the arm, or around the elbow or collarbone. 

As protection increased, it became easier to teach a style rooted in finding ways to move more powerfully and efficiently into position, whether on skates or knees, to be square to a shooter and take a shot off the chest.  

Active hands still matter, even more so in recent years, but they are no longer a safety measure, but an additional skill. 

Current goalies are comfortable being encouraged to shift their torso into harder shots, something that was unimaginable three decades ago.

“There was a lot of fear to playing goalie back then,” Legace said. “The game changed, and equipment got better, and the fear was gone, and guys started going down and then it’s just developed and developed and developed. And right now, there’s really no fear in being a goalie, and that’s why the [scoring] numbers are down and why we look at 6-5 games and 7-6 games back in the ’80s, where now it’s 2-1 and 3-2 because of the goalies.”

Ice Hockey Apparel Market 2021-2026 | Analyzing Growth in Industry | Emerging Trends, Company Risk and Key Executives with Leading Countries Data

[115 Pages Report] In ice hockey, players use specialized equipment both to facilitate the play of the game and for protection as this is a sport where injuries are common, therefore, all players are encouraged to protect their bodies from bruises and severe fractures.

This report elaborates the market size, market characteristics, and market growth of the Ice Hockey Apparel industry, and breaks down according to the type, application, and consumption area of Ice Hockey Apparel. The report also conducted a PESTEL analysis of the industry to study the main influencing factors and entry barriers of the industry.

In Chapter 3.4 of the report, the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the industry was fully assessed. Fully risk assessment and industry recommendations were made for Ice Hockey Apparel in a special period. This chapter also compares the markets of Pre COVID-19 and Post COVID-19.

In addition, chapters 8-12 consider the impact of COVID-19 on the regional economy.

“Ice Hockey Apparel Market” Analysis to 2025 is a specialized and in-depth study of the Ice Hockey Apparel industry with a focus on the global market trend. The report aims to provide an overview of global Ice Hockey Apparel Market with detailed market segmentation by product/application and geography. Ice Hockey Apparel Market report covers the present and past market scenarios, market development patterns, and is likely to proceed with a continuing development over the forecast period.

In COVID-19 outbreak, Chapter 2.2 of this report provides an analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on the global economy and the Ice Hockey Apparel industry.

Chapter 3.7 covers the analysis of the impact of COVID-19 from the perspective of the industry chain. In addition, chapters 7-11 consider the impact of COVID-19 on the regional economy.

Final Report will add the analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on this industry.

TO UNDERSTAND HOW COVID-19 IMPACT IS COVERED IN THIS REPORT – REQUEST SAMPLE

Ice Hockey Apparel market research report aids in achieving a sustainable growth in the market, by providing a well-versed, specific and most relevant product and market information. The market drivers and restraints have been explained using SWOT analysis. Business intelligence has been applied to generate this market report which is a vital aspect when it comes to accomplish thorough and wide-ranging market insights. This market report will also surely help in the journey to achieve the business growth and success. The global Ice Hockey Apparel report also provides an insightful overview of product specification, technology, applications, product type and production analysis considering major factors such as revenue, cost, and gross margin.

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Key players in the global Ice Hockey Apparel market covered in Chapter 13:

• CCM
• Owayo
• Alanic International
• GY Spots
• Sinisalo
• STX
• Easton Hockey
• Tour
• Warrior Sports
• Graf
• Bauer
• Eagle Hockey
• Adidas AG
• Sherwood
• Mission

Short Description About Ice Hockey Apparel Market: 

The Global Ice Hockey Apparel market is anticipated to rise at a considerable rate during the forecast period, between 2021 and 2026. In 2021, the market is growing at a steady rate and with the rising adoption of strategies by key players; the market is expected to rise over the projected horizon.

The market in North America is expected to grow considerably during the forecast period. The high adoption of advanced technology and the presence of large players in this region are likely to create ample growth opportunities for the market.

Despite the presence of intense competition, due to the global recovery trend is clear, investors are still optimistic about this area, and it will still be more new investments entering the field in the future.

This report focuses on the Ice Hockey Apparel in global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.

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Report further studies the market development status and future Ice Hockey Apparel Market trend across the world. Also, it splits Ice Hockey Apparel market Segmentation by Type and by Applications to fully and deeply research and reveal market profile and prospects.

In Chapter 6, on the basis of types, the Ice Hockey Apparel market from 2015 to 2025 is primarily split into:

• Large Leg Pads
• Blocking Glove
• Catching Glove
• Chest Protector
• Goalie Mask
• Others

In Chapter 7, on the basis of applications, the Ice Hockey Apparel market from 2015 to 2025 covers:

Geographically, this report is segmented into several key regions, with sales, revenue, market share and growth Rate of Ice Hockey Apparel in these regions, from 2015 to 2026, covering

• North America (United States, Canada and Mexico)
• Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Russia and Turkey etc.)
• Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam)
• South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc. )
• Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)

This Ice Hockey Apparel Market Research/Analysis Report Contains Answers to your following Questions

• Which Manufacturing Technology is used for Ice Hockey Apparel? What Developments Are Going On in That Technology? Which Trends Are Causing These Developments?
• Who Are the Global Key Players in This Ice Hockey Apparel Market? What are Their Company Profile, Their Product Information, and Contact Information?
• What Was Global Market Status of Ice Hockey Apparel Market? What Was Capacity, Production Value, Cost and PROFIT of Ice Hockey Apparel Market?
• What Is Current Market Status of Ice Hockey Apparel Industry? What’s Market Competition in This Industry, Both Company, and Country Wise? What’s Market Analysis of Ice Hockey Apparel Market by Taking Applications and Types in Consideration?
• What Are Projections of Global Ice Hockey Apparel Industry Considering Capacity, Production and Production Value? What Will Be the Estimation of Cost and Profit? What Will Be Market Share, Supply and Consumption? What about Import and Export?
• What Is Ice Hockey Apparel Market Chain Analysis by Upstream Raw Materials and Downstream Industry?
• What Is Economic Impact On Ice Hockey Apparel Industry? What are Global Macroeconomic Environment Analysis Results? What Are Global Macroeconomic Environment Development Trends?
• What Are Market Dynamics of Ice Hockey Apparel Market? What Are Challenges and Opportunities?
• What Should Be Entry Strategies, Countermeasures to Economic Impact, and Marketing Channels for Ice Hockey Apparel Industry?

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Major Points from Table of Contents:

Global Ice Hockey Apparel Market Research Report 2021-2026, by Manufacturers, Regions, Types and Applications

1 Introduction
1.1 Objective of the Study
1.2 Definition of the Market
1.3 Market Scope
1.3.1 Market Segment by Type, Application and Marketing Channel
1.3.2 Major Regions Covered (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Mid East & Africa)
1.4 Years Considered for the Study (2015-2026)
1.5 Currency Considered (U.S. Dollar)
1.6 Stakeholders

2 Key Findings of the Study

3 Market Dynamics
3.1 Driving Factors for this Market
3.2 Factors Challenging the Market
3.3 Opportunities of the Global Ice Hockey Apparel Market (Regions, Growing/Emerging Downstream Market Analysis)
3.4 Technological and Market Developments in the Ice Hockey Apparel Market
3.5 Industry News by Region
3. 6 Regulatory Scenario by Region/Country
3.7 Market Investment Scenario Strategic Recommendations Analysis

4 Value Chain of the Ice Hockey Apparel Market

4.1 Value Chain Status
4.2 Upstream Raw Material Analysis
4.3 Midstream Major Company Analysis (by Manufacturing Base, by Product Type)
4.4 Distributors/Traders
4.5 Downstream Major Customer Analysis (by Region)

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5 Global Ice Hockey Apparel Market-Segmentation by Type
6 Global Ice Hockey Apparel Market-Segmentation by Application

7 Global Ice Hockey Apparel Market-Segmentation by Marketing Channel
7.1 Traditional Marketing Channel (Offline)
7.2 Online Channel

8 Competitive Intelligence – Company Profiles

9 Global Ice Hockey Apparel Market-Segmentation by Geography

9.1 North America
9.2 Europe
9.3 Asia-Pacific
9.4 Latin America

9. 5 Middle East & Africa

10 Future Forecast of the Global Ice Hockey Apparel Market from 2021-2026

10.1 Future Forecast of the Global Ice Hockey Apparel Market from 2019-2026 Segment by Region
10.2 Global Ice Hockey Apparel Production and Growth Rate Forecast by Type (2019-2026)
10.3 Global Ice Hockey Apparel Consumption and Growth Rate Forecast by Application (2019-2026)

11 Appendix
11.1 Methodology
12.2 Research Data Source

Continued….

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90,000 The 5 Greatest Goalkeepers in NHL History

Ranking goalkeepers throughout NHL history is a difficult task. There are many factors to consider: absolute dominance, longevity, impact on sports, etc. For some, the number of victories and the bottom line are more important than how they were achieved. With all of these factors in mind, let’s try to rank the five best goalkeepers in NHL history:

November 1, 1959: Possibly the most fateful night in goalkeeping history.Most hockey fans know the story, but it’s worth repeating: After being punched in the face by Andy Bathgate, Plant told Canadiens head coach Tou Blake that he refused to go out on the ice without his primitive fiberglass mask. Blake lost as there was no substitute goalkeeper at hand, and the rest is history.

Goalkeepers at all levels, whether it be the Beer League or the National Hockey League, have to say a huge “thank you” to Plant every time they get the puck in the head, as he was the first to put the mask into practice.

Plant was innovative in other ways as well: he was one of the first goalkeepers to come out and support their defenders with a puck. While studying the game, Plant also took notes of his own about the opponents he faced and gave directions to his players during the game. However, he was more than just an innovator. He owned the Vezina Trophy in the 1950s, winning five in a row and two more later. With five consecutive Stanley Cups in the same decade, Plant has been at the center of one of the most dominant teams in NHL history.

Ben Bishop was extolled in the 2015 Stanley Cup Final for playing with a groin injury. While it sounds terribly painful, the list of injuries Savchak has endured and at times experienced during his career is impressive: a permanently damaged elbow, which made his left arm shorter than his right, cuts and bruises, as a result of which more than 400 stitches were applied to his face. collapsed lung, broken instep, and torn hand tendons. The wear on his back caused him a condition known as lordosis, which made him unable to sleep for more than two hours at a time.

Savchak lived a hectic life, struggling with physical ailments, as well as alcoholism and depression, which he had never cured. Nevertheless, overcoming monstrous obstacles, Savchak shone as one of the greatest goalkeepers to ever play hockey, winning four Vezina trophies, four Stanley Cups and a record 103 rusks in nearly four decades. Although his life was filled with adversity and ultimately ended tragically, his hockey career was nothing short of legendary, always considered one of the best goalkeepers ever to participate in the game.

Let’s start with the achievements: the Calder Trophy, four Vezina medals, two Olympic gold medals and three Stanley Cups. Now let’s move on to the numbers: 691 career wins, 125 career clean sheets, 24 playoff clean sheets, 28,508 career saves and three career goals. Guess what is listed? These are all NHL records, and a smart player would say that at least some of them will not be broken for a long time.

Broder was a member of one of the most strangling teams in NHL history, as the New Jersey Devils strangled their opponents in the 1990s and early 2000s with a trap in the neutral zone that changed the course of the game. Broder was the perfect person to work in a system that featured legendary defenders like Scott Niedermeier and team builder genius like Lou Lamorello. With a cool and calm demeanor, Broder was able to stay focused even when he usually only had to hit 15-20 shots per game. He often prevented teams from getting into any rhythm thanks to his dominant puck play, which was so good that the NHL actually had to set rules to limit its effectiveness.Broder is one of the most successful athletes of all time, and his records are sure to last for decades to come.

At a young age, doctors noted that Hasek had above average flexibility – a characteristic that will define most of his career. Although he became famous for his extraordinary rescues, the great Hasek was made by his bizarre understanding of the fundamentals of the position, his razor-sharp concentration in any segment of the game.

Fun fact: Hasek is the only goalkeeper ever to hit the most shots in sixty minutes and also leads the league in saves. Awards: Six Vezina trophies, two consecutive Hart trophies, two Stanley Cups and an incredible gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano. The Sabers that Hasek played for in the 1990s aren’t exactly defensive juggernauts, but he came very close to carrying them all the way to the finals. In addition, Hasek helped pave the way for other European goalkeepers, forcing NHL teams to put more effort into finding talent in Europe.

Broder was the winner. Hasek was dominant.Roy was both the one and the other, conquering and dominating in every possible way and shining brightest of all. Michael Jordan is revered for his fervent determination to win at all costs, but in this respect, Roy was in every way his equal. A brave contender, he led two Montreal Canadiens teams to two Stanley Cups. In the 1993 playoffs, Roy helped the Canadiens win ten straight knockout games. If there is any indication of how powerful Rua could have been, it is the last one.

The Roy Trophy Box contains four Stanley Cups, three Conn Smith Trophies and three Vezina Trophies. This makes him the only goalkeeper on this list to have Conn Smythe Trophies (awarded by the Playoff MVP), let alone three. In fact, he shaped the course of modern goalkeeping, becoming the first goalkeeper to popularize the butterfly style, and even changed the very equipment that goalkeepers wore, thanks to his close relationship with coach François Aller and the Lefebvre brothers.

Roy’s goalkeeper style, combined with new equipment, has resulted in a huge influx of goalkeepers from the province of Quebec.Athletes in the provinces, who once idolized such great scorers as Maurice Richard and Guy Lafleur, now wanted to become goalkeepers, which was unheard of at the time. The quality of goalkeepers has improved in the league, which has played a large role in the steady decline in performance. No goalkeeper combines the absolute dominance, team success, and influence on sport that Rua had, making him the greatest goalkeeper of all time.

Based on article

And finally, the best saves of all time:

10 best goalkeepers of Soviet hockey – deCenterSport

10 best goalkeepers of Soviet hockey

There is hardly a fan of Soviet hockey who does not know who Vladislav Tretyak is, who went out and defended the goal of the USSR national team for several years.However, there are other talented goalkeepers, about whom it would be a sin not to mention, we will tell about them. So, the 10 best goalkeepers of Soviet hockey.

Evgeny Belosheikin

Evgeny Belosheikin

Evgeny Belosheikin was considered a very promising goalkeeper of his time. We know that after Vladislav Tretyak left the national team, and from the sport in general, he had many successors. One of them was Belosheikin. He won such a tough competition against all his counterparts, including Myshkin, who went to Dynamo Moscow.Belosheikin became the main goalkeeper of the then leading club of the country – CSKA, which automatically gave tickets to the most important hockey events. Belosheikin confirmed his excellent form at the 1986 World Cup, when he shone at the goal of the national team, and a little later, at the Calgary Cup. His game was admired not only by domestic fans, but also by fans from the USA and Canada. But this did not last long. The following year at the Canada Cup, Belosheikin did not perform very well, and therefore, at the 88 Olympics, he sat in reserve.Then came the injury that put an end to his great career.

Artur Irbe

Arthur Irbe

Arthur Irbe even remembers my generation and his incredible game overseas. But it all started long before that and no one then could even imagine that Arthur would become a world hockey star. Well, who could say that the second goalkeeper of not the most stellar generation Dynamo from Riga will become a real discovery for the USSR national team? First, Irbe ousted from the main team not the weakest goalkeeper in the championship – Samoilov.Then he also burst into the national team with lightning speed and also performed amazingly at the 1990 World Cup. Moreover, he surpassed Dominik Hasek himself and it was Irbe who got the prize for the best goalkeeper of the tournament. Irbe can be considered one of the best, if not the best goalkeeper of the USSR in the second half of the eighties.

Nikolay Puchkov

Nikolai Puchkov

Puchkov was considered almost the best goalkeeper in the USSR in the 50-60s. At the 1954 World Cup, he was the one who prevented Canada from coping with the red and white car, moreover, he contributed to its defeat.Two years later, he also led the Soviet hockey players to gold medals. After all, this was his merit: in the two decisive matches of the final, Puchkov did not allow the North American pros to score at least one goal. After his retirement from sports, the great coach Anatoly Tarasov could not find a goalkeeper with the same level of skill for a long time. Until in one of the youth sports schools I saw an ordinary schoolboy, whose name was Vladislav.

Vladislav Tretyak

Vladislav Tretyak

And here is the one who was recognized as the best hockey player of the 20th century according to the IIHF. Yes, this is Vladislav Tretyak. Hardly anyone could and can compare with him not only in skill, but also in the number of trophies won. Tretyak has played so many important games that no one else has. With him at the gates, the “Red Machine” felt invincible, because there was a brick wall behind it, which was occasionally broken through by the luckiest hockey craftsmen. With his game, he conquered not only Soviet fans, he was applauded everywhere, wherever he performed. It is unlikely that there will be at least one player whom Vladislav did not leave with a nose when he pulled out practically unrecognizable washers.

Vladimir Myshkin

Vladimir Myshkin

On February 11, 1979, a match took place that forever changed Canadians’ perception of our hockey. After that match, they unanimously admitted that they cannot compete with our hockey players. And the beginning of the match did not bode well for them, since Vladimir Myshkin was at the gate. It was for us that he was the goalkeeper of Wings of the Soviets, but for the Canadians, he was just zero, unknown to anyone, as they say now, “no-name”. How wrong they were.Already in the match, they simply did not understand how the puck, which simply had nowhere to go, how to fly into the goal, ended up in Myshkin’s trap? Throughout his career, he has always remained one of the best goalkeepers of his time, playing in the most important matches for the national team, and this despite the fact that he did not play in the main hockey club in the country – CSKA.

Sergey Mylnikov

Sergey Mylnikov

An interesting fate for this goalkeeper, who never grabbed the stars from the sky. After the end of his career as Tretiak, the number one goalkeeper was sought for the national team.There were enough candidates for this post. It featured Tyzhnykh, who played at one of the tournaments in a manner unusual for him, Myshkin, exhausted by the high workload, and even Belosheikin, who flashed brightly and also quickly went out. But not Mylnikov, who played in the middle peasant – Traktor from Chelyabinsk. But after all of the above goalkeepers, for one reason or another, could not keep their skills at the highest level, Mylnikov appeared. It was he who bore the brunt of the 1987 Canada Cup, and then the 88 Olympics.Mylnikov for many years became a confirmation of how stars of the first magnitude appear from an unknown goalkeeper.

Viktor Konovalenko

Viktor Konovalenko

Many sports analysts would like to know if Viktor Konovalenko could play against overseas professionals, how would they respond about him? It is likely that they would have held him in high esteem, like the Soviet fans. Konovalenko became an intermediate replacement, between the careers of two of the greatest goalkeepers in the history of Soviet hockey: Puchkov and Tretyak.Moreover, the still young Tretyak spent two whole years behind Konovalenko’s back.

Victor Singer

Viktor Singer

In the USSR championships it was interesting to observe the rivalry between the base of the national team – CSKA and the rest. Very often nuggets appeared in the “rest”, which left the capital’s club without gold medals. One of these nuggets was Viktor Singer. Three championship titles of Spartak in rivalry with CSKA – not everyone was able to do this at that time. It was Spartak’s goalkeeper who played a huge role in this confrontation.You also need to say about his work in the national team, where he has been successfully replacing Viktor Konovalenko at the goal for many years.

Khariy Melloops

Khariy Mellups became the goalkeeper who set the countdown for the participation of the USSR national team in international tournaments. He was the main character in the confrontation between the Moscow national team and the Czechoslovak LTC, and what can I say, against the Czechoslovak national team in fact. They also pinned great hopes on him for the debut world championship in 1954, but alas.In 1950, near Sverdlovsk, the airplane in which Melloops was located crashed. But he was replaced by then unknown Puchkov and Mkrtychan.

Grigory Mkrtychan

Mkrtychan was essentially Puchkov’s replacement, so to speak, the second goalkeeper. But when Puchkov for some reason could not play, Grigory came out to replace him. And most importantly, I never let my team down. At that time, it was the best tandem not only in the club, but also in the national team. Mkrtychan had the share to make his debut at the 1954 World Cup in a match with the Finns.At the same championship, he played three matches out of seven, and in one of the most difficult matches with Czechoslovakia he did not disappoint.

See also:

90,000 “With victory, comrades! – said Brezhnev, entering the Politburo meeting. – Ours won against the Czechs! ” / Boulevard

We believe in the courage of desperate guys

For the second time in a row, the Russian hockey team won the World Championship.

Believe it or not, there is a dollar, which, unlike the popular green banknotes with portraits of American presidents in Ukraine, is not threatened with devaluation.It was released in Canada in 1997, to the 25th anniversary of the historic hockey super series “Soviet Union – Canada”, and is depicted on the banknote . .. Vladislav Tretyak. Well, even if the legendary goalkeeper is immortalized stretched out on the ice at the moment when the puck is hammered to him, does anyone think that a player placed on an overseas banknote during his lifetime (!) Is not the king of hockey? However, the Canadians themselves preferred to call their smiling idol a “Russian miracle”. “I came, I saw, I conquered” is about him. Exactly 40 years ago, in September 1969, the famous coach Anatoly Tarasov shocked everyone, for the first time putting a 17-year-old lanky boy at the CSKA goal, but when the army team won with a margin of five goals, the skeptics were put to shame and the malicious questions disappeared.“If I have never shouted at you, consider that you are a dead man,” Tarasov liked to say. “If he yelled, got rid of it, it means he didn’t lose hope to make a man out of you,” his pets recalled later. Tretyak got it, like no one else, but already in 1971 he got to the world championship in Switzerland for the second time. Arriving at the preliminary games as the second number of the national team, two weeks later the young goalkeeper left Geneva first, and henceforth did not concede the leadership to anyone. For 15 years he had no equal, not only in the Union, but also in the world.A goalkeeper with a virtuoso technique and lightning-fast reaction, Tretyak knew how to guess any clever combination and unmistakably choose a position. Extreme situations, which sometimes drove others into a stupor, only spurred him on, forced to get together, to demonstrate the upper class. Tretiak expanded the general understanding of the beauty of hockey, introduced new techniques that are in service with his colleagues and now, a quarter of a century after he gave up the game forever. This happened, by the way, to the offensive early – Vladislav was only 32 years old, and it seemed that the idol was still playing and playing… As a rule, he achieved success when he followed his talent, and did not adhere to imposed stereotypes. So, for example, it was with his proprietary stand that did not fit into the generally accepted canons, with a reluctance to keep the trap “as it should” at the shield and many others, but that time the goalkeeper obeyed ideological prohibitions: he did not leave to play in the NHL, as it is a little later, albeit with a scandal, but his teammate Fetisov did it, and hung the skates on a nail. As a result, Tretiak, hockey, and the fans lost as a result – only a year remained before perestroika… In 1990, the famous coach Mike Keenan called him and asked him to come to consult Chicago: they say, we don’t know which of the seven goalkeepers to choose to train as the main one. Tretiak agreed, and since he was, to put it mildly, at odds with English, he did not so much tell the students how not to miss the puck as he showed them. After a couple of sessions, the coach put the question bluntly: “How much do you have to pay to play for Chicago?” 38-year-old Vladislav took it as a joke, because by that time he had not been at the goal for six years, but Keenan was solemn and serious: “I see, I feel – you will win us the Stanley Cup. “.. Then, already at home, friends said: you would take a million, defend the season there and rest all your life, but the goalkeeper who was in the NHL like a red rag for a bull – any young player dreamed of scoring at least one goal for him! – he understood that sooner or later he would not be able to withstand the stress, he would fail, let him pass. “For me, losing a name was unthinkable,” Vladislav confessed to me, “I have been earning it for so many years” … Once the Soviet system made the legendary goalkeeper its symbol, a banner … After its collapse, Tretyak at one time was even proud that he had become a man free – belonging not to some party there, but to themselves and their family, but since then, in 2005, Vladislav Aleksandrovich signed the infamous letter in support of the verdict to the leaders of Yukos, and a year later he was elected to the State Duma for the the list of “United Russia”, he prefers not to return to this topic.Maybe that’s right: his business is sports, not politics. Despite the rapidly changing life, 57-year-old Tretyak remained the same: smiling, benevolent, tireless and patriot to the bone … It was just then he was in hockey, and now – in the hockey power, formerly a Komsomol organizer, party organizer and a graduate of the Military-Political Academy named after Lenin attended party meetings, and now goes to church. By the way, he sold his hockey ammunition in order to buy equipment for a children’s hospital with the proceeds, and refused to run goalkeeper schools around the world (which is commercially very profitable!) In order to raise the young at home.What’s interesting: in 2006 Tretyak became the head of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation, and in 2008, after a 15-year break, the Russian team finally won the World Championship. Vladislav Aleksandrovich was no less happy with this long-awaited victory than he once was with his own people, because now his goal – to make sports not beer fashionable – has become one step closer.

“Pele looked at me with a puzzled look: who are you, they say, are you?”

– Looking at you, Vladislav, I involuntarily recall Mayakovsky: “Who is more valuable than mother history ?! We say: Lenin, we mean: the party, we say: the party, we mean: Lenin! “In the same way we say “hockey” – we mean “Tretyak” and vice versa – you are really the greatest athlete, a symbol of world hockey . ..

– Thank you for your kind words, but you know … it so happened that he started playing for the renowned CSKA before voting … At 17, he was surrounded by such stars that it was breathtaking, and, naturally, he watched them with all his eyes in different surroundings, took an example from them … Being in other cities and countries, in the same Canada, I felt, of course…

– … who you really are …

– Well, just such a profession: both famous and popular artists are, as well as hockey players … In Brazil, they probably don’t know me, in Africa too …

– … but in Canada, probably, Pele is not known to many people.. .

– Oh, there was such a case … At Rendezvous-87, in which the USSR national team played two super matches against Canadian professionals, captains from different countries, famous athletes were invited as guests of honor: from Holland, to – to me, a cyclist, from the Union – me, from Brazil – Pele … I, of course, was very pleased to be with him: still – such a master! The ceremony was arranged for us right on the street, a lot of journalists came, and now they announce: “Brazil is represented by Pele!”Everyone clapped politely, like: well, yes! .. – and then: “From the Soviet Union – Vladislav Tretyak”, and such a flurry of applause rang out, exclamations: “Oh-oh!”, Shouts … He is so puzzled at me looked: who are you, they say, are you?

At the end of the event, I approached him. “You know,” he said, “I don’t take autographs from anyone, but from you, since such an opportunity presented itself, I want to ask you.” He hugged me, and we even took a picture – I still keep this picture.

– Two legends… Today you are for the second term in a row, a deputy of the State Duma and President of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation, and I look at the beautiful photographs of your youth, hung on the walls of your office, and I proudly think that the simple guys captured on them brought glory to Soviet sports for several decades … Tell me, is a coward really, as the song is sung, does not play hockey, is it purely physically impossible?

– Well, perhaps at first, and then all who cannot show courage and heroism slowly fall off.At the highest level, where serious passions are boiling, there are real, fearless, strong-willed guys with an iron character – there are practically no cowards, although different moments happen … I, for example, saw that in the first games against Canadian professionals some of our comrades just passed because yes, it was scary. It was really a fight, or rather, even a scuffle, and some (I don’t want to name names) left the fight.

– Honored Master of Sports?

– Honored, but, you know, the atmosphere was completely different…

– The political intensity, obviously, affected …

– … and a level to which we are not accustomed. Nevertheless, I repeat: most hockey players are still courageous, strong people.

– At one time, I often sat in the sector behind the gates that you defended, watched the washers launched with great force fly at you, and thought: “My God, how is he not afraid? Will the mask save if this rubber disc hits your face? “What is the maximum speed, by the way, does the puck fly?

– I think, up to 180 km / h, even up to 200 – depending on where it is sent from … Each hockey player has his own throwing power, and there are, by the way, special ratings – they measure who throws harder .. .

– Who owns the record?

– Blinov had one of the strongest shots in our country (he played in Spartak and, unfortunately, died), and Firsov had a powerful and biting shot. From the Canadians, Dennis Hull of the Chicago Black Hawks had an amazing shot – and so did Bobby Hull… Playing against them, I knew that the human reaction would not be enough to repel the puck thrown by them, therefore, when I saw that one of these guys had it, I immediately ran out of the goal and substituted my body: here, they say, let’s ! As a rule, they hit me …

– Does the puck hurt?

– It hurts, and if some goalkeeper tells you that he is not afraid of her, do not believe it. Only a fool is not afraid of the blow of this rubber round, frozen on the ice – hard as a stone.You probably know: many pucks fly off the court, and there is a special bucket on the ice, in which there are spare ones. Well, in general, all washers are stored in the freezer.

– To glide better?

– Yes, and to maintain density and rigidity. Of course, the shots, especially in our time, were very painful, and almost every player could easily “remove” the goalkeeper.

“I have all my teeth”

– Straight, forgive me, some kind of masochism: knowing that the puck hits so painfully, you still put yourself under it…

– (Laughs). You know, today the goalkeepers are lucky, now they have …

– … a little different ammunition?

– Firstly, there is a helmet and a mask, and when I came to hockey, many goalkeepers played with an open face.

– What a horror!

– I saw how many injuries they received, and I myself got it. Then, when helmets with a mask appeared, it became easier, and in the last 10-15 years, colleagues have been standing like a tank’s tower: all the washers, hitting them, go away tangentially.

– Have you lost a lot of teeth in your sports career?

– No, I have all my teeth. Why? He put on a mask in time. By the way, an interesting moment …

When my grandson, at the age of five, announced that he wanted to play hockey, I suggested to him: “Let’s go to the goal!”. He: “No, no, I will score goals.” I didn’t insist: I bought him a uniform, taught him how to skate, and about six months later Maxim asks: “Grandpa, do you have your teeth?”. – “I have, – I answer, – yes, because the goalkeeper was wearing a mask”.He said so thoughtfully: “Grandpa, I see, in the NHL all the attackers are toothless: why is that?” – “You see, hockey is a tough game, there can be hit with a puck, and a stick, and an elbow at the side, so if you play in attack, you can become chipped”. – “Yes? – and then it dawned on him. – Grandpa, you know, I have changed my mind about being an attacker – I’ll probably stand at the gate, it’s more interesting. ” So, out of fear of losing teeth, goalkeeper Maxim Tretyak appeared.

– Do you remember the feeling of physical pain from hitting the puck or colliding with rivals?

– Well, of course! Especially, I can tell you, it is hard when the puck hits the throat.

– Throat? Washer?

– Well, yes. Look how the goalkeepers in the National Hockey League today, and we, in Russia, are equipped … The mask itself already protects from getting into the throat, and they also put it on the chest – here (shows) , a little higher! – special protective device. Naturally, we did not have this: almost all my throat was open.

– I know that you got your first serious injury at the age of 12 – the puck hit the head…

– It happened in training: Zhenya Deev from the blue line as dal … He threw a lot (I played with guys two years older: I was 52 years old, and they were 50 years old), and I rolled out and did not see the puck … I looked: the black disk was flying straight at me, and you know, it flashes like a fly, and you have no time to do anything. The only thing you can do is close your eyes and squeeze your head into your shoulders – that’s all, but the puck gets here for you – and you lie there. For a second I lost consciousness, then I woke up: alive! Well, thank God, that’s okay.I got up, and blood was gushing – my dear mother! Well, they took you to the hospital, stitched your head, it’s unpleasant …

– Nevertheless, serious injuries bypassed you – right?

– In general, only the puck hit the head twice and the finger was somehow cut with a skate, and so – yes, God had mercy.

– Did your colleagues have any cases when they got so bad that they found themselves on the verge of life and death?

– I don’t remember this, though … In the USSR championship match CSKA against Krylia Sovetov, Firsov received a pass, and the goalkeeper of Wings Sidelnikov rolled out, and Tolya loaded him straight into his forehead … Sasha was carried out, 11 stitches were put on the forehead, but then everything was fine. A week later, the concussion goes away, and the goalkeeper is back in the game.

– Sometimes television gives viewers a royal gift, showing the matches of the 72nd “super series” with Canadian professionals, and we see that they are playing without helmets. What is it – desperate, outrageous courage, recklessness, or just such a force?

– It was customary for them, and even the goalkeepers played without masks, but then the technical rearmament of security measures was forced to take. Earlier, if you really remember that, there were wooden clubs, but now they are made of special plastic, so the puck flies much faster – just like a bullet and, of course, the risk of injury increases significantly, but why do you need to test fate again? Today, as you know, even the eyes are already protecting (why not?), But before that it was considered cowardice.When I came to hockey and started playing in a mask, everything was fine, but as soon as I put on a helmet, I heard: “Tretiak is a coward!” I was so offended …

– A terrible accusation! ..

– Moreover, I put on a helmet because my head was broken. I came home, my father snapped: “You won’t play anymore. What is it – they will make their son a freak. ” – “Dad, – I say, – I love hockey very much,” and he: “Then put on your helmet!”. Well, what – I went to the store and bought …

“I played quite a bit for the striker”

– The coaches taught the defenders for sure to insure the goalkeepers and take on the puck – how?

– There were special exercises for this: for Tarasov, for example, the attackers stood on the blue line, and the defenders – at the gate and…

– Without helmets, without masks?

– Only in helmets, but the players were throwing within such limits (holds his hand under his chest) …

– And how did the guys withstand this “shooting”?

– It hurt, of course, but they endured it, because it’s hockey. The coach said that it was necessary, I had to do everything … Agree, if the defender in training does not bring the skill to automatism, then in the game …

– … will be scared!

– We have such guys as Moiseev, Mishakov, Romishevsky, very clearly, they helped the goalkeeper great – like vanki-vstanki.When CSKA or the national team were in the minority, the coaches almost always let these fighters out on the ice and they lay down together under the puck – it was even difficult to bring it to the goal. Of course, they received injuries, and bruises and bruises, but these were courageous fighters.

– Hockey players are different – there are also such thugs that just God forbid. When they walked to your gate, when they went out one on one, how did you feel? Didn’t they shrink into a lump?

– No. It’s usually before the match that you get worried and worried, and when it has already begun, you forget everything – especially if you play with the Canadians.With the same Czechs, it’s a different matter, but with Canadians you don’t have time to think about something …

– Are they hooligans?

– Yes, but at the same time they are real men, and their hockey is very reckless …

– They, like Russians, love to fight…

– Oh yes, they have it in their veins, in their blood since childhood, although now it has become a little different. They are forbidden to fight in children’s and youth competitions, and earlier, when even their youth teams came to us, they staged such carnage … When at the tournament organized by the Vladislav Tretyak International Sports Academy Foundation, , the Americans arrived, they flew out in one match – for about 20 minutes they fought “all for everything”, wall to wall.The most important thing is that they do it well, since childhood they know how (there is also their own technique: how to grab a T-shirt with your hand, how to grab a hand – there are many nuances), but we are not accustomed to fight like that.

Europeans can play tough too, but they still spare themselves, but Canadians spare neither others nor themselves – they are more open in this regard … shirts “- you also had to fight on the ice?

– Once, although I didn’t even fight, just… It was in Minnesota, in the 71st year. We met with the United States team, and it so happened that we had two players removed and we were left three against five. We fight back, when a fight broke out near my gates: two Americans ran into one of ours (Canadians usually don’t do that, but Americans easily!).

– Who was beaten?

– I don’t remember, but, of course, I began to help him and hit the instigator in the back with my goalkeeper’s stick. In general, the mess was still the same, but it happened only once and never happened again.I think that this is not a goalkeeper’s business, although in Canada, if “everything is for everything,” the goalkeepers also fight …

– Do the spectators like it?

– Of course. We even had a match in Russia (AK Bars played against Traktor), and Mylnikov and the Finn Norrena, a goalkeeper from Kazan, started such a fight … Then it grew into a massive one – the audience was delighted!

– Vladislav, is it true that once you were a striker?

– I played quite a bit in this role.When I came to CSKA in 63, I only wanted to be a forward, but to my chagrin, I was not given a uniform, and I could not buy it. I practiced for a month, and they broke all my legs with a club and a puck. Mom began to worry: “Well, what is it – continuous bruises” … I went to the coach: so, they say, and so, and he: “We do not know yet what will turn out of you. You will only play in a couple of years, so let’s practice like this for now, and we’ll see. ” I asked: “Well, at least give me some equipment.” He: “We only have a goalkeeper’s – nobody wants it.”- “And I don’t care, – I was delighted, – if only there was a form.” I put it on and was going to play in attack, and the guys said: “Let’s go to the goal – we don’t have a goalkeeper.” So I became a goalkeeper …

“In Canada, they asked me:” Is it true that you, very little, were specially broken legs by the order of the Politburo? ”

– You just remembered your mother – I read that she was once fond of Russian hockey …

– Yes, even before the war. She even had a bent stick – I played with it as a kid on the street.

– Have you tried yourself in Russian hockey?

– No, I didn’t have to.

– Is he less interesting?

– Rather, a kind: the field is large, and there are not so many sharp moments. Ice hockey is still more entertaining: a lot of events can happen in one minute.

– Why in CSKA, where you got very young and where famous, titled players set the tone, did they call you Chick?

– And I (smiles) grew thin, I was only 70 kilograms – some ears were sticking out and my neck was thin.Everyone felt sorry for me and were afraid that the puck would cut my throat, because the muscle shell was still weak. Even the fans of Spartak and other teams were rooting for me: they say, they put such a green kid in the goal … Therefore, probably, at first they called me a chicken, and then they renamed me Dzurilla – with the excellent goalkeeper of the Czechoslovak team, we are almost namesakes: he is Vlado, and I am Vlad …

– You once said: “Failures echoed in me with physical pain – after defeats I could not hold back tears”.Did you really cry and the whole team calmed you down?

– This only happened once, at the age of 11, when he missed the last puck from the blue line. This was a decisive match: if the team “Krasny Oktyabr” had won, they would have become the champions of Moscow, but here it’s a draw! In a word, I was upset, with tears in my eyes, and suddenly the coach came up to me and said: “Don’t worry – Spartak lost to Myasokombinat, so we are champions” (laughs) . In 1964 it was – then I received my first medal.

– Later, at the adult level, did you not allow yourself to cry?

– No, never …

– But didn’t you like to lose?

– And who loves – is it really nice for you?

– Okay, Vladislav, to be a striker: I didn’t score – it’s okay, and it’s not bad as a defender either: I missed an opponent – it doesn’t happen to anyone, and all the bumps usually fall on the goalkeeper, because if the puck is in the goal, he is to blame anyone.What is the “last frontier” for you – the line that the puck must not cross?

– After the World Championships, I often spoke with the military – not only with pilots and sailors, but also with border guards, and they said: “You are ours, because you are standing at the border.” You see, when I played (I am now telling the pure truth), the Soviet Union was behind my back, and my wife kept writing letters to me for the World Championships and the Olympics: “Daddy, dear, do not forget: we, two children and I, we stand behind you at the gate.Don’t let the puck hit us. ”

Of course, the responsibility on me lay enormous, because my mistake immediately resulted in goals, in unpleasant numbers on the scoreboard. The goalkeeper, as it were, is in the team and at the same time outside of it – separately on his own: he is dressed differently, and thinks differently, and psychologically prepares for the match in his own way. An attacker or a defender can sit on a bench, drink some water, and you are constantly in the game, and you cannot be distracted, relax, because the puck can fly from anywhere and in any way.Of course, when you go to the site, you renounce everything – the last frontier obliges.

– Whatever they say about your phenomenal character, willpower, diligence and dedication, I think that first of all a huge, remarkable, God-given talent led you forward. It is no coincidence that Canadian journalists were asking: is it true that when you were born, the members of the Politburo decided by a special resolution to make you a goalkeeper, because the inclinations were the brightest?

– What’s interesting (laughs) , this question has been asked to me in Canada more than once.Once I was flying from Montreal to Toronto, and a stewardess came up to me: “Can I get your autograph?” (everyone knows there, everyone knows). “Please,” I say, and she continues: “Excuse me, but can I ask an immodest question?” – “Yes, of course.” “Is it true,” she asks, “that at one time the Soviet leadership decided to mold a super goalkeeper and the choice fell on your family?” – “Well, well,” I say, and she continues: “… that you, a very small child, were specially broken legs and had an operation on both knees that allows you to sit down so that the puck does not go down?”.I laughed, “It’s not true.”

– Didn’t you admit it to her?

– No! I was constantly asked about this, because the first goalkeeper to master the butterfly style – a butterfly that sits down …

– This is when the goalkeeper plays in the lower stance: puts shields on the ice and covers almost the entire bottom of the goal …

– And then on the sides of the glove – it looks like a butterfly. Today in the NHL everyone has already switched to the butterfly, but before the standup was (from the English stand up – to get up) – a kind of shield: you move around, close it and that’s it… Now only Evgeny Nabokov uses it more or less.

– The Politburo is long gone, but the legs are still breaking promising …

– … and all (laughs) began to sit down. It’s just that, as you can see, my style has taken root, and I am very glad that nowadays almost all goalkeepers in the world prefer it.

“You should eat noodles with one hand, and play with the ball with the other,” Tarasov told me. ”

“ Actually, before you it was believed that a hockey goalkeeper must be necessarily short, because then it is more convenient for him to defend the goal …How did you, a tall man, cope with this?

– Now, on the contrary, in the NHL the little goalkeeper is immediately rejected. As a consulting coach at Chicago, I looked after a great goalkeeper (he played for the USA national team) – amazing! “Here,” I say, “is a good goalkeeper,” but they don’t even look at him – they take a tall one.

– This apparently started after you?

– Not that after me – it’s just the tactics. Today, the butterfly style especially helps big goalkeepers, because when the big one sits down on the ice, he closes the gate with his body, and the little one is open, and the smaller he is, the harder it is for him to play in this style: you need to roll out further, more work.Therefore, there is a trend – goalkeepers, as a rule, are tall, even taller than me …

– Maybe, in order to close the space more tightly, they need to be full, obese?

– And we went through this … In the NHL they even made special wings on the shoulders (when you sit down, they rise), the shell, in-oh-from such traps, the pancake on the elbow was extended decently.Can you imagine?

– So what?

– They also sewed a special net between their legs, put thicker foam rubber on the panties, and even the keeper himself was a colossus under two meters. It turned out that the goalkeepers were the main, so to speak, heroes: it was impossible for them to score.

– But did you score?

– Few: the scores were 1: 1, 2: 2 – no beauty, no spectacle, so the National Hockey League ruled that it was not interesting. Of course, we all love hockey, everyone is devoted to it, but… It’s all for the fans, so that they come and get pleasure, but they are only happy with a productive game, right?

– Theoretically, however, can the gate be locked?

– Of course, however, the NHL adopted the rules that cut everything down, special thicknesses (when you sit down, they completely covered the space between the legs) spat, the wings were removed …

– They were not allowed to fly …

– … because you can’t. I myself, when I was little, also sheathed the shields – they were more than a centimeter and a half.Nobody has ever checked them: not in the club, not in the national team – not even at the World Championships, and now they put a template before every game. If the shields do not correspond to the parameters, you take them off and you will not be able to go to the site.

– According to rumors, the great Tarasov demanded that you never part with a tennis ball …

– Yes, and sometimes it came to ridiculousness. I was sitting in the dining room, eating, and suddenly he: “Young man, where is your ball?” I show him that I am holding a spoon, and Tarasov: “You should eat noodles with one hand, and play with a ball with the other.”Or, I remember, in 69 for the first time I went from CSKA to the south, to a training camp. The training with tennis balls ended, everyone went swimming, but as soon as I entered the water, Tarasov: “Young man, where is your ball?” As a result, goalkeeper Adonin and I sewed a pocket on our underpants, and wherever we were, the ball was always with us.

– Did Anatoly Vladimirovich call you “young man”?

– And he is with everyone like this: “young man”, “semi-finished product”, “shket”, “ogolets” … The first words that I heard from him were: “Well, semi-finished product, we will work.If you survive, you will become great …

– … a fabricated product …

– … and if you don’t survive – sorry. Well, into the mine! ” So he spoke, and at the same time he invariably addressed everyone to you.

– What did you do with a tennis ball?

– Played. Every morning, before exercising, he approached the wall and began a special juggling with two balls. This trained the reaction, gave a good mood before the game.

– They say that Tarasov had an original method of practicing goalkeeping skills: you stood in the goal, and dozens of pucks were flying at you from different points of the court at the same time…

– At the same time, it is extremely rare – you can get injured, but there were frequent throws with a shortening interval: from there, from here, to the left, to the right … Sometimes Anatoly Vladimirovich stood in front of me with a stick, which loomed all the time before my eyes, closing review, and more often than not two players were put in front of me, who closed the site, and they threw me. By the way, this is a game situation, and I also used this technique when I trained goalkeepers in Chicago.

It is common for the goalkeeper to score when he cannot see the puck.Sometimes, I make excuses to Tarasov: “I haven’t seen the puck”, but he: “This is your problem – I must always see”.

“In recent years I have already played“ by the eyes ”. This comes with experience and is too difficult for most. ”

– I don’t know if this is true or a beautiful legend, but famous Soviet hockey players told me that you had some kind of foresight and knew almost in advance where the puck would fly ..

– The fact is that in recent years I have already played “by the eyes”, but this comes with experience – a young person is unlikely to be able to do that… No matter how much I taught goalkeepers, at most one or two adopted this – for most it is too difficult.

– By the eyes, excuse me, who is the attacker?

– Yes, and I’ll tell you what it looks like. Let’s say there are two forwards against you … In such an extreme situation it is easy to get confused, and then the goal is guaranteed, and I begin to closely follow the eyes of the one who has the puck.If, before throwing, he throws a fleeting glance at his comrade, and then at the puck, just wait – there will be a transfer to the partner. The striker passes the ball, and I’m already there. And another option. If at the last moment he looks first at me and then at the puck, then he will shoot himself, so I already forget about his partner and enter into confrontation with him. As soon as the opponent lowered his eyes, I step out of the gate – and that’s it, he is mine, so there is nothing supernatural: experience, knowledge of psychology and, of course, composure.

– When the Canadian press unanimously scolded their pros for the fact that the Russians won again, they made excuses: “They have the Tretyak at their gates, and he hypnotizes us.” Do you really own hypnosis?

– No, but do you know what mistake they made? Having played very well in 72, I laid the foundation, probably for my whole life, and when we arrived in Canada in 75, the Canadians came together (once in Montreal, about eight thousand came!) To watch me train.And for me this is doping, do you understand? Already on the plane I was setting myself up: “Well, get ready! I will show who is who, ”and at the airport a completely unrecognizable person descended the ladder. So they wanted to prove that we are not worse, but better! When I was training, my own people almost didn’t score for me, and the representatives of the Montreal Canadiens were sitting, filming everything … “How can this guy score?” – they think. As a result, they had a false impression that my goal was impenetrable, and even on the eve of the Canada Cup, the newspapers wrote: “As Tretyak allows, we will play.”

– It turns out that there was no hypnosis?

– I hypnotized them with my training, my game. In vain (smiles) they came: there was no need to look at it – it would be easier.

– You have an amazing reaction – it couldn’t have been otherwise – but was it useful in life?

– Naturally, especially while driving …

– And well, there were moments when, if not for the reaction, things would have ended badly?

– Everything was there, but composure always helped.An athlete is also driving an ace: the main thing is not to get carried away, not to cross the border.

“The Czechs both called us names and spat in our faces. The guys endured … “

– Many people perceived the thrilling fights of Soviet” amateurs “with Canadian professionals as a clash of two political systems: if the Canadians won, it was bad for you, and if you won, it was hard for them. Tell me, our commanders (after all, CSKA is an army club), the big leaders of the party and sports pumped you up: “Don’t try to lose, these are our enemies,” did they somehow frighten you?

– It was like when I had to play with the Americans before the Olympics… Here are the Czechs, the Poles – it’s okay, they are our friends, we were not even allowed to fight them too much. For example, at the tournament for the prize of the newspaper “Rude Pravo” in the 76th year, we played three games with the national team of Czechoslovakia, at which all their Politburos were present.

– Did they have a strong team?

– Yes, very good. We prepared for the Olympic Games in Innsbruck, paid great attention to physical fitness and, naturally, performed poorly. At the last moment, I remember, Gusev used a technique against one of the Czechs, and it so happened that he hit the chin with a club, he was carried away on a stretcher… Then at the banquet I saw this attacker – no big deal, but in the hall such a howl arose … They threw us there with everything that was at hand, and when we arrived in Moscow, we immediately – on Sunday! – on the bus and to the Minister of Sports Pavlov. He appeared, eyes like a naval perch …

– He was a serious man …

– We say to ourselves: “What happened?” what have you done? Who are you? You are worse than the enemies of socialism ( and only traitors to the motherland were worse. – V.T. ), and you, Gusev, won’t play anymore. ” He timidly: “Yes, I am by accident.” – “That’s it, hand over the form – you won’t go out on the ice anymore.”

– And what, his career ended there?

– No, of course. Petrov tried to intercede for Gusev: “As a party organizer, I want to assure you that he is not to blame.” – “Party organizer? Tomorrow they are expecting you at Old Square, ”and I was a Komsomol organizer – well, what can you say?

– After the party organizer, there is nothing …

– Well, yes, and after a month or two we went to the Olympic Games, won gold medals, and were given orders to everyone…

– And Gusev including …

– Truly, there is only one step from hatred to love.

– Games with the Czechoslovak national team were almost the main decoration of any hockey tournament. What guys played for them – Pospisil, Martinez, Pouzar, Kralik, Bubla, Nova, Holik, Holechek, Dvorak, Shtastny brothers! After the Prague Spring and the invasion of our tanks in the 68th year, there was tension in relations with them?

– And very large, although before that we were like brothers… I remember when I first came to Stockholm in 1970, Dzurilla, Konovalenko and I collided in an elevator – we lived in the same hotel. Konovalenko says to Dzurilla: “Well, why don’t you say hello?”

– You never said hello?

– No. It even reached the point that if we were accommodated in one hotel, the Czechs immediately left for another (or if, God forbid, we ate together, in the same room).

– Look, to what extent everything has escalated!

– What are you – at the Olympics in Sapporo, Czech Nedomansky (they joked that there are two problems in the USSR – Damansky and Nedomansky) threw a puck specifically at our coach Chernyshov …

– How is it?

– Well. Arkady Ivanovich stood at the bench, leaning against the side, and he put the puck into it … It was in the game, but it was done deliberately in order to irritate us, provoke us. By the way, ours taught this hooligan a lesson later.Of course, it happened to us and to them, but today I am friends with Golonka and with other guys who at one time were irreconcilable.

– Has everything gone?

– Gone because it was involved in politics. On the one hand, we could not beat them (fight with the Americans, Canadians, and the Czechs are friends), but on the other hand, they played our hockey, they were very close to us, and since all our matches at the world championships were for gold medals (most often it was their outcome that depended on who would become champions), this introduced additional stress.In Prague, we had to play in a difficult atmosphere: there were posters with painted tanks, and all 12 thousand spectators were sick against us, radiating not so much sports excitement as hatred. They just recouped us, and wrote on the banners: “You give us tanks, we give you scolding ( goals in Czech. – VT ).”

– Did the opponents allow themselves offensive remarks on the court?

– As much as you like. And they called us names, and spat …

– In the face?

– There was a case.The guys endured …

– Before perestroika, hockey was not deprived of the attention of those in power – did you feel that?

– Well, judge for yourself: Brezhnev sat in all our matches – even at the meetings of the USSR championship he regularly attended.

– Have you at least been warned about this or have you seen how he enters the box?

– We knew this already when a couple of hours before the start we went to the game: if the police were at all posts, then Leonid Ilyich would be there. Doctors recommended positive emotions to him, and he got tremendous pleasure looking at real men who are fighting on the ice rink…

I, by the way, met with him in 81st year after the Canada Cup, in the final of which we beat the hosts 8: 1. We then brought gifts to Leonid Ilyich, and he always raised our salaries, generously gave awards.

“I’m standing on the podium of the congress, cheerfully reporting, and suddenly from behind I hear:“ Vladislav, well done! ”. I turn around: “Yes, Leonid Ilyich, thank you very much!”

– You are one of the few athletes awarded the Order of Lenin …

– Yes, at one time you received four highest orders of the USSR.I remember that after the first period the Finns were losing 2: 1. We come to the locker room, and then Pavlov: “So, the captain, party organizer and Komsomol organizer quickly to Brezhnev and Chernenko – to hand over gifts.” We somehow unfastened our ammunition (it’s difficult, and I also have shields) and ran to the government box. I will never forget – we go in, and there is a large table, and on it are sweets, marshmallows, some club-footed “Bears” that I loved so much when I was little. In the 60s, everything was, and then disappeared somewhere – they sucked some candy… I looked, in a word, at the beautiful Kremlin wrappers … “Wow! – I thought. “This is what people live!” envied (smiling) …

In general, I went up to Brezhnev and said: “Dear Leonid Ilyich, thank you very much for your concern!” – “Leonid Ilyich, – I answer, – the Finns are not our rivals, now we will win” (in my memory, in 15 years we lost to them only once).

Brezhnev asked: “What are your surnames in English on the back?”I just shrugged my shoulders: “It’s not my business.” Our minister immediately jumped up: “Leonid Ilyich, you understand, this is an international tournament, and everything should be in English.” – “Yes? It’s a pity, sometimes you can’t tell what the surname is ”. Well, he wished us good luck …

– … and as a result you defeated the Finns?

– But how! The next day we came to the locker room, we look – the names are all in Russian. During the night, two seamstresses altered (laughs) . On orders, by the way, there was also an interesting moment.

78th year, World Championship in Prague. Czechoslovak hockey turned 50, they prepared like that … In the first match they beat us 5: 2, and here’s the last game …

– … decisive!

– They were happy with a draw, and even if they lost to us in one puck, the victory, in general, would have remained with them, and we had to win with a difference of only two goals (or more), so they did not doubted that the outcome would be good for them… The tables had already been laid, the government was almost in full force, the guys in their dreams screwed medals for themselves …

– … but Tretyak, Mikhailov, Petrov and Kharlamov strongly disagreed with this …

– As a result, we beat them – 3: 1: incredible happiness! We were quickly taken out, because something like that arose there … Of course, they have grief, the holiday is all crumpled up, no one came to the banquet …

One person told me that at that time Brezhnev was in Germany on a visit.The owners asked him: they say, what performance you want to attend in the evening, and he answered: “Ours are playing with the Czechs, so I won’t go to the theater – I will watch hockey.”

The next day our Secretary General flew to Moscow, comes to a Politburo meeting and says: “With victory, comrades!” All looked at each other: “With which one – it seems like we are not at war?”. – “What are you? – Leonid Ilyich was surprised. – Yesterday, ours won the Czechs and deserve the Orders of Lenin, the Red Banner of Labor and medals “For Labor Valor.” This is the order in which, having skipped the Order of the Badge of Honor, he listed the awards, so they gave us everything – this is what party discipline means!

– One very large former leader of the Soviet Komsomol told me how at the next Congress of the Komsomol during your speech, Brezhnev sitting behind you said something in your back – what if it’s not a secret?

– In the 74th year we won the World Championship in Helsinki, and right from the train I was taken to the Kremlin Palace of Congresses, where the 17th Komsomol Congress was taking place.They just changed into military uniform and smoothed our hair a little with grease, because we were hairy, and come to the podium. I went out, boldly report: “Dear delegates, we have fulfilled the instructions of the party, the Komsomol …” – and suddenly I hear Brezhnev in an undertone to me: “Vladislav, well done!” Here are those on, I think: how to react? Interrupt your speech and thank or pretend not to hear? I turn around: “Yes, Leonid Ilyich, thank you very much,” but I must continue my report – there are so many people in the hall. I again buried myself in the text: “The order was fulfilled, we won… “, and from behind again the voice of Brezhnev:” Vladislav, say hello to all the guys. ” I: “Yes, Leonid Ilyich, I will.” (Laughs).

– He was a sincere person, right?

– He was both sincere and kind, and most importantly, he loved sports and helped us in every way.

“A Canadian journalist vowed to eat a newspaper with his article if the Russians score one goal. Honestly ate everything … “

– I will continue the conversation about politics: is it true that once on the bench, the senior coach of the USSR national team Tarasov sang” Internationale “?

– Something like this happened once – at the World Championships in Switzerland in the 71st year.I was then put in the final for the first time – Konovalenko was unsuccessfully opposed to the Czechs the day before, and Tarasov said: “Tretyak is in the gate!” Naturally, I was worried, and although we first scored two goals to the Swedes, we lost the first period 3: 2. We came to the locker room and look forward to: “Now the storm will begin, Tarasov will give us” (after all, he could have made such a rustle – Mom, don’t worry!). We sit, in short, they were quiet, and the coach sat down on the bench and sang: “Black woo-o-oron …”. “Well, – we think, – dad sang: we must win.” We ran out onto the ice, tore the Swedes to pieces, won with a score of 6: 4.As for the “Internationale” … They say he sang it too, but I personally did not hear it.

– Now, after so many years, how can you characterize the epochal battles with Canadian professionals – how do you remember them?

– This is a truly historic event, which is unique – I generally think that in the 72nd year there was a revolution in hockey. Before that, after all, Canadians considered themselves unsurpassed …

– … and the Russians were whipping boys, right?

– Well, they generally did not put European hockey players in a penny: they say, there is no one to play with.They played their own championships, assigned the title of “best player in the world” at their discretion, and then there were some Russians! The Canadian pros boasted: “Yes, we will beat you with a double-digit score, we will kill everyone, in the second period you won’t even have anyone to go to the site. Where can you compete with us? We are so healthy, we throw the puck so that it will punch right through your goalkeeper. What for a 20-year-old kid you have – are you out of your mind? In our country they only play for juniors. ” I will remind them that Tony Esposito stood at the gate (he was already under 30), the forward – Phil Esposito shone, and, of course, there was such a hat…

In short, when we went out on the ice, the first impression was … difficult.

– Hurricane at the site?

– Honestly, what I saw shocked! Firstly, 18 thousand spectators, and when they began to represent the team of Canada, each player was applauded for three to four minutes standing. Organ, music – we are not used to this, but we were listed in a second: “Mikhailov, Petrov, Kharlamov …”. Two people from the embassy clapped – no one knew us (laughs) . We stand, in short, the legs are bent…

– … knees are trembling …

– And then no! We look …

– … not bad guys opposite …

– Warlike hairstyles, bull necks, chewing gum, without helmets: it seems, just say “face!” – will be torn apart. Incidentally, they said: “We will tear them apart like a duck!” – let fear on us in the newspapers.One hockey player said bluntly: “If the coach told me to kill the Russian, I would kill” – this is the extent to which it came, what the mood was (half of them played in the States).

– Horror!

– Now imagine: the platform is small, and how they flew – we were confused. Within a few minutes the scoreboard was showing 2: 0 – we were losing, and the organist began to play the funeral march. Phil Esposito drove up: “Nothing, boys” … “Lord, – I think – what a shame! The entire Soviet Union is looking at us, 250 million, and here is a funeral march. “An unpleasant, I must say, a feeling, but at this difficult moment the leaders said their word … we brought him six or even nine pucks. Apparently, this left an indelible mark on him, besides, the whole game was on my goal, I was in the game all the time, and he had no work as such. And so it happened: the first throw – a goal, then the second – a goal! For the entire first period, we made only four shots and scored two goals – 2: 2.We came to the locker room, coach Bobrov says: “Guys, we can play. Dryden is shaking – throw from all sides. ”

– And they started throwing him?

– They crush us, crush, and we counterattack – and a goal! They press again – I help out, but they go there … You know, after the score became 7: 3 in our favor, the audience – all 18 thousand! – as died out, the deathly silence hung. When everything was over, we, happy ones, stretch out our hands to our rivals, and they turned away and left.

– Yes?

– Yes! Our leader then asks: “How is that? A friendly match, we need to shake hands with each other, ”and their coach Harry Sinden replied:“ Strange Russians.They came, disgraced, how much money they took from us – they also want to shake hands with them? ”

– As far as I know, one of the Canadian journalists promised to eat … if their team lost … his hat …

– First, if the Russians score at least one goal in the first game, he vowed to eat a newspaper with his article … We knew about this, but considered it a joke, and the correspondent turned out to be a serious guy, master of the word.

The next day we arrived from Montreal to Toronto and saw: on the street in front of the hotel (and the weather is good, the sun!), There are newspaper, radio, television reporters crowding, and he is sitting – on the stairs, wearing a hat, with a feather.A table was put out for him, he brought borscht in a thermos (a newspaper – and there are 40 pages in it! – cannot be eaten without water). He told me: “Crumble, please,” but to be honest, I regretted this freak: “Excuse me, but there is something why? Well, don’t write like that anymore, already know our strength. ” – “No, I need it, understand.” Maybe he needed advertising – after all, television filmed it.

In general, he began to crumble himself, and Valera Vasilyev brought him bread. He eats, smiles, and one of our guys came up and asked: “Why are you sorry for the capitalist?”He took the rest of the newspaper and threw it on his plate. There was no more water – only dregs, but he honestly ate everything … Well done! ..

– … and didn’t write any more nonsense?

– Then he confessed in his newspaper: “Yes, now I know the power of Russian hockey. In the next series, the Soviet team will beat the Canadians with a score of 8: 1, and if not, I’ll eat my hat. ”

Kiev – Moscow – Kiev

(Ends next issue)

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Why Andrey Vasilevsky is now the best goalkeeper in the world and how he develops further

Incredible 48 hours

Amazing statistics of Vasilevsky during the current
championship: 19 wins in 23 matches, 93.2% of reflected shots at odds
reliability 1.90.”Vezin” Vasilevsky was already given at the end of the season in which he
the numbers were steep but less impressive (92.5%, 2.40).

The fact that Andrey claims to be the best goalkeeper in the league
in the season immediately following the Tampa championship the best
characterizes him as a person. It never stops. Of one talent
Vasilevsky probably would have had enough to play for a good
the KHL team, but it does not suit him.

He is familiar with the concept of responsibility.At that moment,
when Vasilevsky’s career reached a new level, he became a father. Initially
2015 Andrei has not yet made his way to the base of “Tampa”, but he was already involved in it from
“Surakyuz”, where at first he did not succeed in everything. Even as unique as
It took Andrei time to adapt to North American hockey, and he went through it at an accelerated pace.

It was during this period that he had an incredible stretch. In 48 hours Vasilevsky won the first AHL match for Syracuse, then went to the NHL, led Tampa to victory, and then learned that his child was born.And all this at 21. Even the head coach of Lightning was impressed
John Cooper, who congratulated the goalkeeper at the press conference.

Any other in the place of Vasilevsky from such cargo
responsibility could break. Radical life changes can be serious
influence career development. And goalkeepers are people of a fine mental organization, they need to be in harmony with themselves. Vasilevsky is not afraid of responsibility, he accepts it and, such an impression, is fueled by this feeling.

Father taught and & nbsp; warned against & nbsp; mistakes

Before my eyes is an example of a father – Andrei Vasilevsky Sr. He not only trained the Tampa keeper as a person, but also made him a top-tier player.
Vasilevsky Sr.in an interview recalled the mistakes of his youth that influenced
for a career.

“In 1987 he became the first goalkeeper in” Salavat “and the next
passed a year – “caught a star”, began to speak more, work less.At the same
time he got married, a daughter was born, an apartment was needed. Well, Sergei Mikhailovich
Mikhalev competently told me: “There is Neftekamsk, they need to stay in the second
league of the USSR championship, they give an apartment there ”. So I went. There for a year and a half
won back. But my tongue is my enemy. They exchanged me further to Tomsk. And then I realized
that it’s about me, I reconsidered my views. And in two seasons I got into the top three
the best goalkeepers of the second league, then there were 54 teams playing there ”.

The father did everything to make his son’s career develop in a different way.At the same time, he did not drive any pressure into the gate, he allowed him to choose
role. On the contrary, the father saw the attacker in the youngest son and it was on this
position he started in hockey, but then decided to become a goalkeeper.

Andrey Vasilevsky. Source: NHL

The backbone of the champion Tampa and & nbsp; Cooper’s revolutionary style

For Lightning head coach Cooper Vasilevsky became
the basis for building a champion model in which defenders can pay
much more attention to the constructive in the attack.

This does not mean that Tampa is playing with Vasilevsky at the goal
completely unprotected. But Lightning players are free and relaxed because they know
that the goalkeeper will give the team a chance in any situation: whether it is an open throw from close range or finishing at close range after a rebound.

Defenders can focus on controlling the puck and maintaining positional attacks in the off-zone. They get the opportunity to take risks
when making the first pass. Lightning is very dangerous during transitions
possession, as defenders try to immediately deliver the puck to the gap.Largely thanks to Vasilevsky and his amazing abilities, Tampa is playing revolutionary hockey – where five players on the court are not rigidly tied to positions.

If you remember Cooper’s Lightning sample
finals of the Stanley Cup 2015, then in philosophy it was a different team, although
Vasilevsky has already made his debut at goal, replacing the injured Ben Bishop. She
possessed no less talent in attack than now, but played in a more suitable
for the playoffs style – with an eye on defense and goalkeeper action.

Since then, Cooper has gone through several unsuccessful seasons and yet managed to carve out a new style that led to the Stanley Cup. And he understands that
without a unique goalkeeper by the name of Vasilevsky, he would have failed.

Andrey Vasilevsky. Source: NHL

According to & nbsp; young men, he was taken to the & nbsp; team two years older

Andrey Vasilevsky = talent. At 16, he played his
first junior world championship and made his debut in the MHL for “Tolpar”.At 17 led
junior to the bronze medals, reflecting 38 shots in the match for third place against
Canada. Then he went to the youth world championships three times, from which he brought
silver and two bronzes. At the age of 20, he became the world champion in the adult national team of Oleg
Znarka, before dragging Salavat Yulaev to the semi-finals of the Gagarin Cup.

When at the junior level a guy is hired for two years
younger, this speaks of his frantic potential. Someone will remember how he swam in the semifinals against Canada at the 2012 MFM, when the Russian national team almost lost
match from the score 6: 1.One hundred percent there are selections with stupid goals that
Vasilevsky missed at different stages of his career. These are local failures.

By the age of 26, Andrey has a scattering of medals from various tournaments in the national teams, a prize for the best goalkeeper of the NHL “Vezina Trophy”, Stanley Cup,
won with Tampa last fall and a $ 9.5 million a year contract
until the end of the 2027/28 season.

And a pancake and a trap: who is the coolest goalkeeper in the KHL – Hockey news

On October 31, hockey goalkeepers celebrate their professional holiday – those on whose game the outcome of any match directly depends.Is it possible to imagine ice battles without the cool saves of these reckless and, at the same time, the most focused guys on the court? On behalf of the editorial board of Sovetsky Sport, we congratulate all the ice guards of the goal and wish them a great game and bright victories. We present the now traditional rating of the best KHL goalkeepers at the moment from the hockey expert, the goalkeeper of the Russian national team in the mid-2000s Alexander Fomichev .

“At the moment, there are three goalkeepers in the league.Their game is bright, technical, with a minimum of mistakes. They occupy the top lines of the rating. The other six – stand fairly evenly relative to each other, and here the number on the list is more nominal than showing superiority. It is worth noting that this year the league is very equal. There are no obvious leaders, except for CSKA and Ak Bars, and this is reflected in the goalkeepers’ play, ”says the expert.

So who are these stick, trap and pancake heroes?

1.Ilya Sorokin (CSKA)

Statistics for the 2019/20 season: 13 games 9 wins; 94.5% of reflected shots; safety factor 1.28; 3 zero matches

Number one in the league now, of course, is Ilya Sorokin. The best player in the KHL finals last season. He plays for the best team in the league. Well, the best goalkeeper is for the best team. After winning the Gagarin Cup, it was somehow noticeable that he had played enough in the KHL – he had no special incentive.Only remained in the Russian national team to prove himself, and then he, most likely, will go overseas. Fast, mobile, very technical. Last year I took the Cup, this year I have to defend my championship by raising the cup over my head again. This is the motivation for Sorokin.

2. Juha Metsola (Salavat Yulaev)

20; ten; 93.6%; 1.80; 2

Finnish goalkeeper with small dimensions.Very fast, great moves along the goal area. If necessary, it can quickly roll out to reduce the angle of fire. And with all this, he is a fighter! He calmly endures all the failures that happen during the championship or in the playoffs. Ufa guessed it by signing Juha from Khabarovsk Amur, where he spent several seasons. Metsola was voted the best goalkeeper in the KHL last season. Now he is trying to confirm his status.

3. Magnus Hellberg (SKA)

6; 2; 91.3%; 1.80

Missed the start of the season due to injury. In addition, the competition in SKA is high – here and Samonov, and Melnichuk , and Kochetkov was. Left Shesterkin . Most likely, Hellberg will be considered a potential number one in SKA, but it still needs to be proven through the game. Magnus is gradually gaining shape – a very large and tall goalkeeper. His height is 197 centimeters, but at the same time Hellberg remains very mobile, correctly positioned in the goal and reads the game well.

4. Edward Pasquale (Barys)

15; 7; 93.8%; 1.72; 1

Barys needed a second goalkeeper. Henrik Karlsson was the main one for several seasons, but they still could not find a good second number. Pasquale was signed, and he shows himself great and outplays Carlsson in many ways. Maybe he is not so tall, but still overall – 191 centimeters.Mobile. I watched him a lot and I can say that this goalkeeper has no weaknesses for the KHL level. Barys guessed right with the signing of this guy.

5. Juho Olkinuora (“Admiral”)

16; nine; 93.8%; 2.21; 3

In the preseason there were questions with him – he took too much on himself, often played with a club both in his goal area and outside it. But in the season everything fell into place – he completely balanced his game.Such a very typical Finnish goalkeeper. And most importantly, for now, it seems, he is ready to play for Admiral, a team that flies a lot and does not have the strongest roster. So far, Olkinuora has brought success to the sailors.

6. Vasily Koshechkin (Metallurg)

21; 7; 93.5%; 1.95; 3

One of the Russian veterans of our league. Not a very good start to the season for both Magnitka and Koshechkin himself.Maybe everything was done less successfully at Metallurg this year. But gradually both Vasily and his teammates found their game. Koshechkin is fine! He knows what he can. Dimensional. It gets better from match to match, and at the moment we see the same Vasily as he was in those seasons when Magnitka became the champion.

7. Yakub Kovarzh (“Avtomobilist”)

20; eight; 92.6%; 2.32; 2

In my opinion, Avtomobilist’s most useful player last season.And this is a great start. He helped out his partners at the right time. Very flexible, healthy moves from one position to another. But we see that something happened to Avtomobilist in October. The game did not go well for the whole team, including Yakub. It doesn’t look that bright. Now Yekaterinburg is suffering a series of defeats. Avtomobilist does not succeed in many things. The team starts with the goalkeeper, so Yakub must help the guys get together, give them confidence with his game. After all, Kovar is still the top goalkeeper of our league.

8. Igor Bobkov (Avangard)

16; ten; 92.5%; 1.80; 2

Bobkov last season proved that he can play in a top club both in the regular season and in the playoffs, when his team reached the final, losing to CSKA there. It can be seen that Igor’s mistakes have become significantly less than in previous years. One can feel the trust Bob Hartley in relation to Bobkov.Igor feels this too. And it adds from match to match, reaching a new level.

9. Adam Reideborn (Ak Bars)

16; 12; 92.2%; 1.99; 1

Swedish goalkeeper who has played in his home league for the last two years. And it was there that he twice became the best goalkeeper in Sweden. When Ak Bars was looking for a gate guard, it was no coincidence that the choice fell on this country – there is a serious level of hockey players in Sweden, they can play stably for several seasons.Adam confirms his level – he can play in the top KHL team and make a minimum of mistakes.

10. Lars Johansson (CSKA)

9; 7; 93.9%; 1.23; 3

Sorokin’s replacement. Ilya gets more playing time, but Lars always goes on the ice at the right time and shows his class. This happens both in the regular season and in the playoffs. Johansson is outwardly very calm, does not show any emotions, is completely focused on the game and is ready to endure, to sit on the bench, if necessary.A real, team player, that’s why he’s been playing for CSKA for the third year. Well, the Moscow army team is calm – if suddenly Sorokin gets injured or cannot play, then Lars will be able to replace him with dignity.

BONUS

OK!

I would also like to mention these three goalkeepers, because they pleasantly surprise this season:

Alexander Samonov (Vityaz / SKA)

9; 6; 96.0%; 1.34; 2

Now he plays for SKA, but so far his main merits were during the game for Vityaz Podolsk, when he and Yezhov went through the match. Samonov acted more successfully. Alexander does not possess any phenomenal technique, but he is great at choosing a position. Due to this instinct, he played well for Vityaz. Now he is trying to apply this in SKA. And here he has serious competitors – Hellberg and Melnichuk. Let’s wish Samonov good luck in the new club.

Evgeny Alikin (Amur)

12; 5; 94.0%; 1.89; 2

Well competes with Marek Langhamer . In some moments, he even replays him. We know how hard it is to play in Khabarovsk – flights, time difference … But Evgeny has been there for the fourth season and is doing an excellent job, while he is stable. A relatively young guy, he is 25 years old – there is an opportunity to develop and get better.

Timur Bilyalov (Ak Bars)

9; 6; 96.0%; 1.01; 4

I am very happy for Timur! He made his way through the Major League, showed himself there. It did not work for him to immediately gain a foothold in the “Ak Bars”. But last season for Dinamo Riga was phenomenal, and now in Kazan he gets enough playing time and goes to every game charged, with positive emotions and due to them, and acts! The guy who is hungry for the game proves in every match that he deserves a place at the Ak Bars goal.

OUR HEARTS WANT CHANGE

And, finally, I would like to note the goalkeepers, from whom we expect more. We wish them to catch their game as soon as possible, because we are sure that the slogan from one advertising video is 100% applicable to them – “You can do everything!”

Ilya Konovalov (Lokomotiv)

15; 4; 90.6%; 2.63; 2

Like the rest of Lokomotiv, Ilya’s game is not similar to the level it was a year ago.Two seasons for Yaroslavl. A technical goalkeeper who does everything correctly and on time, but now he cannot read the game as before. I need to catch my game … I think this should happen soon. Then everything will level out for both Konovalov and Lokomotiv.

Vasily Demchenko (Traktor)

17; 7; 92.6%; 2.26

This goalkeeper is 25 years old and spends his seventh season with Traktor.Number one, no questions asked. But this season is more difficult. The new head coach Peteris Skudra can also put pressure on him. Here you need to get used to playing under constant pressure, maybe that’s why Demchenko is not doing everything yet. But the technique, movement, a sense of position are at their best.

Dmitry Shikin (Sochi)

18; 6; 90.7%; 2.50; 1

He has been playing on the shores of the Black Sea for 6 seasons, but the latter remained in the shadow of Konstantin Barulin .Yes, Shikin got playing time, but he wanted more. Now he has a chance to become number one, but it is clear that so far he cannot play many matches without substitutions. Somewhere Dmitry is not enough for this … Although he has a great reaction and has everything to play for any KHL team.

90,000 Terry Savchuk: biography, scars and career

Terry Savchuk was supposed to be Taras, but the passport officer decided to add the name Terrence to the Canadian documents. The mother of the future hockey player Anna Savchuk was born in Ukraine, but grew up in Canada, where she married the farmer Louis.In 1929, a second son was born in the family, who was destined to endure a lot of suffering, but become a legend.

Together with his older brother Terry, he often skipped school playing hockey. Once their father saw their game, but he saw talent in the eldest son. The next day, the couple spent most of their savings on gear for Mike. Terrence was jealous of his older brother, because he had already fallen in love with hockey.

During one of the training sessions, Terry threw a stone, practicing throws, and hit Mike in the chest.A heart defect, which no one knew about, did not allow the boy to be taken to the hospital.

This was the first test on the road to recognition. After spending several months looking at his brother’s shin guards, Terry decided by all means to complete his business and become a goalkeeper.

At the age of 12, the boy faced his first serious injury – during a rugby match, he unsuccessfully fell on his hand, as a result of which the ulna was shattered into 60 pieces. Doctors saved the hand for almost a day, and after healing, the sore hand became 8 cm shorter.

During hockey matches, Savchuk never dodged pucks, only frowned, feeling discomfort, because this is nothing in comparison with plaster and knitting needles. It was this courage that attracted Detroit, and when the goalkeeper turned 18, he was invited by Red Wings, having written a promotion check for 2 thousand dollars.

Terry’s professional career began with a face injury – the puck flew into the goalkeeper’s eye. During 21 seasons in the NHL, Savchuk was under a scalpel about a hundred times and in most cases his face was stitched up, which left 400 scars.Then protective masks were worn only by cowards or losers, to which Terrence did not rank himself, and they became mandatory only by the 60s.

In 1954, another terrible event happened in the life of the goalkeeper – he got into a car accident. The result is numerous fractures, concussion, twisted shoulders, and just a pile of organs. The Boston Bruins took up the treatment of the hockey player, and the following year the legend returned to the ice and took the Stanley Cup.

A distinctive feature of Savchuk was his stance.Due to arthritis, he could not stand evenly for the entire match, so he leaned almost 90 degrees. Without realizing it, he set the trend, until now it is in this position that you can often see goalkeepers in hockey matches.

As a result of frequent anesthesia, Terry fell ill with mononucleosis. A blood disease tormented him with fevers, headaches and weight loss. And despite all this, he still continued to play, defending the gates of Toronto, Los Angeles, and then New York.

Death overtook the legendary keeper during one of the fights, when his spleen burst, and he could no longer survive another operation.

During his grandiose career, the Canadian of Ukrainian descent won four Stanley Cups, four times became the NHL’s Best Goalkeeper, and in his 1024 matches he played 103 dry, and this is an absolute record.

Keeper of that time cannot be compared with the present, however, many believe that since Savchuk played, no one played – neither before him, nor after.

Yoni Ortio is the best goalkeeper of the seventh week of the KHL – News – Press center

The Commission to determine the best hockey players of the Championship of the Continental Hockey League – the Championship of Russia, based on the statistics of the players’ performances provided by the statistics department of the KHL Central Information Bureau and the analytical evaluation of matches, determined the winners of the seventh week of the tournament in four nominations.

Last week, there were 30 games in which 550 players (38 goalkeepers, 186 defenders and 326 forwards) took part.

Yoni Ortio. Photo: Marat Akimzhanov

– Yoni Ortio (Barys) was recognized as the best goalkeeper, having won three away matches of the week (including one – by zero). 76 shots were made at his goal (on average 25.3 per game), of which the goalkeeper reflected 94.74%. The reliability factor (the average number of pucks conceded in 60 game minutes) was 1.32.Ortio’s segment without conceded washers was 96 minutes 15 seconds.

Lawrence Piluth. Photo: Pavel Tabarchuk

– was recognized as the best defender Lawrence Piluth (“Tractor”), who together with the team won three matches of the week (including two away games) and scored two assists. The defender of the Chelyabinsk club did not complete any of the matches with negative utility, with an overall rating of (+3). Piluth made 7 shots on goal, on average spent 22 minutes 23 seconds on the ice, and also 9 blocked shots.

Andrey Chibisov. Photo: Ilnar Tukhbatov

– Andrey Chibisov (Metallurg Mg) was recognized as the best striker, who together with the team won two of the three matches of the week and scored 5 (2 + 3) points in them (the best result). The striker club from Magnitogorsk has an assistant double against Neftekhimik. Chibisov did not complete any of the matches with a negative utility score with an overall score of (+2).

Amir Miftakhov.Photo: Ilnar Tukhbatov

– the goalkeeper Amir Miftakhov (“Ak Bars”) was recognized as the best newcomer, who together with the team scored a zero victory in the match against “Amur”, which became the first for the 20-year-old goalkeeper of the Kazan club in the KHL. In the second match, against Barys, Miftakhov conceded the only goal in overtime. 48 shots were made at his goal (on average 24 per game), of which the goalkeeper reflected 97.92% (the best result of the week). The reliability coefficient (the average number of goals conceded in 60 game minutes) was 0.