Essay Sample about Viacheslav Fetisov
Viacheslav Fetisov is a Soviet-born hockey player who played 546 games in the National Hockey League and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001. He was one of the first Soviets to play in the NHL, but there are around forty players that are from his homeland that play in the NHL today. The struggles of the first Soviet-born hockey players in the NHL and those who helped them get there have had a lasting impact on the league.
The start of Fetisov and his teammates journey was on the Central Red Army hockey team. The Central Red Army team was the top team in the Soviet Union. The talent of the players on the team was unrivaled in their country, and by many Soviets, unrivaled by anywhere in the world. The team dominated many international tournaments over the years led by their coach, Anatoly Tarasov. At the time, all male Soviets of military age (16-28 years old) were required to serve a certain amount of years in the army. The players of the Central Red Army team were serving their military time by playing for the Central Red Army. Fetisov, the top defenseman of the team, had a “25-year military commitment” that he had to serve by playing for the team (Thomas). The team was strong and had positive morale until Tarasov was relieved of his coaching duties.
After the coaching change for the Central Red Army, there was unrest amongst several players on the team. After Tarasov was released from coaching the Central Red Army, Viktor Tikhonov took over. Many players on the team did not like the new harsh training regiments brought on by Tikhonov. According to Globe and Mail, a Canadian news source, stated, “Fetisov accused the coach of regarding players as ‘ce robots' to be used at his personal whim”(“Fetisov, Larionov quit”). Tikhonov thought that he could treat his players poorly. Many players felt that the conditions after the changes were so poor that they decided to speak publicly about it. Furthermore, according to Globe & Mail, Fetisov stated, ''’I'm pretty tough, but I can't take it any more. I'm tired of Tikhonov's dictatorial regime, which has brought about a constant atmosphere of bad feeling in the team. And I don't want to play any longer for a coach I don't trust’''(“Fetisov, Larianov quit”). Fetisov and teammate Igor Larionov were the two players that displayed the most concern about the new coaching style. In a tough decision, “ Vyacheslav Fetisov and Igor Larionov…resigned from the Central Red Army” (“Fetisov, Larionov quit”). This news shocked many Soviets and led to many negotiations to get them back to the team, but a series of games in the United States may not have helped the Soviet’s chances.
A series between the NHL and Central Red Army gave Fetisov and his teammates their first taste of what it was like to play in the United States. The trip would include “a six-game 'Super Series' “ against different National Hockey League teams (“A Soviet all-star”). The Soviets were hoping to show their power in hockey by defeating the world’s best, but the NHL teams wanted to prove them wrong. The Soviets were not holding back, United Press International, a news company, stated, “Veteran super goalie Vladislav Tretiak, defenseman Viacheslav Fetisov, forwards Sergei Makarov, Victor Krutov, Anatoli Semonov and Sergei Shepelev, will probably to form the core of the Soviet team, organizers of the series said”(“A Soviet all-star”). Out of the six games played, the Central Red Army won four and the NHL teams two. One of the Soviet’s losses was a one-goal loss to the Edmonton Oilers, the team of Wayne Gretzky, the greatest hockey player of all time. This trip proved that the Soviet team was one of the world’s best, and the players on that team, including Fetisov, stood out to NHL scouts and staff. This series was the start of the NHL’s interest in the Soviet players on the Central Red Army.
While in the United States, Fetisov was approached by members of the National Hockey League to try and negotiate a deal with him. The Soviet Ambassador to the United States, Yuri V. Dubinin was the main person trying to get Fetisov to stay in the United States. Alex Yannis, a writer for the New York Times, stated that “Fetisov added that Mr. Dubinin, who had been invited to the game as a guest of Deputy Secretary of State John Whitehead, a co-owner of the Devils, said he would speak with the Soviet Minister of Defense in an effort to have Fetisov released from his Soviet Army obligation”(Yannis). Fetisov told him of his situation and that he would only leave the Soviet Union diplomatically and legally if he were to play in the NHL. When Tikhonov was asked if Fetisov would be allowed to stay in the United States and play for the Devils—the team that owned his NHL rights—he said that it was possible “‘for him to stay here, but not now’''(Yannis). Dubinin and the Devils staff worked hard to obtain the release of Fetisov, but his 25-year obligation was holding him back. After many negotiations, it seemed that they were closer to getting Fetisov released from the Soviet Union.
Finally, after many negotiations back and forth between the Soviet Union and the National Hockey League, a breakthrough was made. Fetisov was given “clearance to join the National Hockey League”(Thomas). Tass, an official Soviet news agency, was the first to publish the news:
After years of sporadic negotiations, three of the Soviet Union's premier hockey players, including the celebrated defenseman Vyacheslav Fetisov, have apparently been given clearance to join the National Hockey League teams that drafted them as long as six years ago. (Thomas)
Along with Fetisov, two other players were allowed to leave in the first Soviet announcement: Igor Larionov and Sergei Makarov. The three released from the Soviet Union were arguably the top three Soviet-born hockey players. All three left their country diplomatically and legally; their service obligations were waived, including Fetisov’s 25-year obligation. The Soviet announcement marked the point where the Soviets were starting to be released to play in the NHL and the three players listed were the start of the trend. The three released players, especially Fetisov, opened the gates for other Soviet players to leave the Soviet Union and join the National Hockey League.
The efforts of Fetisov and other Soviet players, consequently, allowed many other Soviets to join the National Hockey League. In 1989, Fetisov and “eight other Soviet players” were playing in the NHL (Howse). In the 1989 season, about 25% of the teams in the NHL had a Soviet-born player. Over the course of many seasons, more and more Soviet, and later Russian (after the fall of the Soviet Union) players entered the NHL. Currently, the number of players from the Soviet Union (now Russia) has quadrupled since the 1989 season when there were just nine Soviets in the league. The actions in the 1980s have opened the door for Russian superstars including Alexander Ovechkin and Pavel Datsyuk to join the NHL and shine as one of the top players of their era. The inclusion of future players would not have been possible without the efforts of the NHL, Fetisov, and his teammates.
The efforts put forth by many National Hockey league workers, Viacheslav Fetisov, and many other Soviet players have given the opportunity for many others to join the NHL. The work of superstar players like Fetisov and Larionov opened the door for many Russian players to play in the NHL. Without their efforts, we would not have any Russian-born NHL players today.
Works Cited
"Fetisov, Larionov quit Red Army." Globe & Mail [Toronto, Canada], 18 Jan. 1989, p. A15. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A164815737/GPS?u=j220919001&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=109ed4da. Accessed 22 Mar. 2022.
Howse, John. "Soviet invasion: foreign players are shaking up the NHL." Maclean's, vol. 102, no. 41, 9 Oct. 1989, pp. 46+. Gale General OneFile Custom, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A8043641/GPS?u=j220919001&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=4dd9a627. Accessed 28 Mar. 2022.
"A Soviet all-star team, primarily composed of players from..." UPI Archive: Sports News, 8 Oct. 1982. Gale General OneFile Custom, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A450937917/GPS?u=j220919001&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=e2c23c63. Accessed 24 Mar. 2022.
Thomas, Robert Mcg., Jr. "3 Top Soviet Hockey Players Free to Join N.H.L." New York Times, 26 May 1989. Gale In Context: High School, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A175681480/GPS?u=j220919001&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=47cebe3d. Accessed 28 Mar. 2022.
Yannis, Alex. "Fetisov Tries Diplomacy in Quest to Join Devils." New York Times, 3 Jan. 1989. Gale In Context: High School, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A175618441/GPS?u=j220919001&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=44c15a6c. Accessed 24 Mar. 2022.
