Igor Larionov
Igor Nikolayevich Larionov (Russian Игорь Николаевич Ларионов; born December 3, 1960 in Woskressensk, Russian SFSR ) is a former Russian ice hockey player. He is considered one of the best players of all time.
With the defender Vyacheslav Fetisov, he was one of the first Soviet player in the National Hockey League and could thus contribute to a loosening of boundaries within the ice hockey scene. Larionov is one of the best ball players of all time. In 1982, he was inducted into the Russian and Soviet Hockey Hall of Fame, 2008 in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.
- 3.1 Personal Awards
Career
Larionov began his career in 1977 at Chimik Woskressensk. After Nikolai Epstein had discovered his talent, he moved in 1981 to the military club HK CSKA Moscow, in order to form a forward line with Sergei Makarov and Vladimir Krutov that should go down in the annals of hockey later than the legendary KLM series. Larionov remained until 1989 in Moscow.
After the fall of the Iron Curtain was drawn Larionov to North America. There, the Vancouver Canucks took him under contract, the transfer law had already secured in the NHL Entry Draft in 1985. However, the Russians could not get used to the North American Hockey style and left the NHL in 1992.
While holding the fit center in the 1992/93 season in Switzerland at Lugano, the San Jose Sharks secured the rights to Larionov. Nevertheless, at first he did not return to the United States. Only when the Sharks with Sergei Makarov, one of his best strike partner of the Hartford Whalers committed, he returned in 1993 and led the young franchise for the first time in the playoffs. Together with Makarov and Johan Garpenlöv he formed the so-called OV- series of the team. After Garpenlöv and Makarov had left the team in 1995, it took the then 36 -year-old players to the Detroit Red Wings, where he remained until 2003, with a short stopover at the Florida Panthers in 2000, played. With the Red Wings he could three times in the Stanley Cup win in 1997, 1998 and 2002. His career trailed off from 2003 to 2004 with the New Jersey Devils.
He played mainly in the position of center.
Internationally
With the Soviet national team, he won at the Olympic Winter Games two gold medals (1984, 1988) and one bronze ( 2002). The Ice Hockey World Championships he could four times the first place (1982, 1983, 1986, 1989), and once each second ( 1987) and third (1985 ) reach.
NHL stats
Sporting successes
- Stanley Cup: 1997, 1998, 2002
- Olympic champion: 1984 and 1988
- World Champion: 1982, 1983, 1986 and 1989
Personal Awards
- Junior World Championships All-Star Team: 1980
- Player of the Year in the USSR: 1988
- USSR First All -Star Team: 1983, 1986, 1987 and 1988
- World Cup All-Star Team: 1983 and 1986
- Participate in the NHL All-Star Game: 1998, on Rendez -vous '87
- Inclusion in the IIHF Hall of Fame: 2008
- Inclusion in the Hockey Hall of Fame: 2008
- 1997 member of the Triple Gold Club