University of Turku Faculty of Humanities Baltic Sea Region ... - Doria

22
national team captain, Vyacheslav Fetisov, openly refused to play on Tikhonov’s team
because of the systematic “mistreatment” of the players. 74 Moreover, Fetisov publicly
revealed his scandalous desire to play in the NHL, which led him to the open conflict
with the Soviet system. 75 However, fearing the debacle on the international stage, the
Soviet sports authorities reached a compromise with Fetisov. Together with Larionov, he
was promised to be allowed to play in the NHL after playing in the 1989 world
Championship in Stockholm, which represented the ultimate spark of the Soviet hockey
greatness on international stage with perfect results. 76
These emotional events fostered the grounds for the political split in the 1989
Plenary Session of the Soviet Hockey Federation. The heated discussions on the
restructuring and liberalization of the highly-centralized hockey system and adaptation of
Soviet hockey to the western standards of professional sports organizations had entered
the stage. 77 Moreover, the Plenary also witnessed the attempt of the removal of the
national coach from his duties. The loss of Aleksander Mogilny, who defected to the
NHL, was blamed on Tikhonov, who was also falsely accused of beating him up. 78
Despite the uneasy accusations, Tikhonov remained in power. 79 However, with the
gradual softening of the top-down system of control over the players, the “Big Red
Machine” simply lost its organizational steam it was feeding on in the previous years of
success. Consequently, the first Soviet hockey players like Sergei Pryakhin, Vyacheslav
Fetisov, Igor Larionov, Vladimir Krutov, Sergei Makarov and Helmuts Balderis received
74 Gennady Kamennyi, “Фетисов Против Тихонова [Fetisov Against Tikhonov].” Soviet Sports. 22 Jan.
2004. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. . Para 1. In the 1989
interview to the newspaper, Moskovsky Komsomolets, Fetisov confessed: “For Tikhonov we are ice robots.
But we are also human beings – with our own joys, sorrows, emotions, and worries…I am a strong man, but
cannot tolerate all this. I am tired of the dictatorship of Tikhonov, because of this there is an unhealthy
situation in the team. I do not want to play any more for the coach who I do not trust!” [translation mine].
75 Vyacheslav Fetisov, Овертайм [Overtime] (Moscow: Vagrious, 1998). 36-50. In the autobiography,
Fetisov gives his account on the story over his quest to play in the NHL, mentioning the sabotaging role of
the Soviet authorities and Tikhonov in postponing his contract with New Jerseys Devils in fall 1988, which
led to the open conflict with the system.
76 Kamennyi, Фетисов Против Тихонова Mid Para. Top CSKA’s players made an ultimatum to Tikhonov,
demanding to bring back Fetisov for the 1989 WC in Stockholm.
77 Mariss Andersons, “C Пленума Федерации Хоккея СССР [From the Plenary Session
of the USSR Hockey Federation].” Xоккей 1989-1990 (Riga: Central Committee of Communist Party
Press.1989) 64-66.
78 Andersons, C Пленума 60-61.
79 Besides harsh criticism, there was still strong support of Tikhonov in the Soviet hockey community. For
instance, the legendary ex-Soviet Latvian goalkeeper, Arturs Irbe, who could be hardly accused of being
loyal to the Soviet system, said after the 1989 WC in Stockholm: “much could be disliked in the actions and
character of V. Tikhonov, but you won’t find nowadays a better specialist than him in the country.”
[translation mine]. In Mariss Andersons, “В Стане Чемпионов: В Роли Гида - Артур Ирбе [In the Rank
of Champions: As a Guide – Artur Irbe].” Xоккей 1989-1990 (Riga: Central Committee of Communist
Party Press.1989) 122.