Frank Thomas

Tretiak Notable Sports Figures
Vladislav Tretiak
about the goals Tretiak allowed and pulled him after the
first period in favor of Tretiak’s back up, Vladimir
Myshkin. Myshkin allowed two more goals and the
United States won the game 4-3, going on to capture the
gold. Tretiak stated in an interview for the Sporting
News, “I didn’t want to go home. I was very, very
angry.” He had never been benched before, and was so
shocked and incensed he considered giving up his career
in hockey. However, after spending time away from the
hockey arena, he decided not to let his anger get the best
of him. He wanted to prove to everyone that the choice
that was made was wrong.
With a strong passion within, Tretiak reaffirmed his
great skill, winning the Canada Cup in 1981. It was
this game that proved that his competitive nature was
still alive. The final result was an 8-1 Soviet victory. It
was nothing new for Tretiak, who by now was considered
not only the Soviet Union’s best goalie, but also
the world’s best goalie. Following the victory, the
Montreal Canadiens grew more and more interested in
this Russian hockey player. When asked by a reporter,
after receiving a four-minute standing ovation at the
Canada Cup, if he would like to play for Montreal, he
answered with an unequivocal yes. He was photographed
holding up Ken Dryden’s jersey, which then
appeared on the cover of a Montreal newspaper. This
was scandalous in the eyes of the Soviet Union. Not
only did it make them look bad because it appeared
Tretiak no longer wanted to play for the Red Army
1636
Career Statistics
Yr Team GP MIN GAA TGA
1968-69 CSKA 3 180 0.67 2
1969-70 CSKA 34 2040 2.24 76
1970-71 CSKA 40 2400 2.03 81
1971-72 CSKA 30 1800 2.60 78
1972-73 CSKA 30 1800 2.67 80
1973-74 CSKA 27 1620 3.48 94
1974-75 CSKA 35 2100 2.97 104
1975-76 CSKA 33 1980 3.03 100
1976-77 CSKA 35 2100 2.80 98
1977-78 CSKA 29 1740 2.48 72
1978-79 CSKA 40 2400 2.78 111
1979-80 CSKA 36 2160 2.36 85
1980-81 CSKA 18 1080 1.78 32
1981-82 CSKA 41 2460 1.59 65
1982-83 CSKA 29 1740 1.38 40
1983-84 CSKA 22 1320 1.82 40
TOTAL 482 28920 2.40 1158
CSKA: Central Red Army Team (Moscow).
Team, it was a slap in the face to the Central Committee
of Young Communist League, which Tretiak belonged
to. Feeling the pressure from the Soviet
authorities, Tretiak renounced his statements, saying
the press had misrepresented him.
NHL Pipe Dreams
It truly was Tretiak’s greatest dream to play for the
National Hockey League (NHL). He mentioned his desire
to play for the NHL to the great Wayne Gretzky, and
asked Gretzky if he would be able to earn as much as
the Islander’s all-star defenseman Denis Potvin. Gretzky
believed Tretiak could without a doubt. It was this
discussion, as well as Tretiak’s continued performance,
that led to him being drafted by the Montreal Canadiens.
He petitioned the Soviet Federals to allow him to
leave the country to play for the Canadiens, but his request
was denied. They could not let their prize goalie
leave the country.
Vladislav Tretiak, Man of Character
Tretiak went on to earn several more awards, and finally
vindicated himself in the 1984 Olympics, reclaiming
the Gold. He was the first Soviet hockey
player to appear in four Winter Olympics. Tretiak had
proven his point, that he was the better goalie. He was
satisfied with his career and his accomplishments, so
he decided to retire. He still was in great shape and his
performance was never better. But he had made his
mark and wanted to go gracefully. He also wanted to
share his experience with others. Looking at Tretiak’s
career, it is quite clear he was not only a phenomenal
goalie, he was an exceptional human being with great
character. Jeff Hackett of the Blackhawks stated, “I