Viacheslav Alexandrovich "Slava" Fetisov, born on April 20, 1958, is a Russian former professional ice hockey defenceman, coach, politician and sports official. He is celebrated as one of the most influential figures in hockey, having excelled both on and off the ice.
Viacheslav Fetisov in 2017. Source: Wikipedia
Early Career and Soviet Dominance
Fetisov debuted for CSKA Moscow's junior team at sixteen years old and joined the senior team in the Soviet Championship League in 1978-79. Playing for the CSKA Moscow club, he was named to the Soviet league All-Star team in 1977, at age 19, and four years later began a streak of seven consecutive All-Star appearances. With CSKA Moskva Fetisov won twelve Soviet and European Champions Cup titles in a row (1978-89). He was also named MVP of the Soviet Championships in 1982 and 1986.
As a defenceman in the 1980s he had few rivals, not just at home but worldwide. He was named as the top defenceman at the European Junior Hockey Championships in 1976 and achieved the same honour at the 1978 World Junior Championships along with a berth on the tournament All-Star team. He was also a member of seven world championship teams (1978-79, 1981-84, and 1986). A left-handed shooter, Fetisov was recognized early as an outstanding defenseman.
In international play, he was the longtime captain for his country and won two Olympic golds. Fetisov’s Olympic career began as a member of the team that competed at the 1980 Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York. Fetisov and his teammates settled for silver medals in 1980, but at the 1984 Olympics in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, the Soviet Union swept all seven of its games en route to Fetisov’s first gold medal.
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Viacheslav Fetisov formed one of the best defence pairings in hockey when he was teamed with Alexei Kasatonov with the Soviet National Team in the 1980s. The duo was part of the "Big Five" for the Soviets along with the KLM line of Vladimir Krutov, Sergei Makarov, and Igor Larionov. Fetisov possessed exceptional mobility and instinctively knew when to pinch in from the blueline to create a scoring chance in the offensive zone.
Breaking Barriers and Joining the NHL
Fetisov soon expressed a desire to play in the NHL and submitted a request to Soviet officials. However, Soviet players defecting to North America was strictly discouraged at the time and his request was met with great resistance. Fetisov has recalled the Soviet Minister of Defence, Marshal Dmitry Yazov, giving him an ultimatum at the time to either apologize or be sent to Siberia. Nevertheless, at the age of 31, helped by the Soviets' newfound glasnost policy, Fetisov led a group of eight Soviet players, including Helmut Balderis, Vladimir Krutov, Igor Larionov, Sergei Makarov, Sergei Mylnikov, Sergei Priakin and Sergei Starikov, into the NHL.
Fetisov was originally drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in 1978 but re-entered the draft and was selected by the New Jersey Devils in 1983. The Soviet Union's political climate was changing in the late 1980s and Fetisov made a stand against the establishment by signing with the Devils in the spring of 1988. In 1989, at age 31, Fetisov finally began his NHL career as a member of the New Jersey Devils.
Soviet club teams toured North America in 1989 for a series of exhibition games against NHL opponents. One of the dates on the schedule was a game on January 2, 1989, in New Jersey between the Devils and Fetisov's Red Army club. Fetisov scored a goal in the Red Army's 5-0 win that evening and was cheered by the Devils fans throughout the game. Returning home from the tour, he announced that he was quitting the Red Army team. However, as a member of the armed forces he was required to report to army headquarters every day, even though he wasn't playing hockey. When it was announced that he would not be allowed to play with the National Team during the upcoming World Championships, his teammates rose in solidarity to have him reinstated by stating that if Fetisov would not be allowed to play then they would not play either. By this time it was more than obvious that there would be no way to keep Fetisov from heading to the NHL.
NHL Career and Stanley Cup Glory
He played in New Jersey until 1994-95, when he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings in April 1995. Fetisov began producing immediately with the Red Wings, scoring 14 points in 14 games to finish the season after the trade. He helped the Red Wings to the 1995 Stanley Cup Finals, where they were defeated by his former team, the Devils. The following season, Fetisov matched his career high in points with 42-points in 1995-96. While with the Red Wings, Fetisov participated in the 1997 and 1998 All-Star games, and earned two Stanley Cup rings in 1997 and 1998.
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“The whole experience of playing for the Red Wings in Hockeytown for Scotty Bowman was my proudest moment in the NHL,” Fetisov says. “I have unforgettable memories playing in Detroit and winning the Stanley Cup twice.”
He would go on to play for nine years in the NHL, including his final three in Detroit. After the Red Wings won another Stanley Cup in 1998, Fetisov ended his career as a player and accepted a coaching position with the New Jersey Devils.
Here is a summary of Fetisov's NHL statistics:
| Season | Team | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989-1995 | New Jersey Devils | 345 | 36 | 158 | 194 |
| 1995-1998 | Detroit Red Wings | 141 | 8 | 34 | 42 |
Coaching and Executive Roles
As an assistant coach with the Devils, he won the Stanley Cup in 2000. Immediately following his playing career, Fetisov was an assistant coach for the New Jersey Devils and won a Stanley Cup in this capacity. Following his tenure as assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils, Fetisov was named general manager of the Russian national team for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, where Russia won bronze.
He later returned to Russia, where he was a member of the Russian parliament’s upper house and president of CSKA Moscow, where he began his hockey career. In 2009, he became president of HC CSKA Moscow. Fetisov attended the World Hockey Summit in 2010, and discussed wanting to improve KHL's relationship with the National Hockey League (NHL) with respect to transfer agreements and player contracts.
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After retiring as a coach, Fetisov embarked on a political and executive career. After the 2002 Winter Olympics, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered him the position as Minister of Sport, a post he held until 2008.
Political Career and Public Service
In September 2003, Fetisov became a member of the Supreme Council of the United Russia party. Since 2003, Fetisov has also actively worked and acted as a member of the Supreme Council of United Russia. From March to November 2004, Fetisov was Head of the Federal Agency for Physical Culture, Sports and Tourism.
In September 2008, Vedomosti reported that the Presidium of the General Council of United Russia recommended Fetisov's candidacy for election as a representative of the legislative assembly of Primorsky Krai in the Federation Council (this seat became vacant after Igor Pushkaryov, who represented the regional legislature, was elected mayor of Vladivostok in May of the same year). On the same day, Fetisov consented to become a seaside senator. On 17 October 2008, he was elected a member of the Federation Council from Primorsky Krai. Since 27 October 2008, he has been Chairman of the Federation Council Commission on Physical Culture, Sports, and the Development of the Olympic Movement.
On 4 December 2011, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Primorsky Krai; however, being again elected as a representative of the regional parliament in the Federation Council, he refused the deputy mandate. Fetisov was Deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation of the VII convocation, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Physical Culture, Sports, Tourism and Youth Affairs since 5 October 2016.
He has the federal state civilian service rank of 1st class Active State Councillor of the Russian Federation. He is a member of the upper house of the Federal Assembly of Russia, the Federation Council representing Primorsky Krai, the founder and chairman of the KHL's board of directors and chair of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Athletes Committee.
Honors and Legacy
Vyacheslav Fetisov has been a successful hockey player, coach, and executive. His illustrious career was honored by induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001. Originally upon his entrance into the league, he was a pioneer for all Russian hockey players. He led a group of eight players into the NHL at the same time the Soviet Union was crumbling.
In his home country, Fetisov has been awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labour in 1984, the Order of Lenin in 1988, the Order Of Service To The Fatherland 4th class in 2000 and 3rd class 2005, the Order Of Honour in 1998, the Order of Friendship in 2007, and two Orders of the Badge of Honor. On October 22, 1981, Russian astronomer Nikolai Chernykh discovered a main-belt asteroid from the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory.
In North America, Fetisov was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame on 12 November 2001 along with Mike Gartner, Dale Hawerchuk and Jari Kurri. Internationally, he has been recognized by the IIHF in the International Centennial All-Star Team.
Fetisov was instrumental in breaking the barrier that had prevented Soviet players from leaving the Soviet Union to join the NHL. His actions not only resulted in a number of top Soviet players joining the NHL, but encouraged many of the best players from all over Europe to go to North America.
To this day, he continues to be an ambassador for his sport and his country. We take for granted how easy it is for a Russian or European player to come to the United States to show the world their skills and earn a lucrative living. players, to be brave enough to stand by the courage of his convictions, to leave his home and everything he knew as a national hero, we may never have seen so many great players in their prime in North America.