Athletistic / Hockey. In the history of Russian sports there are many stories that cause both laughter and tears. An example of this is the story of Vladimir Konstantinov, a brilliant Soviet and Russian hockey player who stopped skating so early. “Vladinator’s” career was tragically cut short 26 years ago, but he still remains an idol to many sports fans around the world.
Konstantinov was born in 1967 in Murmansk, where his parents worked in the polar port. He started playing hockey at an early age, immediately fell in love with it and returned the favor. At one of the tournaments in the city of Murmansk, he was noticed by Pyotr Anikiev, who managed to attract Vladimir to the section. His first team was the Murmansk “Shipyard”, in which Konstantinov played in youth competitions both as a defender and an attacker. And at the age of 16, he moved to Moscow and joined the structure of the best team on the planet at that time, CSKA.
Two years later, Konstantinov participated in the World Championships in Canada as part of the USSR youth team. This team consisted of almost all the future legends of world hockey and simply could not stop themselves from winning gold medals at this tournament. Upon his return to Moscow, a meeting of the Council of Head Coaches took place, at which an almost unanimous recommendation was made to try the young defender in adult competitions. This is how Vladimir ended up in the CSKA team. His courage and desire to give everything to the game helped Konstantinov to gain a foothold not only in the military club, but also to enter the base of the USSR national team, where he became the youngest player.
Photo source: FHR
Konstantinov, who played as a striker at the 1986 World Cup in Moscow, scored two points in ten matches: he scored one goal and provided an assist. Together with the team he became the winner of the home tournament. What is remarkable is that in 1989 and 1990 Vladimir also became world champion, but did not go to Calgary for the 1988 Olympics, where the USSR team won medals Golden. But the main event of this era, as it will turn out in the future, will be the 1989 NHL draft, where Konstantinov was selected by the Detroit Red Wings in the 11th round, 221st overall. Six years remained before the formation of the “Russian Five”.
The escape
In 1989, Detroit, which counted on attracting Soviet hockey players to its ranks, recruited Sergei Fedorov into its ranks. After that, Vladimir Konstantinov became second. The lieutenant of the Soviet army, under whom Konstantinov was then listed, immediately categorically rejected the idea of escaping, but later changed his mind after CSKA’s tour of North America in 1990-1991. This was facilitated by his communication with the same Fedorov, who spoke in bright colors about the quality of his life in the United States.
In the case of Konstantinov, the Detroit management resorted to all tricks and often resorted to bribes. One of the journalists of the Pravda newspaper managed to get Konstantinov admitted to a Soviet hospital for a tidy sum, where doctors unexpectedly discovered that he was suffering from a rare and incurable disease. Before the 1991/1992 season, Irina Konstantinova, the wife of a hockey player, addressed the head of CSKA Valery Gushchin and the head coach of the military team Viktor Tikhonov with a request to allow her husband to seek treatment in the United States. The leadership of the Red-Blue immediately suspected deception: Tikhonov demanded that Konstantinov undergo an examination in a special military hospital, but the same journalist convinced the CSKA doctors, with the help of bribes, not to not change the diagnosis. After that, Gushchin ordered the USSR customs service not to let Konstantinov leave the country and confiscate his passport. Having found false documents, Konstantinov and his family were able to travel by train to Budapest (Hungary), where representatives from Detroit and American authorities were waiting for them. Like Fedorov, Konstantinov made his final flight to the Motor City aboard Red Wings owner Mike Ilyich’s personal plane.
In the NHL, from the first weeks, Konstantinov gained a reputation as a skillful, fast, but extremely aggressive and “dirty” defender, capable of “sticking” to the main player of the opponent, completely discouraging him from the match. Following the results of his first NHL season in 1992, Vladimir Konstantinov was named to the All-Newcomer Team.
“Five Russians”
Before the start of the 1995/1996 season, Igor Larionov left the San Jose Sharks for Detroit, completing the experience of the brilliant Scotty Bowman, head coach of the Red Wings, who created a purely Russian five: Fetisov – Konstantinov in defense and Kozlov – Larionov — Fedorov on the attack line. This combination began to show incredible hockey, turning the heads of all opponents with their combinations. At the end of the NHL regular season, Konstantinov became the best in terms of plus/minus in the entire league – “+60”. That season, Detroit won the regular season by a huge margin, scoring 62 wins in a smooth season, but Scotty Bowman’s team lost to the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference finals.
But this did not break the team, and the very next season Detroit won the Stanley Cup for the first time in 42 years, destroying the Philadelphia Flyers in the final of the playoffs (4-0 in the series). In the Western Conference finals, the Red Wings faced Colorado again and took revenge for last season’s defeat. Konstantinov faced Swedish Avalanche forward Peter Forsberg throughout the series and allowed the Scandinavian to score just one point in five games. At the end of that season, Konstantinov was again nominated for the Norris Trophy, given to the best defenseman in the NHL, but the award ultimately went to Brian Leach.
Terrible accident
Photo source: NHL press service
On June 13, 1997, a limousine containing Konstantinov, Fetisov and club massage therapist Sergei Mnatsakanov was involved in an accident in the suburbs of Detroit: the car with the hockey players lost control, left the road and rolled crushed against a tree. The investigation will establish that the driver of the limousine, Richard Gnaida, was under the influence of drugs at the time of the accident. At the end of the trial, the culprit of the accident will only be sentenced to nine months in prison (he will be released two months earlier). But the consequences of the accident will be much more serious – Gnaida and Vyacheslav Fetisov himself will receive non-dangerous injuries, but Konstantinov and Mnatsakanov, as a result of the collision, hit their heads on the cabin partition and spent several weeks in a coma. After emerging from the coma, Konstantinov found himself confined to a wheelchair, having almost completely lost his speech and memory. The recovery of Mnatsakanov, still paralyzed in one arm and lower torso, has also been difficult.
The number 16, which Konstantinov wore in Detroit, has not been officially retired by the Red Wings, but as a sign of respect, no hockey player now uses this number. Konstantinov’s nameplate still hangs in the club’s dressing room and his seat remains empty.
These days
The famous defender, three-time world champion, six-time USSR champion and Stanley Cup winner, himself lives in Ann Arbor, a suburb of Detroit. His condition has improved considerably since the car accident. Vladimir can move independently, although he does it with the help of a special device.
Photo source: Detroit Red Wings
Today, Konstantinov’s wife and daughter live in the United States (Florida), but they regularly visit their husband and father, because he constantly needs help and care around the clock. It is known that Vladimir is constantly cared for by three or four nurses. All of these women had to learn Russian, because Vladinator constantly switches between English and his native language in his conversations.
“Detroit” does not forget its legend. The club’s management helps Konstantinov financially and constantly invites him to various ceremonial meetings. In 2019, Vladimir was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. And today, at home matches of the “red wings” you can easily see fans wearing sweaters with Konstantinov’s name.
Nikita Serbakov, Athletistic
Source: Sport
I’m Emma Smith, a dedicated journalist and avid storyteller. I have been writing for news websites for the past 5 years, reporting on hockey news and delivering in-depth analysis of the sport. In my current role as Author at Athletistic, I write about hockey events from around the world to keep followers up-to-date with what’s happening in the sport.
