From the Soviet Union, Vladimir Krutov was one of the superstars of the Red Army team that terrorized International Hockey throughout the 1980s.  The Left Wing was a superstar for the Soviets as he helped his country win two Olympic Golds, a Canada Dup Gold, and five World Hockey Championships.  Krutov would later play for the Vancouver Canucks for one season in the NHL.

Without a doubt, there was a slew of phenomenal players who emerged from the Soviet Union and the formidable Red Army.  One such great player is blueliner Alexi Kasatonov, who played for the elite national team throughout the 1980s, winning two Olympic Gold Medals (1984 & 1988), a Canada Cup Gold Medal (1981), and the World Hockey Championship five times.  Kasatonov was easily among the elite of Soviet Defenseman, and he was also a multi-time champion in the Soviet League with CSKA Moscow.  He would join the NHL at the age of 30, and although he was no longer a top player, he was still an All-Star in 1984.

It might seem a little laughable now, but there was a time when all Russian players were considered soft. Vladimir Konstantinov may have been part of the 1980s Soviet Red Army team, but he was a man who seemed to be bred for the NHL, as he was anything but “soft.” Konstantinov had an instant impact on the pros with the Red Wings. He was literally a pest who made it exceptionally difficult for opponents to score. This was reflected by his high plus/minus tallies. Konstantinov’s last season saw him as the Norris Trophy runner-up and hoist the Stanley Cup. Less than a week after that triumph, Konstantinov was in a horrible limousine accident that put him in a coma and literally put him in the fight of his life. Needless to say, Vladimir never played again, though if he had, it can be argued that he might be a much stronger candidate for induction than he is now.