yyys123
Joined: 08 Jul 2019
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 Posted: 22.02.2009 Post subject: s. To complete that wash |
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| Last September, Wayne Gretzky, Scotty Bowman, Darryl Sittler and countless other hockey legends assembled in Toronto to see one of the greatest teams ever assembled. Not on the ice, but on the big screen. Gabe Polsky’s Red Army – a feature documentary about the rise and fall of Soviet hockey in the 1970s and 1980s – had its Canadian debut at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival and now, it’s hitting Canadian cinemas. “That Toronto event was probably one of the greatest moments of my life,” Polsky said of the Toronto premiere that filled the Ryerson Theatre with a who’s-who of hockey stars past and present. Amazingly, these luminaries had all come to see a story in which they were merely the supporting cast. ARMY BY NAME, ARMY BY NATURE Hockey fans from the 1980s best remember the Soviets from the teams weapon of choice: The Green Unit. The front line of the Soviet attack was a five-man powerhouse that dominated international hockey for a decade, impressed in goodwill barnstorming tours against National Hockey League clubs and stunned a Team Canada which included key pieces of both the Oilers and Islanders dynasties to win the 1981 Canada Cup. The combination featured Sergei Makarov, Igor Larionov and Vladimir Krutov up front with Alexei Kasatonov and Viacheslav Fetisov on the point. These five starred in Polsky’s film, but Fetisov in particular stepped off the blue line and into the spotlight. The mercurial defenceman opened up to provide an inside look behind the Iron Curtain’s most formidable on-ice force. Polsky remembered his trip to Russia to track down the Green Unit alumni and the difficulty in nailing Fetisov into the interview that provided the soul of his film. “He said 15 minutes, but then he never really checked his watch and he just kept going,” Polsky said of what became an estimated six-hour chat. “I think we started connecting a little bit and he started to see that I didn’t come in there with any expectations.” “Maybe he thought I was a little bit weird or young and that kind of opened him up a little bit. It was kind of like in a hockey locker room and I was like a rookie, or something. He was the veteran and just kinda giving me s***.” But what he ended up giving Polsky was rare candor and the details of a system that remains shrouded in mystery. The Soviet national program, handed down from one of Russian hockey’s founding fathers (Anatoli Tarasov) to the divisive personage of Viktor Tikhonov, was outright military. Kept in barracks nearly year-round, the training regimen that led to two Olympic gold medals and six IIHF World Championships between 1980 and 1990 was part training camp and part internment camp. Fetisov recalls Tikhonov refusing teammate Andrei Khomutov leave to visit his dying father and that team officials later threatened Fetisov when the NHL came calling in the late 80s. “You try to play for our enemies?” Fetisov recalls being told by team officials in the film. “I’ll send you to Siberia. You’ll never get out.” Polsky used archival footage to get beyond the on-ice story. Yes, there were highlights from the Miracle on Ice and the 1981 Canada Cup triumph, but equal screen time was given to a war-torn post-World War II Russian society and historical footage of strange training routines and exhibitions involving summersaults, gymnastics and bears on skates. The resulting film went beyond the on-ice product to a deeper political discussion that raged between two opposing powers. “To the Soviets sports were, in a way, a kind of warfare,” renowned Cold War-era journalist Vladimir Posner said in Red Army. “The game for them wasn’t just a game, it was also part of what you would call propaganda, actually, making it very clear that: ‘We’re the best. And, we’re the best because of the Soviet system. Because of socialism, that’s why we’re the best.” Polsky sought balance between the sport and the state to a wider Western audience. “This movie goes a long way in explaining the history and what shaped these people and what their experiences were,” he said. “North Americans are not familiar with who these people are on a human level. We read a couple things and all we really know are the clichés to a degree and I think this reveals a bit more of the soul of the country.” COMING TO (NORTH) AMERICA The Red Army stars had given all they could for their homeland. It was time to take on the world’s best players. Hockey Hall-of-Famer Mike Gartner had more experience playing against Fetisov than nearly anyone before Russians began to flood the NHL. He dealt with his future Hall-of-Fame classmate in three World Championships, Canada Cups the World Junior Championship and even a midget hockey invitational in 1975. “He had great vision on the ice from an offensive standpoint, but he was so strong and he was so hard to get around,” Gartner said. “He was tough. He had the whole package and he played a lot. It seemed like he was on the ice all the time.” “He was a well-respected player.” Canada had to better equip itself to handle the Soviet onslaught after 1981. Shell-shocked 8-1 in the Canada Cup Final, the Canadians knew they needed to load up to beat the Green Unit. “We had to put our absolute best players on the ice to be in the same category as the Red Army team,” Gartner said of the Canadian teams that won the 1984 and 1987 Canada Cups. “Here was a team that was put together with players that played with each other from youth in a system that was developing robotic, talented athletes. We couldn’t compete unless we had our best players at the top of their games.” AUDIO: Mike Gartner on Slava Festisov Soon enough, though, the Soviets best was no longer strictly an international concern. Beginning with the 1989 defection of Alexander Mogilny, the door to the NHL was finally open to the Green Unit. Within one year the Berlin Wall toppled, Communist governments fell in Poland, Romania and Czechoslovakia, and stars began moving westward. But how would they adapt? The Green Unit in the Soviet Union PLAYER SEASONS GP G A PTS CHAMPIONSHIPS USSR STATS Slava Fetisov 14 478 153 221 374 9 (2 OLY, 7 IIHF) 143 - 51 - 95 - 146 Alexei Kasatonov 14 529 119 196 315 7 (2 OLY, 5 IIHF) 125 - 28 - 67 - 95 Vladimir Krutov 12 439 288 215 503 7 (2 OLY, 5 IIHF) 112 - 73 - 64 - 137 Igor Larionov 12 457 204 230 434 6 (2 OLY, 4 IIHF) 103 - 36 - 51 - 87 Sergei Makarov 13 519 322 388 710 10 (2 OLY, 8 IIHF) 145 - 83 - 89 - 172 The move to North America went smoother for some than for others. Makarov debuted with 86 points for the Calgary Flames at 31 years of age and won the 1989-90 Calder Memorial Trophy as Rookie of the Year. He forever stamped his name on the League. The NHL has had “The Makarov Rule” in place ever since, limiting Calder eligibility to players aged 26 and under. Fetisov and Larionov made solid impacts in New Jersey and Vancouver, respectively before separate trades reunited them in Detroit in 1995. Under Bowman, the Red Wings revived the Soviet style – puck possession, precision passing and meticulous patience to create the perfect scoring chance - to establish one of the League’s most formidable power plays. The two Green Unit alumni were complemented by Sergei Fedorov (not pictured), Vyacheslav Kozlov and Vladimir Konstantinov to form the Wings’ “Russian Five” combination in the mid-90s. The experiment was an unmitigated success helping the Wings capture back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1997 and 1998. The five accounted for 10 of the Wings’ 17 power play goals in the 1997 Stanley Cup Playoffs and the forward trio produced a combined 45 points in 20 games. A career-ending accident took Konstantinov out of the line-up for the second Cup, but the team – and his Russian replacement Dmitri Mironov – rallied around the fallen blueliner. Krutov and Kasatonov, meanwhile enjoyed mixed results. Kasatonov lasted seven years in the NHL before injuries derailed his career. Krutov, though, was gone after just one season. He left the Vancouver Canucks after an 11-goal 1989-90 season and finished his playing career in Europe. The Green Unit in the NHL PLAYER SEASONS GP G A PTS STANLEY CUPS Slava Fetisov 9 (NJ, DET) 546 36 192 228 2 Alexei Kasatonov 7 (NJ, ANA, STL, BOS) 383 38 122 160 0 Vladimir Krutov 1 (VAN) 61 11 23 34 0 Igor Larionov 14 (VAN, SJ, DET, FLA, NJ) 921 169 475 644 3 Sergei Makarov 7 (CGY, SJ, DAL) 424 134 250 384 0 Krutov’s story was possibly the most tragic of the lot. The IIHF Hall-of-Famer died at 51 years old in 2012, mere months after conducting his Red Army interview. Polskys time with Krutov was emotional. “He almost embodied the Russian soul, like the sadness of this heartbroken guy, still living in the past and the glory of the past and he couldn’t really make it once he got all this freedom and independence. He didn’t know what to do with it,” Polsky said. “He had achieved so much and he had a good heart and was a loyal guy and just a nice genuine guy with a great heart, but he just couldn’t make it. He died of heartache, you know?” A DEMILITARIZED STATE After conquering the world and the NHL, one might think Russian hockey could only remain dominant. Polsky’s narrative ended with the Red Wings’ Russian heroes triumphantly bringing the Stanley Cup to Red Square surrounded by the adoring Moscow masses. Internationally, however, the best had arguably already past. Russia won the World Championship in 1993 led by the aforementioned Khomutov and his 12 points in eight games. However, that victory was the beginning of a vacuum. The Russians did not win another World Championship until 2008 when an aging Fedorov teamed with his then-Washington-Capital-teammates, Alexander Ovechkin and Alexander Semin, to win gold in an overtime thriller. Since the foundation of the Kontinental HockeyLeague - Russias new top division - in 2008-09, the nation has won three of six IIHF World Championships. A true All-Star team, featuring KHL standouts aided by Russian NHLers out of the Stanley Cup chase, has been afforded the Russian team since the KHL season ends prior to the beginning of the Worlds. In recent years, that has included the likes of Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin. However, a true best-on-best title has eluded them since 1981. The nation may have reached a new low point with the 2014 Olympic Games. Playing on Russian soil and under the constant gaze of President Vladimir Putin, Finland clipped them in the quarter-finals, forcing a Russian exit from the Sochi Games without even a shot at a medal in hockey. Polsky blamed a shift away from the Soviet system. “They produce individual players still, very talented individuals and they still exhibit some of the Russian characteristics of strong skating and puckhandling,” Polsky said, “but there’s no collective five-man unit type of play - that beautiful collective creativity - anymore.” What was lost - in his mind - was a true art form. “When you see something incredible and a level of mastery, it doesn’t matter if it’s painting or literature or architecture or anything, it’s self-evident, how beautiful it is,” Polsky said. “It’s the same thing with hockey. When you see amazing hockey and vision and skill and passing and movement, it’s self-evident. You don’t have to be a hockey fan to appreciate it.” Red Army opens in select theatres in Toronto and Vancouver on Jan. 30. Fake Jordan Shoes . "This isnt really the week you want to lose Chris Greaves," fellow lineman Glenn January said Wednesday after practice. Greaves is expected to miss several weeks after suffering a knee injury in last weeks 36-28 win over the Ottawa Redblacks. Replica Shoes Online .com) - A pair of programs shooting for their 10th win of the season get together at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, as the NC State Wolfpack tangle with 22nd-ranked West Virginia during the challenge round of the Gotham Classic. https://www.fakeshoesonline.com/ .com) - Virginia is for loving Latrell Scott. Fake Shoes Outlet .com) - Pittsburgh Steelers running back LeVeon Bell, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Elvis Dumervil and New England Patriots punter Ryan Allen were selected as the AFCs top players for Week 14 of the NFL season. Fake Nike Shoes . The defending champions sent their preliminary list to FIFA on Tuesday, with coach Vicente del Bosque to announce the final 23-man squad on May 25. Costa is set to lead the attack in his native Brazil, with Atletico Madrid teammate David Villa and Chelseas Fernando Torres also included, while David de Gea replaces injured goalkeeper Victor Valdes.Hard to believe it has been 10 years since the Montreal Expos were getting set to begin their final spring training at Space Coast Stadium at Viera, Florida before relocating in Washington as the Nationals in 2005. There are actually eight - possibly nine - players still active who played on that final Montreal team in 2004. Five of those had ties to the Blue Jays, including lefty reliever Scott Downs, righty reliever Jon Rauch, Tomo Ohka whos trying a comeback this year with the Blue Jays as a knuckleballer, shortstop Alex Gonzalez (the first one) who was a contemporary of Carlos Delgado and Shawn Green and current Jays utility infielder Maicer Izturis. The others include reliever Luis Ayala, infielder Jamey Carroll and outfielder Endy Chavez, and Canadian-born pitcher Shawn Hill who pitched last season and may still be active. The Expos knew they were in trouble going into that final season. Major League Baseball was running the team, and rumours were running rampant they were either going to be relocated or contracted, folded if you will. The Expos played 22 of their games in Puerto Rico at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, either to try and make more money for MLB, or expose the game on a more international level, or kill off the Expos even faster. Take your pick. In any event their attendance in 2004 was the worst in the Majors at 748,550. The Expos dropped their final five home games at Stad Olympique and went 2-7 on their final homestand ever. The Expos final home game ever was on September 29 against the Florida Marlins. Before the game they were presented with a banner by MLB, that proclaimed them as the best team in baseball in 1994. That of course was the year of the players strike that stretched into early 2005. The Expos had the best record in the Majors when play was halted in August of 1994 and most pundits felt they would have won the World Series that year. That banner was raised in centre field during that final game in Montreal. But mere hours later, word leaked out that the Expos would be relocating to Washington for the next season as the Nationals. To complete that washout of a day, Florida won the final game played in Montreal, 9-1. Korean-born pitcher Sun-Woo Kim, who finished with an appropriate career record of 13-13 took the loss giving up five runs on five hits in just two innings. Veteran catcher Todd Zeile hit the final home run at Olympic Stadium, a three-run shot off Claudio Vargas in the 6th inning. But it wasnt quite over from the Expos as they had to go to Shea Stadium in New York to play out the season in the very park where they played their first-ever game in 1969.dddddddddddd After dropping the first game, Montreal won its final game under the Expos banner on Saturday, October 2. It had plenty of drama too. Brad Wilkerson, who spent some time with the Blue Jays in 2008, slammed a three-run tie-breaking homer in the top of the 9th off Braden Looper to propel Montreal to a 6-3 victory. On the Sunday, they didnt fare as well. The Mets crushed them 8-1. Jamey Carroll scored the final run in Expos history and Endy Chavez made the final out. Five players who had ties to the Blue Jays were involved in that game: Jose Reyes, Wilkerson, Tony Bautista, Jon Rauch and Maicer Izturis. Not only that, Randy St. Claire, Montreals pitching coach on that day, is now the Blue Jays Triple-A pitching coach at Buffalo. Also of note, the winning pitcher that day for the Mets was Tom Glavine, winding down his Hall of Fame career, who climbed to 11-14 with the victory. Montreal finished that final season at 67-95. A couple of more notes on that final Expos season. They were involved in one of the biggest trades of the year at the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. It was a nine-player, four-team swap that involved Montreal, Boston, the Cubs and Minnesota. The Expos sent shortstop Orlando Cabrera to Boston. The Red Sox sent one of their all-time greats, Nomar Garciaparra, to the Cubs as part of the package and Alex Gonzalez was one of the three players that went from the Cubs to Montreal. Strangely enough, Gonzalez, the ex-Jay, was the final Expos player ever dealt. He was sent to San Diego as part of a conditional deal on September 16. The Expos left us with some great memories, and there are many who believe a team will return to Montreal, including a group fronted by former Expos left fielder Warren Cromartie. For that to happen though, a new downtown stadium has to be built, and that is nowhere near happening yet. For now Montreal fans will have to be content with two pre-season games at the Olympic Stadium in late March between the Blue Jays and the New York Mets. Midsummer Plans This years All-Star game is slated for Target Field in Minnesota. In 2015, the Midsummer Classic will be in Cincinnati. Commissioner Bud Selig says Washington is a front-runner for 2017. However 2016 is open and if the rotation is followed would go to an American League team. That would be the perfect fit for the Blue Jays, on the 25th anniversary of the first All-Star Classic they hosted in 1991. Heres hoping. ' ' ' |
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