| Vladimir Krutov | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Krutov with the Soviet Union | |||
| Born |
1 June 1960 Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union | ||
| Died |
6 June 2012 (aged 52) Moscow, Russia | ||
| Height | 176 cm (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Weight | 194 lb (88 kg; 13 st 12 lb) | ||
| Position | Left wing | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for |
HC CSKA Moscow Vancouver Canucks Zürcher SC Östersunds IK Brunflo IK | ||
| National team |
 Soviet Union | ||
| NHL draft |
238th overall, 1986 Vancouver Canucks | ||
| Playing career | 1977–1996 | ||
Vladimir Yevgenyevich Krutov (Russian: Владимир Евгеньевич Крутов; 1 June 1960 – 6 June 2012), nicknamed "The Tank",[1] was a Russian former professional ice hockey forward. Together with Igor Larionov and Sergei Makarov, he was part of the famed KLM Line.[2] He is considered one of the best ice hockey wingers of the 1980s.
An instrumental part of the Soviet Union national team in the 1980s, Krutov won the 1981 Canada Cup, two gold medals (1984, 1988) and one silver (1980) at the Olympics, and five golds (1981, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1989), one silver (1987) and one bronze (1985) in the World Championships. He was the scoring leader at the 1987 World Championships.[3]
On the club level, Krutov played for CSKA Moscow from 1978 to 1989. He was one of the first Soviet players to make the jump to the NHL, doing so with the Vancouver Canucks in 1989. However, Krutov did not have a successful season, battling homesickness and weight problems, which provoked the derisive nickname of "Vlad the Inhaler."[4][5][6]
Krutov left the NHL after his lone season in North America and played for several clubs in the Swiss and Swedish leagues before retiring to move into coaching.[2] His son Alexei Krutov is a former hockey player who played professionally from 1999 to 2017.
In 2010, he was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame.[7][8][9]
Krutov died in a hospital in Moscow on 6 June 2012, of internal bleeding and liver failure, just five days after his 52nd birthday.[7]
- ^ Fyodorov, Gennady (6 June 2012). "Former Soviet great Krutov dies at 52". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 7 June 2012.
- ^ a b Cazeneuve, Brian (February 12, 2014). "Greatest Russian Hockey Players Of All Time". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
- ^ 1987 Summary
- ^ News, Postmedia (2012-06-06). "Vladimir Krutov a 'fish out of water' in NHL, says former Canucks teammate". National Post. National Post. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
{{cite news}}:|last1=has generic name (help) - ^ Fleming, Colin (February 16, 2014). "Olympic hockey has an international gold standard to meet". Sports Illustrated. Sports Illustrated LLC. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ Drance, Thomas; Halford, Mike (2017). 100 Things Canucks Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. Triumph Books LLC. p. 129. ISBN 978-1-62937-345-4.
- ^ a b "Vladimir Krutov, Soviet ice hockey legend, dead at 52". Toronto Star. 2012-06-06. Retrieved 2012-06-06.
- ^ "Владимир Крутов стал 30-м россиянином в Зале славы ИИХФ". Sport Express (in Russian). Moscow, Russia. 24 May 2010. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
- ^ Meltzer, Bill (23 December 2009). "IIHF Hall of Fame inducts six new members". National Hockey League. Retrieved 18 June 2023.