Valeri Kharlamov

Valeri Kharlamov (1948–1981) was a Soviet ice hockey forward who played for CSKA Moscow in the Soviet League from 1967 until his death. A speedy, creative offensive player, he was named the Soviet Championship League most valuable player in 1972 and 1973 and led the league in scoring in 1972. In international competition, he represented the Soviet Union at 11 World Championships, earning eight gold medals, two silvers, and one bronze, and won two gold medals and one silver across three Winter Olympics (1972, 1976, 1980). He spent most of his career on a line with Vladimir Petrov and Boris Mikhailov.