Vitaly Davydov

Vitaly Davydov played his entire career from 1957-73 with Dynamo Moskva. He never won a Soviet title with them, but was a runner-up seven times (1959, 1960, 1962-64, 1971, 1972) and won bronze medals five times (1958, 1966-69). Internationally Davydov is one of six hockey players to have won three Olympic gold medals. He was also a nine-time World Champion (1963-71) and eight-time European Champion (1963-70), winning silvers at the 1972 World Championships and the 1971 and 1972 European Championships. At the 1967 World Championships, he was selected as the best defenseman of the tournament. After his competitive career ended in 1974, Davydov began coaching Dynamo Moskva and from 1979-81 was their head coach. From 1975-76 he was the head coach of the Soviet national junior team, winning the 1976 European Championships, and from 1976-79 Davydov was head coach of the Soviet national Under-18 team, winning the World Championships with them three times consecutively from 1977-79. In 1981 Davydov moved to Hungary where he was coached Újpesti TE from 1981-84, winning Hungarian Championships with them in 1982 and 1983. From 1982-84 he also coached the Hungarian national ice hockey team. After returning to the Soviet Union in 1984, Davydov again took up a coaching position with Dynamo Moskva, serving as head coach from 1989-95. From 1995-98 Davydov worked in Germany as the head coach of Lions Trier. Since 1998 Davydov has been the vice-president of Dynamo Moskva hockey club. Davydov was inducted to the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2004.