Viktor Kuzkin

Viktor Kuzkin played his entire career from 1958-76 with one club – CSKA Moskva, winning 13 Soviet Championships (1959-61, 1963-66, 1968, 1970-73, 1975), sharing a record with Vladislav Tretyak for the most Soviet titles won as a player. Kuzkin also won seven European Cups (1969-74, 1976) with CSKA Moskva. Internationally Kuzkin played with the Soviet national team from 1962-73, being capped 176 times and scoring 19 goals. He is one of only six hockey players that have won three Olympic gold medals, also winning eight World Championships (1963-69, 1971) and seven European Championships (1963-69), adding silvers at the 1972 World Championships and 1971-72 European Championships. In 1972 Kuzkin also took part in the legendary Summit Series between Canada and Soviet Union, playing in seven games.

After finishing his competitive career in 1976, Kuzkin began coaching CSKA Moskva. He worked there until in 1988, before a short spell in Japan, coaching Jūjō Paper Kushiro (now Nippon Paper Cranes Kushiro). In 1991 he resumed his old post with CSKA Moskva, coaching them until 1999. From 1999 until his death Kuzkin coached CSK VVS Samara. In 2005 Kuzkin was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame. Kuzkin died while on a diving trip to the Black Sea resort of Sochi, where he sustained a heart attack while driving.