Aleksandr Ragulin

Aleksandr Ragulin, one of the best defensemen in Soviet ice hockey history, began playing hockey in 1957 with Khimik Voskrosensk, joining CSKA Moskva in 1962. He played with CSKA Moskva until the end of his competitive career in 1973, winning nine Soviet titles (1963-66, 1968, 1970-73), and five European Champions Cup titles (1969-73) with them. Internationally Ragulin played with the Soviet national team from 1960-73, earning 239 caps and scoring 29 goals. He won three Olympic gold medals, 10 World Championships (1963-71 and 1973), and nine European Championships (1963-70 and 1973). In addition to his titles, Ragulin won silver (1972) and bronze (1961) at the World Championships and three silvers (1961, 1971, 1972) at the European Championships. At the 1966 World Championships Ragulin was selected as the best defenseman of the tournament. In 1972 Ragulin also took part in the legendary Summit Series between Canada and Soviet Union, playing in six games. After his competitive career ended, Ragulin worked as a children’s hockey coach with CSKA Moskva sports school and was a coach of SKA Novosibirsk. Aleksandr Ragulin was selected to the IIHF Hall of Fame in 1997 and in 2001 he received the Olympic Order in Silver.