Vladimir Myshkin
Encyclopedia
Vladimir Semenovich Myshkin ' onMouseout='HidePop("28373")' href="/topics/Kirovo-Chepetsk">Kirovo-Chepetsk
, Soviet Union
) is a former ice hockey
goaltender
. He was a goaltender for HC Dynamo Moscow
and the Soviet Union national ice hockey team in the 1970s and 1980s.
During his career in the Soviet Championship League, Myshkin was consistently among the top goaltenders in the league and his Dynamo Moscow club was always among the best. However, rival Moscow club HC CSKA Moscow
won the championship almost every year he played, including an amazing 13-year run from 1977 to 1989, preventing Myshkin from winning a domestic championship until his very last year.
Myshkin is Jewish. He came to prominence in the late 1970s when he earned a spot of the Soviet national team as a backup to the legendary Vladislav Tretiak
. On February 11, 1979, he was the surprise choice of coach Viktor Tikhonov
to start in the deciding game in the Challenge Cup
tournament against the National Hockey League
all stars. Myshkin responded with a sterling effort, shutting out the NHL stars 6-0 to win the Challenge Cup for the Soviets. A couple of months later, he won his first of six World and European championships, the others coming in 1981, 1982, 1983, 1986, and 1990.
Myshkin replaced Tretiak after the first period in the famous "Miracle on Ice
" game versus the USA in the medal round of the 1980 Winter Olympics
. He faced only 2 shots in the second period, and stopped them both, but gave up 2 goals in the third scored by Americans Mark Johnson and Mike Eruzione. Team USA won the game 4-3 and went on to capture the gold medal with the Soviets taking the silver. As the Americans celebrated wildly and Myshkin waited politely with his teammates to congratulate them he was consoled by Tretiak.
In 1981, Myshkin was a member of the Soviet team that won the Canada Cup
, the only time Canada
failed to win the tournament. He played in one game and backed up Tretiak for the 8-1 victory in the final.
In 1984, he won his only Olympic gold medal
, backing up Tretiak for the last time. Tretiak retired after the tournament.
In his first major event as starting goaltender of the Soviet national team, he led the Soviets to a perfect 5-0 record in the round robin of the 1984 Canada Cup
by going 3-0 in his three starts before being defeated by Canada 3-2 in overtime in the semifinals. Nonetheless, Myshkin played spectacularly that game in a losing cause, being named the USSR's player of the game, and was named to the tournament all-star team for his heroics.
As the starting goaltender of the national team, he backstopped them to a bronze medal at the 1985 World Championships and a gold in 1986 on home ice in Moscow. The following year, the 31-year-old Myshkin was replaced by younger goaltenders Evgeny Belosheikin
and Sergei Mylnikov
. After 1986, he appeared only once more at the World Championships, that being in 1990 as the team's third-string goaltender in a largely token gesture, as Myshkin had already announced he would retire following the season.
Myshkin's final season would be a memorable one. First, he won the Soviet League championship for the only time in his career, as his Dynamo club ended CSKA's long championship reign and won its first title since 1954. Then at the World Championships, after watching his team's first nine games, he was given the start in the very last game after the Soviets had already cliched the gold medal. He finished his career in style, shutting out Czechoslovakia 5-0.
Kirovo-Chepetsk
Kirovo-Chepetsk is a town in Kirov Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Cheptsa and the Vyatka Rivers, east of Kirov. Population: It was founded in the mid-15th century as the village of Ust-Cheptsa...
, Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
) is a former ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
. He was a goaltender for HC Dynamo Moscow
HC Dynamo Moscow
HC Dynamo Moscow was a Russian professional ice hockey club based in Moscow. They were members of the Bobrov Division in the Kontinental Hockey League...
and the Soviet Union national ice hockey team in the 1970s and 1980s.
During his career in the Soviet Championship League, Myshkin was consistently among the top goaltenders in the league and his Dynamo Moscow club was always among the best. However, rival Moscow club HC CSKA Moscow
HC CSKA Moscow
HC CSKA Moscow is a Russian ice hockey club that plays in the Kontinental Hockey League. It is referred to in the West as "Central Red Army" or the "Red Army Team" for its past affiliation with the Soviet Army, popularly known as the Red Army...
won the championship almost every year he played, including an amazing 13-year run from 1977 to 1989, preventing Myshkin from winning a domestic championship until his very last year.
Myshkin is Jewish. He came to prominence in the late 1970s when he earned a spot of the Soviet national team as a backup to the legendary Vladislav Tretiak
Vladislav Tretiak
Vladislav Aleksandrovich Tretiak, MSM is a former goaltender for the Soviet Union's national ice hockey team. Considered to be one of the greatest goaltenders in the history of the sport, he was voted one of six players to the International Ice Hockey Federation's Centennial All-Star Team in a...
. On February 11, 1979, he was the surprise choice of coach Viktor Tikhonov
Viktor Tikhonov
Viktor Vasilyevich Tikhonov is a Russian former ice hockey player and coach. He was the coach of the Soviet team when it was the most dominant team in the world...
to start in the deciding game in the Challenge Cup
1979 Challenge Cup
The 1979 Challenge Cup was an international ice hockey series of games between the Soviet national ice hockey team and a team of all-stars from the National Hockey League, held in New York City. It replaced the NHL's all-star festivities for the 1978–79 NHL season.The Challenge Cup, unlike its...
tournament against the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
all stars. Myshkin responded with a sterling effort, shutting out the NHL stars 6-0 to win the Challenge Cup for the Soviets. A couple of months later, he won his first of six World and European championships, the others coming in 1981, 1982, 1983, 1986, and 1990.
Myshkin replaced Tretiak after the first period in the famous "Miracle on Ice
Miracle on Ice
The "Miracle on Ice" is the name in American popular culture for a medal-round men's ice hockey game during the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, on Friday, February 22...
" game versus the USA in the medal round of the 1980 Winter Olympics
1980 Winter Olympics
The 1980 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIII Olympic Winter Games, was a multi-sport event which was celebrated from 13 February through 24 February 1980 in Lake Placid, New York, United States of America. This was the second time the Upstate New York village hosted the Games, after 1932...
. He faced only 2 shots in the second period, and stopped them both, but gave up 2 goals in the third scored by Americans Mark Johnson and Mike Eruzione. Team USA won the game 4-3 and went on to capture the gold medal with the Soviets taking the silver. As the Americans celebrated wildly and Myshkin waited politely with his teammates to congratulate them he was consoled by Tretiak.
In 1981, Myshkin was a member of the Soviet team that won the Canada Cup
1981 Canada Cup
The 1981 Canada Cup was the second best-on-best ice hockey world championship and involved the world's top six hockey nations. Tournament games were held in Edmonton, Winnipeg, Montreal and Ottawa. The Soviet Union defeated Canada in a single game final to win its first title, while Soviet...
, the only time Canada
Canadian national men's hockey team
The Canadian national ice hockey team is the ice hockey team representing Canada. The team is overseen by Hockey Canada, a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation, and participates in international competitions. From 1920 until 1963, Canada's international representation was by senior...
failed to win the tournament. He played in one game and backed up Tretiak for the 8-1 victory in the final.
In 1984, he won his only Olympic gold medal
Ice hockey at the 1984 Winter Olympics
At the 1984 Winter Olympics held in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, one ice hockey event was held: men's ice hockey. Most of the games were held at the Olympic Hall Zetra and some of the games in Skenderija II olympic hall.-Medalists:Source:* Gold -...
, backing up Tretiak for the last time. Tretiak retired after the tournament.
In his first major event as starting goaltender of the Soviet national team, he led the Soviets to a perfect 5-0 record in the round robin of the 1984 Canada Cup
1984 Canada Cup
The 1984 Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament played during the first three weeks of September 1984. The best-of-three final took place between Canada and Sweden, with Canada winning two games to nil...
by going 3-0 in his three starts before being defeated by Canada 3-2 in overtime in the semifinals. Nonetheless, Myshkin played spectacularly that game in a losing cause, being named the USSR's player of the game, and was named to the tournament all-star team for his heroics.
As the starting goaltender of the national team, he backstopped them to a bronze medal at the 1985 World Championships and a gold in 1986 on home ice in Moscow. The following year, the 31-year-old Myshkin was replaced by younger goaltenders Evgeny Belosheikin
Evgeny Belosheikin
Evgeny Vladimirovich Belosheikin was a professional ice hockey player who played in the Soviet Hockey League. He played for the HC CSKA Moscow and SKA Leningrad. He also played on the Soviet Union's 1987 Canada Cup and Rendez-vous '87 teams...
and Sergei Mylnikov
Sergei Mylnikov
Sergei Aleksandrovich Mylnikov is a retired ice hockey player who played in the Soviet Hockey League and National Hockey League. He played for Traktor Chelyabinsk, SKA Leningrad, and briefly for the Quebec Nordiques...
. After 1986, he appeared only once more at the World Championships, that being in 1990 as the team's third-string goaltender in a largely token gesture, as Myshkin had already announced he would retire following the season.
Myshkin's final season would be a memorable one. First, he won the Soviet League championship for the only time in his career, as his Dynamo club ended CSKA's long championship reign and won its first title since 1954. Then at the World Championships, after watching his team's first nine games, he was given the start in the very last game after the Soviets had already cliched the gold medal. He finished his career in style, shutting out Czechoslovakia 5-0.