Valeri Kharlamov facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Valeri Kharlamov
Hockey Hall of Fame, 2005
Born	(1948-01-14)14 January 1948 Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Died	27 August 1981(1981-08-27) (aged 33) near Solnechnogorsk, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Height	5 ft 9.1 in (176 cm)
Weight	168 lb (76 kg; 12 st 0 lb)
Position	Left Wing
Shot	Left
Played for	CSKA Moscow
National team	Soviet Union
Playing career	1967–1981
Medal record Olympic Games Gold 1972 Sapporo Team Gold 1976 Innsbruck Team Silver 1980 Lake Placid Team World Championships Gold 1969 Sweden Team Gold 1970 Sweden Team Gold 1971 Switzerland Team Gold 1973 Soviet Union Team Gold 1974 Finland Team Gold 1975 West Germany Team Gold 1978 Czechoslovakia Team Gold 1979 Soviet Union Team Silver 1972 Czechoslovakia Team Silver 1976 Poland Team Bronze 1977 Austria Team

Valeri Borisovich Kharlamov (born January 14, 1948 – died August 27, 1981) was a famous Russian ice hockey player. He played as a forward for CSKA Moscow in the Soviet League from 1967 until his death in 1981. Even though he was not very tall, Kharlamov was known for being fast, smart, and very skilled. He was one of the best players of his time.

Kharlamov was named the Soviet Championship League's most valuable player in 1972 and 1973. He was great at scoring goals and setting up plays for his teammates. He was also a fantastic skater who could make amazing moves at top speed. Many people think he was one of the greatest ice hockey players ever.

He played for the Soviet Union in many international games. He won 8 gold medals, 2 silver medals, and 1 bronze medal at the World Championships. He also played in three Olympics (1972, 1976, and 1980), winning two gold medals and one silver. He was also a key player in the 1972 Summit Series against Canada.

For most of his career, Kharlamov played on a special line with Vladimir Petrov and Boris Mikhailov. This group is often called one of the best lines in ice hockey history. Kharlamov died in a car accident in 1981. After his death, he was honored in several ways, including being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Valeri Kharlamov's Early Life

Valeri Kharlamov was born in Moscow to Boris and Begonita Kharlamov. His father, Boris, worked as a mechanic. His mother, Begonita, whose original name was Carmen Orive Abad, was from Bilbao, Spain. She came to the Soviet Union in 1937 as a child refugee during the Spanish Civil War. Because of his mother's Spanish background, Valeri was often called "The Spaniard" during his hockey career.

Valeri started skating when he was only 5 years old. He used his father's skate blades attached to his own shoes. His father, who also played hockey, taught him. When Valeri was 13, he got sick with rheumatic fever, a serious illness. Doctors told him to stop all physical activity for a while. He spent several months in the hospital but thankfully recovered completely.

Kharlamov's Amazing Playing Career

Playing for CSKA Moscow

When Valeri was 12, he tried out for CSKA Moscow, a famous hockey club. He joined their sports school. He started playing for the main CSKA team in the 1967–68 season. His first game was on October 22, 1967. At first, the coach, Anatoly Tarasov, thought Valeri wasn't good enough. So, he sent Valeri to play for a lower-division team called Zvezda Chebarkul. Valeri did very well there, scoring 34 goals in 32 games.

The next year, Kharlamov came back to CSKA Moscow for good. He scored 37 goals and had 12 assists in 42 games. In October 1968, he started playing on a line with Vladimir Petrov and Boris Mikhailov. This trio became one of the most famous and successful lines in hockey history. They played together for many years for both CSKA and the Soviet national team. Kharlamov led the league in scoring in the 1970–71 season with 40 goals. CSKA Moscow won the league championship many times with him.

Playing for the Soviet Union National Team

Kharlamov became well-known in Soviet hockey, but he became famous worldwide through international games. His first big tournament for the Soviet Union was the 1969 World Championship. He helped his team win the gold medal. For the next ten years, Kharlamov was a regular player on the Soviet national team.

He played in a total of eleven World Championships. He won 8 gold medals, 2 silver medals, and 1 bronze medal. He was chosen for the tournament's All-Star team four times. In all his World Championship games, he scored 74 goals and had 82 assists, totaling 156 points.

The 1972 Summit Series

In 1972, Kharlamov and his teammates were not very well known in North America. This changed during the 1972 Summit Series. This was an eight-game series between the best players from Canada and the Soviet Union. Most experts thought Canada would win easily.

But in the first game, the Soviet Union surprised everyone with a 7–3 victory. Kharlamov scored two goals against Canadian goalie Ken Dryden. He was named the Most Valuable Player of that game. Everyone who saw Kharlamov play was very impressed. Serge Savard, a Canadian player, called him one of the top 5 players of all time. Harry Sinden, Canada's coach, said Kharlamov had the skills of any player in the NHL.

In the sixth game, a Canadian player named Bobby Clarke hit Kharlamov's ankle with his stick, breaking a bone. Kharlamov missed the next game and was not as effective when he returned for the final game. Many people believed the hit was on purpose to stop him. Kharlamov himself said, "I'm convinced that Bobby Clarke was given the job of taking me out of the game." This injury was a turning point, and Canada won the series in the final game.

Two years later, Kharlamov played in the 1974 Summit Series against Canadian players from another league. The Soviets won this series. Kharlamov scored two goals and had six assists.

Olympic Achievements

Kharlamov helped the Soviet national team win gold medals at the 1972 Winter Olympics and the 1976 Winter Olympics. In the 1972 tournament, he scored nine goals and had seven assists in five games. In 1976, he won his second gold medal, scoring three goals and six assists. Kharlamov also won a silver medal with the Soviet team at the 1980 Winter Olympics. This was his last international tournament. Overall, he won two gold medals and one silver at the Olympics, scoring 36 points in 22 games.

Valeri Kharlamov's Tragic Death

Roadside memorial to Valeri Kharlamov, near the site of his fatal accident.

Valeri Kharlamov was still playing for CSKA when he died in a car accident on August 27, 1981. Before the accident, he had been told he would not be on the Soviet team for the 1981 Canada Cup. The coach, Viktor Tikhonov, said it was because of concerns about Kharlamov's fitness. Valeri's wife, Irina, was driving their car back to Moscow when she lost control. The car crashed into a truck. Irina and her cousin also died in the accident.

Many fans came to his funeral in Moscow. They walked past his casket, which was placed at the center of CSKA's hockey arena. Near the crash site, there is a memorial stone shaped like a hockey puck. It says, "The star of Russian hockey fell here."

Kharlamov's Lasting Legacy

Monument to Valeri Kharlamov in Moscow

After Valeri Kharlamov's death, his teammates at CSKA decided that no one would wear his number 17 jersey. They wanted to save it for his son, Alexander, when he grew up. Alexander did wear number 17 for a while, but later changed it because he felt too much pressure. However, when he played for CSKA as an adult, he was given the number 17 again. Today, the number 17 is not worn by any player on the Russian national team in major international games. Ilya Kovalchuk, another famous hockey player, often wears number 17 to honor Kharlamov.

To remember him, a newspaper started the Kharlamov Trophy in 2002. This award is given every year to the best Russian player in the National Hockey League, chosen by other Russian players. The champion of Russia's Junior Hockey League playoffs also receives the Kharlamov Cup. One of the divisions in the Kontinental Hockey League is also named after him. In 2013, a movie called Legend No. 17 was made about his life. It was very popular and won many awards.

Kharlamov was inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2008, a group of experts chose Kharlamov for the IIHF Centennial All-Star Team, which honored the best players in the IIHF's first 100 years. He was also inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2005. Many people, including Ilya Kovalchuk, felt he deserved this honor much earlier. Kharlamov was the second Soviet-trained player to enter the Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2014, he was also part of the first group of players inducted into the Russian Hockey Hall of Fame.

Kharlamov's Playing Style

Valeri Kharlamov was not a big player. He was about 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighed around 154 pounds. But he was an incredibly talented offensive player. He was known for his creative plays and loved to score "beautiful goals." Some people compared his playing style to Wayne Gretzky. This is because their overall play was much greater than just their individual skills like skating or shooting. He was very popular with both fans and his teammates.

Kharlamov's Family Life

Valeri Kharlamov and his wife, Irina, had two children: a son named Alexander (often called "Sasha") and a daughter named Begonita. Valeri and Irina got married in 1975, after Alexander was born. After their parents died, the children went to live with their grandmother in Moscow. Alexander was only 5 years old when his father died, so he doesn't remember him well. However, he has watched recordings of his father's games.

Alexander also became an ice hockey player. He was chosen by the Washington Capitals in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. He played in minor leagues in North America and then back in Russia before retiring in 2004. Alexander's son is named Valeri, after his famous grandfather. However, young Valeri prefers playing football over hockey. Valeri Kharlamov was buried in the Kuntsevo Cemetery in Moscow.

Images for kids

• 

  Kharlamov on a 2023 postal cover of Russia

Awards and Honours

Soviet Union and Russia

International

See also

In Spanish: Valeri Jarlamov para niños