many of today’s biggest NHL stars are of Russian descent but there was a time
Russian descent but there was a time
Russian descent but there was a time that none of them could have played in
that none of them could have played in
that none of them could have played in the National Hockey League
the National Hockey League
the National Hockey League hi I’m Rebecca Brayton and welcome to
hi I’m Rebecca Brayton and welcome to
hi I’m Rebecca Brayton and welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’ll be giving
watchmojo.com and today we’ll be giving
watchmojo.com and today we’ll be giving you our top 5 trivia facts about hockey
you our top 5 trivia facts about hockey
you our top 5 trivia facts about hockey in the soviet union and today’s KHL
in the soviet union and today’s KHL
in the soviet union and today’s KHL Petrov is starting up Petrov is coming
Petrov is starting up Petrov is coming
Petrov is starting up Petrov is coming down to the Canadian it was a completely
down to the Canadian it was a completely
down to the Canadian it was a completely different world from what we see today
different world from what we see today
different world from what we see today in hockey you see players they come into
in hockey you see players they come into
in hockey you see players they come into the league they eventually qualify for
the league they eventually qualify for
the league they eventually qualify for free agency and they can pick and choose
free agency and they can pick and choose
free agency and they can pick and choose which team they want to play for based
which team they want to play for based
which team they want to play for based on any number of factors and that was
on any number of factors and that was
on any number of factors and that was not the case then you basically were
not the case then you basically were
not the case then you basically were owned in perpetuity in the Russian
owned in perpetuity in the Russian
owned in perpetuity in the Russian league the best players were reserved
league the best players were reserved
league the best players were reserved for certain teams one of the things that
for certain teams one of the things that
for certain teams one of the things that was kind of interesting about the
was kind of interesting about the
was kind of interesting about the Russian leagues during the Cold War is
Russian leagues during the Cold War is
Russian leagues during the Cold War is that there was this strong central
that there was this strong central
that there was this strong central government and the labor unions were
government and the labor unions were
government and the labor unions were very powerful and all these teams were
very powerful and all these teams were
very powerful and all these teams were connected to a specific union or trade
connected to a specific union or trade
connected to a specific union or trade union so central Red Army for example
union so central Red Army for example
union so central Red Army for example which is the Big Red Machine everyone
which is the Big Red Machine everyone
which is the Big Red Machine everyone knows about that was the official hockey
knows about that was the official hockey
knows about that was the official hockey club of the Russian army
as far as we know with the Russian
as far as we know with the Russian national team this was a minimum 11
national team this was a minimum 11
national team this was a minimum 11 month a year job there was no offseason
month a year job there was no offseason
month a year job there was no offseason usually their training would be held in
usually their training would be held in
usually their training would be held in these very isolated out-of-the-way
these very isolated out-of-the-way
these very isolated out-of-the-way barracks style grounds they’d be
barracks style grounds they’d be
barracks style grounds they’d be separated from their their family and
separated from their their family and
separated from their their family and their friends from what I’ve seen the
their friends from what I’ve seen the
their friends from what I’ve seen the number of hours that the average Russian
number of hours that the average Russian
number of hours that the average Russian player would dedicate to training and
player would dedicate to training and
player would dedicate to training and games would absolutely dwarf at an
games would absolutely dwarf at an
games would absolutely dwarf at an average North American player at least
average North American player at least
average North American player at least five six times more hours per year than
five six times more hours per year than
five six times more hours per year than what the typical North American player
what the typical North American player
what the typical North American player would dedicate to training practice and
would dedicate to training practice and
would dedicate to training practice and games that’s how important it was to to
games that’s how important it was to to
games that’s how important it was to to the government so that when they did go
the government so that when they did go
the government so that when they did go into these international tournaments
into these international tournaments
into these international tournaments they could dominate and they did they
they could dominate and they did they
they could dominate and they did they were the best team of the world as the
were the best team of the world as the
were the best team of the world as the cold war service slowly started winding
cold war service slowly started winding
cold war service slowly started winding down you could see the cracks starting
down you could see the cracks starting
down you could see the cracks starting to develop with with these teams there
to develop with with these teams there
to develop with with these teams there were stories about players escaping
were stories about players escaping
were stories about players escaping their training camps and and trying to
their training camps and and trying to
their training camps and and trying to find a way to get back to their family
find a way to get back to their family
find a way to get back to their family just to spend an extra moment with their
just to spend an extra moment with their
just to spend an extra moment with their family they’d be tracking where you went
family they’d be tracking where you went
family they’d be tracking where you went who you spoke to how much money you
who you spoke to how much money you
who you spoke to how much money you spent because if you suddenly had more
spent because if you suddenly had more
spent because if you suddenly had more money than you should be having on these
money than you should be having on these
money than you should be having on these trips that would arouse suspicion these
trips that would arouse suspicion these
trips that would arouse suspicion these players were a huge asset to their
players were a huge asset to their
players were a huge asset to their government and they were not going to
government and they were not going to
government and they were not going to let them go
there are all these sort of folktales
there are all these sort of folktales these mythological figures about
these mythological figures about
these mythological figures about athletes who had tried to defect and
athletes who had tried to defect and
athletes who had tried to defect and thought they were about to make it and
thought they were about to make it and
thought they were about to make it and then all of a sudden plans went awry and
then all of a sudden plans went awry and
then all of a sudden plans went awry and next thing you know they’re back in
next thing you know they’re back in
next thing you know they’re back in Eastern Europe behind the Iron Curtain
Eastern Europe behind the Iron Curtain
Eastern Europe behind the Iron Curtain and their lives have just completely
and their lives have just completely
and their lives have just completely been changed the biggest name and it’s
been changed the biggest name and it’s
been changed the biggest name and it’s still the biggest name we talk about and
still the biggest name we talk about and
still the biggest name we talk about and it’s one of the better stories so I like
it’s one of the better stories so I like
it’s one of the better stories so I like talking about it too is the stassney
talking about it too is the stassney
talking about it too is the stassney brothers you have these three brothers
brothers you have these three brothers
brothers you have these three brothers from Slovakia they’re all incredibly
from Slovakia they’re all incredibly
from Slovakia they’re all incredibly talented they have this synchronicity
talented they have this synchronicity
talented they have this synchronicity together on the ice that no one had ever
together on the ice that no one had ever
together on the ice that no one had ever seen and just the way they came to North
seen and just the way they came to North
seen and just the way they came to North America they way they were coveted by
America they way they were coveted by
America they way they were coveted by every team really in the National Hockey
every team really in the National Hockey
every team really in the National Hockey League it eventually led to all kinds of
League it eventually led to all kinds of
League it eventually led to all kinds of very secretive clandestine
very secretive clandestine
very secretive clandestine cloak-and-dagger meetings trying to
cloak-and-dagger meetings trying to
cloak-and-dagger meetings trying to figure out a contract trying to just
figure out a contract trying to just
figure out a contract trying to just find an opportunity to see when or if
find an opportunity to see when or if
find an opportunity to see when or if these players could could have five
these players could could have five
these players could could have five minutes alone so they could prop try and
minutes alone so they could prop try and
minutes alone so they could prop try and bring them to North America and when
bring them to North America and when
bring them to North America and when they finally did one of the brothers was
they finally did one of the brothers was
they finally did one of the brothers was left behind they knew his brothers had
left behind they knew his brothers had
left behind they knew his brothers had defected so he was stripped of his
defected so he was stripped of his
defected so he was stripped of his livelihood basically he was kicked off
livelihood basically he was kicked off
livelihood basically he was kicked off the national team kicked off his club
the national team kicked off his club
the national team kicked off his club team and would rejoin his brothers a
team and would rejoin his brothers a
team and would rejoin his brothers a year later but it was a very difficult
year later but it was a very difficult
year later but it was a very difficult year for him and then as you go on down
year for him and then as you go on down
year for him and then as you go on down the line you get into into players
the line you get into into players
the line you get into into players especially near the end of the Cold War
especially near the end of the Cold War
especially near the end of the Cold War the players started getting very young
the players started getting very young
the players started getting very young much younger than anyone had ever seen
much younger than anyone had ever seen
much younger than anyone had ever seen in terms of defectors so you see guys
in terms of defectors so you see guys
in terms of defectors so you see guys like Sergei Fedorov Alex and guilty
like Sergei Fedorov Alex and guilty
like Sergei Fedorov Alex and guilty Peter net but guys who became pretty
Peter net but guys who became pretty
Peter net but guys who became pretty pretty productive players and big stars
pretty productive players and big stars
pretty productive players and big stars in the National Hockey League
the general consensus was that these
the general consensus was that these players were star players and they came
players were star players and they came
players were star players and they came to North America and once they were in
to North America and once they were in
to North America and once they were in North America they were they were made
North America they were they were made
North America they were they were made they were they were it was done they
they were they were it was done they
they were they were it was done they were stars they were gonna make money
were stars they were gonna make money
were stars they were gonna make money and life was gonna be so easy for them
and life was gonna be so easy for them
and life was gonna be so easy for them for a lot of them that’s just where the
for a lot of them that’s just where the
for a lot of them that’s just where the struggle kind of started the transition
struggle kind of started the transition
struggle kind of started the transition was so awesome for these these players
was so awesome for these these players
was so awesome for these these players especially the ones who are pretty young
especially the ones who are pretty young
especially the ones who are pretty young they were they they made the decision to
they were they they made the decision to
they were they they made the decision to be there they were there voluntarily but
be there they were there voluntarily but
be there they were there voluntarily but they were in a situation I think a lot
they were in a situation I think a lot
they were in a situation I think a lot of them may not have been prepared for
of them may not have been prepared for
of them may not have been prepared for different country different culture
different country different culture
different country different culture different language different everything
different language different everything
different language different everything these were people who had never had a
these were people who had never had a
these were people who had never had a credit card who had never had a checking
credit card who had never had a checking
credit card who had never had a checking account who when they went to a grocery
account who when they went to a grocery
account who when they went to a grocery store you had to snap up as much as you
store you had to snap up as much as you
store you had to snap up as much as you could because the supply was so short
could because the supply was so short
could because the supply was so short that it might not be there the next day
that it might not be there the next day
that it might not be there the next day and then all of a sudden they’re in the
and then all of a sudden they’re in the
and then all of a sudden they’re in the North America and they walk into a
North America and they walk into a
North America and they walk into a grocery store and they they can’t
grocery store and they they can’t
grocery store and they they can’t understand they can’t process how how
understand they can’t process how how
understand they can’t process how how much supply there is and that’s
much supply there is and that’s
much supply there is and that’s something that NHL teams started to
something that NHL teams started to
something that NHL teams started to learn more and more about as they
learn more and more about as they
learn more and more about as they started bringing players over they
started bringing players over they
started bringing players over they needed a bit more of a grooming they
needed a bit more of a grooming they
needed a bit more of a grooming they needed someone who could sort of
needed someone who could sort of
needed someone who could sort of chaperone them through the process of
chaperone them through the process of
chaperone them through the process of learning the language learning about the
learning the language learning about the
learning the language learning about the culture and just getting themselves
culture and just getting themselves
culture and just getting themselves grounded in it was a completely
grounded in it was a completely
grounded in it was a completely different world for them
I think there was sort of a debate at
I think there was sort of a debate at one point about whether players from
one point about whether players from
one point about whether players from Europe and particularly Eastern Europe
Europe and particularly Eastern Europe
Europe and particularly Eastern Europe had a preference in terms of the NHL or
had a preference in terms of the NHL or
had a preference in terms of the NHL or the cage and I think a few years later
the cage and I think a few years later
the cage and I think a few years later we now know that the NHL is the standard
we now know that the NHL is the standard
we now know that the NHL is the standard and that’s the league that the best
and that’s the league that the best
and that’s the league that the best players in the world want to play in
players in the world want to play in
players in the world want to play in there is kind of a precedent here
there is kind of a precedent here
there is kind of a precedent here obviously and what we saw during the
obviously and what we saw during the
obviously and what we saw during the last work stoppage was that the top
last work stoppage was that the top
last work stoppage was that the top option for a number of players
option for a number of players
option for a number of players especially the most talented ones was to
especially the most talented ones was to
especially the most talented ones was to go to Russia and play there it’s
go to Russia and play there it’s
go to Russia and play there it’s probably the most competitive league
probably the most competitive league
probably the most competitive league after the National Hockey League and the
after the National Hockey League and the
after the National Hockey League and the money obviously wasn’t bad you’d see
money obviously wasn’t bad you’d see
money obviously wasn’t bad you’d see players in Germany or Switzerland or
players in Germany or Switzerland or
players in Germany or Switzerland or sweet and Finland other other leagues in
sweet and Finland other other leagues in
sweet and Finland other other leagues in other countries but I think the
other countries but I think the
other countries but I think the understanding is that the KHL is that’s
understanding is that the KHL is that’s
understanding is that the KHL is that’s the next level after the National Hockey
the next level after the National Hockey
the next level after the National Hockey League
”
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