The Professor inducted into the HHOF

Originally posted on Tuesday June 17, 2008 @ 08:39 PM EDT @ http://fans.nhl.com/members/JuiceinLA/blogs/16965

I never thought I’d find a legitimate occasion to write about my favorite hockey player of all time. But with Igor Larionov’s induction into the HHOF announced today, I find myself such an opportunity.


It’s too much pressure. I can’t do him justice. No use to focus on stats or pitch the standard “Russian Gretzky” comparisons. All of which had been done to death. Besides, very few people dispute his talent.


Not even entry into the HHOF does him justice- since it can only account for half of his hockey career.


Just about the only thing that does him justice, in my mind, was Steve Yzerman handing Igor the Cup in those 1997 finals. The second Red Wing to touch the cup in 29 years. Received from Stevie Y. Says it all doesn’t it?


Remember how Igor yelled, “whoootted” grinned from ear to ear as he shook the Cup over head- with as much joy, awe and celebration as any American or Canadian kid whoever dreamed of hoisting 35 pounds of silver over head ever could.


Ok I’m making myself cry. What a sap. Perhaps its best to stick with my memory of No. 8 on the ice and his legacy in the Red Wing Organization.


On ice, he was smaller than most, but he was everywhere. Faster at age 36, than most at age 20. Smarter with the puck and play reading than anyone before his time. He floated, quietly, effortlessly, never giving up. He had the humility of Steve Yzerman, the grace and touch of Wayne Gretzky and the brilliance of a-


Well, no one was as smart as Igor on the ice. He was the smartest hockey player of his generation, maybe of all time.


Igor Larionov was instrumental in helping develop the puck possession system in Detroit that exists now and which all teams in the NHL aspire to. I will never forget watching him with his trademark “no look” passes to Kozzie. Took my breath away. Left his opponents circling in confusion. Funny, recalling the days when I’d watch him on the ice I used to think “How does he read and know everything, every play.” Now in thinking back, I think its more like “Dang, Igor controlled and created that play.”


Igor Larionov was instrumental in perfecting, exemplifying and living – along with Stevie Y.- the “team comes first” system that is now “de-rigeur” in the Red Wings locker room, now coveted and copied throughout the rest of the league. Here was a tried and true superstar in his past life, in another world, the “russian gretzky” who more seamlessly fit into a role playing mode than nearly anyone in the league.


He was instrumental in bring a mental edge to the Wings organization –did you know
Igor Larionov taught Kris Draper and Brendan Shannahan how to play chess?


He loved and embraced the City of Detroit and its Hockeytown persona as if he had been born in Wyandotte. His joy in helping bring a cup to the City after all those years was as strong and true as anyone’s. He understood years of struggle and perseverance and he brought the lessons of patience fortitude and faith to us all.


Igor Larionov’s NHL legacy lives and breathes in the Detroit Red Wings organization almost as strongly as Steve Yzermans. In many ways these two men are two sides of the same card.


“Russian Gretzky”. Well yes, some do so honorably say. But with no disrespect to the Great One, I prefer to think of Igor Larionov as the “Russian Yzerman”… or maybe Steve Yzerman as the “Canadian Larionov”.


Some people debate whose numbers should be retired at the Joe. There are some extraordinarily high and legitimate standards to meet to get your number hung at the Joe: – a few inconsequential things such as spending your entire career with the franchise, being a legendary hall of famer, winning multiple cups with the franchise, being universally loved. Igor doesn’t have the longevity with the franchise, but I think his impact and import to the franchise warrants a serious discussion as to whether No. 8 should hang from the rafters at the Joe.


I used to watch Larionov play and wonder what his career would have been like if he had had the opportunity to play his entire career in the NHL, but that now seems an incredibly myopic point of view.


When the Larionovs, Fedorovs and the Fetisovs first began to trickle into the US in the late 80’s, whether by hook, high stick or defection, I remember just being so incredibly happy for these men. A chance to play in the NHL- something they each said they had always dreamed of doing.


All they wanted as the chance to compete in a league with the world’s greatest hockey players. How can you fault anyone for that? But without No. 8 (and Slava) there would have been no Soviet players in the NHL in the late 80-early 90’s. Igor and Slava fought for many years within their homeland system to get their government to allow Soviet players in the NHL.


What do you say about a guy who risked everything to work toward bring Soviet players into the NHL. Who fought politically with the same cool brilliance he fought with on the ice? Can you even imagine what you must risk to approach your government- A troubled battered Soviet government- and say: “I want leave the USSR and I want a chance to play in the NHL”? Because that is what Igor and Slava did. Time and time again. They fought for themselves and all the other Soviet players. Players who dreamed, just like young American and Canadian and Swedish kids dream of playing in the NHL. Kept pushing for it until the economics and the politics came crumbling down. Until they were allowed to come to North America. The CCCP’s loss was the NHL’s unquantifiable gain.


We can’t really know what personal risk and sacrifices were suffered because of such efforts. We may never know. But the adversity and struggle Larionov and those first soviet players fought through just to get to the NHL would put many lesser men under.


I like to think that Stevie Y. understood. And in his quiet, graceful way, as he first handed the Cup to Igor over ten years ago he hopefully communicated all the gratitude, respect and awe we all should have for the legend who wore the No. 8.


Thank you Professor, and congratulations.

Copyrighted 2008, all rights reserved by Behrgreer Ltd. and the author. No reproduction or use without the express written permission of the author.