I saw a great documentary last night called 'Red Army' directed by Gabe Polsky. This film details the history of Soviet hockey and focuses primarily on the Red Army teams captained by Viacheslav Fetisov. Anyone who watched the '87 Canada Cup will surely remember the famous 'Green Unit'. The group was named for the colour of the their practice jerseys and formed a 5 man unit that dominated international hockey for well over a decade. Igor Larionov centred the forwards with Sergei Markarov and Vladmir Krutov on the wings. Fetisov and Alexei Kasatonov provided the backbone on defense. These 5 players were the engine that drove the Red Army and Soviet hockey to World Junior (3), World Championship (7), Canada Cup (1) and Olympic gold medals(2) from 1976-1990.
The Green Unit was known primarily for their immense skill and because they played as a 5 man unit; literally. Even in today's modern game, no teams consistently play their forward lines with the same defense pairing each shift. The Red Army put these 5 players on the ice together at all times and they absolutely dominated hockey. Fans of the 90's Detroit Red Wings will fondly remember the 'Russian 5'. Scotty Bowman, having faced off against the Red Army teams of the past, saw a chance to recreate this magic for his NHL squad. He formed a new Russian unit when he put Sergei Fedorov with Fetisov, Larionov, Slava Koslov and Vladmir Konstantinov . This unit was a key factor in the Red Wings' Stanley Cup victories in 1997 and 1998.
This film is a must see for any true hockey fan. Growing up in Canada, the Soviets were true hockey villains. They were fast, highly skilled, stoic soldiers sent to announce their society's superiority on the ice. We saw hockey as our game and these Red Army teams presented an immense threat to our national identity. In 1972 and 1987, Canada and The Soviet Union faced off in two epic battles for hockey supremacy. Although Canada won both battles, it was the more the Soviet methods that seeped more into our game than vice versa. Hockey was still Canada's game, but barely. We faced a foe that forced us to go to our absolute greatest and darkest depths to win. Hockey Canada was forced to face the facts that although we had won, there were parts of the game where the Red Army was superior.
Strength and Conditioning is the field where the Russian influence on hockey is most apparent. Andy O'Brien, Gary Roberts , Matt Nichol and Ben Prentiss all have made massive contributions to today's NHL player. These players are not just hockey players any more. They are well trained athletes in the truest sense. Their diet, their explosiveness, their strength and stamina and their recovery are trained, monitored and tweaked over the summer. The modern NHL player's body is a highly calibrated instrument designed by these fitness pros to produce the ultimate in performance on the ice. Next time you see Steven Stamkos (Roberts), Max Pacioretty (Prentiss), Tyler Seguin (Nichol) or Sidney Crosby(O'Brien) speed down the ice or fight off a check, you will see 12-16 weeks of hard work from an intensive summer conditioning program on display.
The appearance of the modern fitness professional is due in large part to the program Anatoli Tarasov created for the Soviets in the late 1950's and 60's. It was easy to dismiss the Russian program's success as simply being a result of beating watered down competition and never having to face Canada's best NHL players in competition. That all changed in 1972 with the Summit Series. Canadian fans and players were shocked to see the speed and conditioning of the Red Army team. Players like Phil Esposito were used to using training camp to get in shape for the season. The Red Army players showed there was another level that hockey players could reach. Hockey Canada realized that if winning was to continue for their program, they could no longer simply show up and dominate.
The hockey season today for an elite player is probably an 11 month affair. The off season is no longer a chance to sit by the lake and down a few cold ones between tee times. Now players must be committed to maximizing their off time to produce their best hockey over the regular season and the playoffs. Programs are built in phases with each phase lasting 4-6 weeks. First a player resets their body. Next they add strength and stability. Finally explosiveness is added. Players show up to training camps these days in optimum condition. The days of showing up to training camp and using those 6-8 weeks to slowly get back into shape are over for today's NHL player.
This commitment stems directly from Russian techniques and practices. Ironically, the Soviets took most of their ideas from a Canadian named Lloyd Pericival. Percival wrote a book called 'The Hockey Handbook' in 1951. Dismissed by one NHL Coach as "the product of a three year old mind," 'The Hockey Handboook' became Tarasov's Bible. Tarasov said that "it introduced us to the mysteries of Canadian hockey. I have read it like a schoolboy." It is interesting to see that a program created by a Canadian had to be studied and proven by the Soviets to gain acceptance in Canada. That is probably a deeper discussion for another day. The main idea remains that the modern day NHL athlete owes their advances in performance and longevity to the strength and conditioning programs pioneered by the Soviets almost 60 years ago.
One final thought: what an incredible journey these Russian players had to take to play in the NHL. They had to fight tooth and nail to come to North America to play in the best league in the world. They were lied to by their own government and forced in many cases to escape in the night to chase their dreams of both personal freedom and a place to play hockey. The media often paints the Russian players as malcontents; selfish or distant. Perhaps this is a result of a language or cultural barrier. But the sacrifices 'The Green Unit' made to play in the NHL are truly amazing. They paved the way for all the stars we enjoy today. Hockey would not be the same without their contributions. We are lucky to have been witness to their speed, skill and ultimately character.
If you get a chance I would highly recommend watching 'Red Army' this summer.