Valery Vasiliev
Team USSR # 6

Many experts on Soviet hockey would name Valery Vasiliev as one of the most successful Russian players in the history of the game. Born in Gorky (Nizny Novgorod), Valery was brought to Dynamo Moscow in 1967 for his promising results in the junior teams. The young prospect impressed Moscow recruiters with his strength, skating skills and passing. Like his teammate Alexander Maltsev, Vasiliev spent his hockey career with Dynamo Moscow and, though he received plenty of gold medals and awards on the international level, he wasn’t able to capture gold in the USSR Championship. Vasiliev established himself as a flashy blueliner that loved to play physical game with effective and seemingly effortless bodychecking and impressive scoring results.

CAREER HIGHLIGTS:

• Played in the following clubs of the USSR Elite League: Dynamo Moscow
• WC Gold: 1970, 1973-1975, 1978-1982
• Olympics Gold: 1972, 1976
• National Awards:
  USSR All Stars 1973-1979, 1981
  Merited Sports Master (USSR ZMS) 1973
• International Awards:
  WC Best Defenceman 1973, 1977, 1979
  IIHF All Stars 1974, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981

PERFORMANCE IN THE 1972 SUMMIT

"We knew that Vasiliev was a rough and tough player. He had been criticized by the media for some 'dirty tricks'. But comparing him with Canadian players, he looked like one of the cleanest hitters in the world. "

Yuri Vanyat, Trud

Game-by-Game Performance: Scoring

Game-by-Game Performance: Penalty History