Russian Five

Lore & Background

During the Cold War, the best hockey players in the Soviet Union were not allowed to leave to play in the NHL. In June 1989, Red Wings general manager Jim Devellano arrived at the NHL entry draft determined to start drafting Russians. Owner Mike Ilitch instructed Devellano to draft the best players available regardless of origin. Devellano consulted Steve Yzerman about Sergei Fedorov; Yzerman replied, 'He's better than me.' Devellano drafted Fedorov in the fourth round, higher than any Soviet player had ever been drafted, and followed with the 11th-round selection of Vladimir Konstantinov. Wings executive Jim Lites contacted sportswriter Keith Gave to pass secret messages to Fedorov and Konstantinov during an exhibition game in Helsinki. Fedorov defected in July 1990 after a Goodwill Games exhibition in Portland. Konstantinov's defection required bribing six Russian doctors to diagnose him with inoperable cancer to secure a medical discharge from the army; he left Russia by train to Budapest during the 1991 Soviet coup attempt and was flown to Detroit. Slava Kozlov was drafted in the third round in 1990 after Devellano called him the best 15-year-old he had ever seen. Kozlov initially declined to defect but after a car crash that killed his teammate, he was brought to Detroit in February 1992 following bribes for a diagnosis of permanent brain damage. Fetisov was acquired from the Devils in April 1995 for a future third-round pick, and Larionov was acquired from the Sharks in a trade for Ray Sheppard.

Reader's Guide

The Russian Five were major contributors in the Red Wings' Stanley Cup-winning run of the 1996–97 season. Six days after the Cup victory, Vladimir Konstantinov was critically injured in a car crash that ended his ice hockey career. His Red Wings teammates dedicated the following season to him, and achieved the goal of 'winning it for Vladdie' with their second consecutive Stanley Cup win. By 2003, the remaining four players had all either signed with new teams, been traded, or retired. The Russian Five left a lasting impact on the way ice hockey was played and taught in North America, and contributed to a major change in how European players were viewed in the NHL. Their defections and subsequent success helped open the door for more European players in the league.

Did You Know?

• Sergei Fedorov was drafted in the fourth round in 1989, higher than any Soviet player had ever been drafted.
• Vladimir Konstantinov's defection was aided by bribing six Russian doctors to diagnose him with inoperable cancer.
• Slava Kozlov was drafted after Jim Devellano called him the best 15-year-old hockey player he had ever seen, including Wayne Gretzky at that age.
• The Russian Five played together as a unit from October 1995 to June 1997.