Andrei Starovoytov
Soviet ice hockey player, referee, and administrator.
Andrei Vasilyevich Starovoytov wore many hats in ice hockey: player, referee, and administrator. As a player he claimed three Soviet league titles, and later worked as a referee at eight World Championships. For 17 years he was the general secretary of the Soviet Union Ice Hockey Federation, and he helped arrange Soviet involvement in the Summit Series.
Quick Facts
- Born
- 16 December 1915
- Birthplace
- Smolensk, Russian Empire
- Died
- 23 March 1997
- Place of death
- Moscow, Russia
- Education
- State Central Institute of Physical Education
- Occupation
- Ice hockey referee and administrator
- Known for
- General Secretary of the Soviet Union Ice Hockey Federation
Facts from the source article.
Early life and playing career
Andrei Vasilyevich Starovoytov came into the world on 16 December 1915 in Smolensk. As a young man in the 1930s, he took up both ice hockey and bandy. Before relocating to Moscow at age 21, he had already claimed the Smolensk regional speed skating title. Once in the capital, he enrolled in the football and hockey department at the Higher School of Coaches, but he never became a coach; instead, he went on to study at the State Central Institute of Physical Education. In Moscow, he played bandy for Spartak before being recruited to play ice hockey for the Soviet Armed Forces. While active as a player, he also worked at the Lenin Military-Political Academy, earning the Medal "For Battle Merit" in 1944 and the Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945." From 1946 to 1951, he played defence for HC CSKA Moscow, where he earned a reputation as a tough, strong-skating second-line player. He was part of championship-winning squads in 1948, 1949, and 1950, netting 10 goals across 50 Soviet championship games. Under coach Pavel Korotkov, he formed a lasting friendship with team captain Vsevolod Bobrov. When Korotkov stepped down, Starovoytov turned down the coaching job, citing his duties at the Lenin Military-Political Academy. Anatoly Tarasov then took over as coach and cut Starovoytov from the team a year later.
Refereeing career
Andrei Starovoytov refereed in the Soviet Union’s top hockey league from 1951 to 1969, becoming the first Soviet official to work international matches. He led the All-Union Board of Referees from 1955 to 1960. Over his career, he officiated at eight World Championships—including the 1956 Winter Olympics—and was recognized as one of the Soviet Union’s ten best referees in twelve separate seasons. From 1969 to 1986, he also sat on the International Ice Hockey Federation’s referee council.
Administration career
Andrei Starovoytov was the driving force behind creating the International Moscow Tournament in the 1960s, which later became the Izvestia Trophy and then the Channel One Cup. He persuaded the Soviet Communist Party that the event would help the national team prepare for the World Championships and boost the country's standing in international hockey. From 1969 to 1986, he served as general secretary of the Soviet Union Ice Hockey Federation. Under his tenure, the Soviet team captured three Olympic gold medals and twelve World Championship golds. Starovoytov worked with Joe Kryczka of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association to set up the historic 1972 Summit Series between the Soviet and Canadian national teams. The deal was signed on April 18, 1972, at the Hotel International Prague during the World Championships, with approval from IIHF officials Bunny Ahearne and Fred Page. He believed his players could beat NHL professionals, telling journalist Red Fisher he thought they could win all eight games. Canada won the series with four wins and a draw, but Starovoytov pushed for a rematch. At the 1974 World Junior Championships, he approached Canadian officials Jack Devine and Gordon Juckes about another series. The 1974 Summit Series was initially set for six games against WHA professionals, then expanded to eight. This time the Soviets prevailed with four wins and three draws.
Later life and honors
Andrei Starovoytov’s contributions to ice hockey earned him an honorary life membership in the IIHF and the Olympic Order, both in 1986. He passed away in Moscow on March 23, 1997, and was buried at Golovinskoye Cemetery. Later that year, he was posthumously inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in the builder category. The KHL created the Andrei Starovoytov Award, or “Golden Whistle,” in 1997 to honor its top referee. In 2004, he was enshrined in the Russian Hockey Hall of Fame.
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