Vladislav Tretiak
May 21, 2003 22:42:21 GMT -5
Post by M. Beaux-Eaux on May 21, 2003 22:42:21 GMT -5
The greatest Hab who could have been but never was:
But Tretiak will never forgive the old Soviet authorities for not letting him play in the NHL after his last Olympic gold in Sarajevo in 1984.
His voice is filled with resentment when he talks to us about that.
"I did everything possible for my country", says Tretiak. "I played every tournament and in fifteen years I missed one practise when the coach told me to go home because I was so sick. I was hundred percent disciplined, I never smoke or drank but when I asked to them in 1984 to let me join Montreal Canadiens who drafted me, they said no and the reason was that I was a soldier in the Red Army."
Tretiak had only one thing that he could counter with – retirement.
At the age of 32, when most goalies start to reach their peak, Tretiak told his club and his national coach that he was quitting the game. One of the most spectacular careers had a premature end.
"I had at least five or seven good years left in me", says Vladislav. "I was still very fit and in excellent shape. Montreal's general manager Serge Savard was in Moscow to negotiate my release, but it was useless. They wouldn't let me go."
It would have been a wonderful marriage because there was an ongoing love affair between Tretiak and the fans at the Montreal Forum. It seems that the more Tretiak stopped the home heroes, the more the Forum crowd adored him.
These Forum games will forever be etched in the history of hockey as maybe the three best performances by a goaltender ever:
- www.iihf.com/news/iihfpr7701.htm
***
Théodore was a training partner of the Devils' Martin Brodeur, who is four years his elder, when both were students at Vladislav Tretiak's Montreal goaltenders' academy in the late 1980s. Brodeur and Théodore often worked on drills privately with Tretiak, and both worked as instructors for him years later. Brodeur and Théodore, fellow Quebecers, stayed in touch during their early years in the NHL and met in the first round of the '97 playoffs. Although New Jersey won the series in five games, Théodore flashed his talent in his postseason debut, stopping 56 shots during a 4-3 triple-overtime win in Game 4. "I remember when Marty was first called up ['91-92]," Théodore says. "I was, like, 'Wow, you're in the NHL,' and then a few years later I was facing him in the playoffs."
- sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/magazine/hockey/nhl/news/2002/04/09/nhl/
***
In addition to shining in international championship play, Tretiak also habitually inspired himself to play his very best during exhibition games against NHL teams. In a game against the Montreal Canadiens on New Year's Eve, 1975 - one that many hockey fans still consider the greatest goaltending performance of all time - Tretiak held the Habs to a 3-3 tie despite being widely outshot, 38-13.
- link
***
Tretiak allowed 8 goals and the Canadians chuckled at the man that was supposed to play in nets against Team Canada just a couple of weeks later.
The scouts made a huge mistake by only watching the one game. As it turned out Tretiak had spent much of the previous night partying as he was getting married the following day. As a result he played horribly before Team Canada's watchful eyes in the stands.
In the end, Tretiak chuckled the hardest. "Maybe it was a trick," hinted Tretiak years later, referring to the Russian's mysterious ways of playing possum with their sporting opponents.
- www.1972summitseries.com/tretiak.html
***
An incidental recollection of Canadian oom-pah-pah deflated:
- www.canoe.ca/Slam020926/col_kernaghan-sun.html
But Tretiak will never forgive the old Soviet authorities for not letting him play in the NHL after his last Olympic gold in Sarajevo in 1984.
His voice is filled with resentment when he talks to us about that.
"I did everything possible for my country", says Tretiak. "I played every tournament and in fifteen years I missed one practise when the coach told me to go home because I was so sick. I was hundred percent disciplined, I never smoke or drank but when I asked to them in 1984 to let me join Montreal Canadiens who drafted me, they said no and the reason was that I was a soldier in the Red Army."
Tretiak had only one thing that he could counter with – retirement.
At the age of 32, when most goalies start to reach their peak, Tretiak told his club and his national coach that he was quitting the game. One of the most spectacular careers had a premature end.
"I had at least five or seven good years left in me", says Vladislav. "I was still very fit and in excellent shape. Montreal's general manager Serge Savard was in Moscow to negotiate my release, but it was useless. They wouldn't let me go."
It would have been a wonderful marriage because there was an ongoing love affair between Tretiak and the fans at the Montreal Forum. It seems that the more Tretiak stopped the home heroes, the more the Forum crowd adored him.
These Forum games will forever be etched in the history of hockey as maybe the three best performances by a goaltender ever:
- www.iihf.com/news/iihfpr7701.htm
***
Théodore was a training partner of the Devils' Martin Brodeur, who is four years his elder, when both were students at Vladislav Tretiak's Montreal goaltenders' academy in the late 1980s. Brodeur and Théodore often worked on drills privately with Tretiak, and both worked as instructors for him years later. Brodeur and Théodore, fellow Quebecers, stayed in touch during their early years in the NHL and met in the first round of the '97 playoffs. Although New Jersey won the series in five games, Théodore flashed his talent in his postseason debut, stopping 56 shots during a 4-3 triple-overtime win in Game 4. "I remember when Marty was first called up ['91-92]," Théodore says. "I was, like, 'Wow, you're in the NHL,' and then a few years later I was facing him in the playoffs."
- sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/magazine/hockey/nhl/news/2002/04/09/nhl/
***
In addition to shining in international championship play, Tretiak also habitually inspired himself to play his very best during exhibition games against NHL teams. In a game against the Montreal Canadiens on New Year's Eve, 1975 - one that many hockey fans still consider the greatest goaltending performance of all time - Tretiak held the Habs to a 3-3 tie despite being widely outshot, 38-13.
- link
***
Tretiak allowed 8 goals and the Canadians chuckled at the man that was supposed to play in nets against Team Canada just a couple of weeks later.
The scouts made a huge mistake by only watching the one game. As it turned out Tretiak had spent much of the previous night partying as he was getting married the following day. As a result he played horribly before Team Canada's watchful eyes in the stands.
In the end, Tretiak chuckled the hardest. "Maybe it was a trick," hinted Tretiak years later, referring to the Russian's mysterious ways of playing possum with their sporting opponents.
- www.1972summitseries.com/tretiak.html
***
An incidental recollection of Canadian oom-pah-pah deflated:
- www.canoe.ca/Slam020926/col_kernaghan-sun.html
