This Day in Hockey History – October 10, 1989 – Privetstviye Sportsmen

Oct 10, 2019

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In today’s NHL, it is nothing to see players from former Iron Curtain countries such as Russia and what was once Czeckoslovakia—now the Czech Republic and Slovakia—playing against each other, but such was not always the case. In fact, 40 years ago, it was considered wasting a draft pick if a team announced they were selecting a Russian.

Viacheslav “Slava” Fetisov, who was drafted first in 1978 by the Montreal Canadians and then again by the New Jersey Devils in 1983, when he was re-entered in the draft, would not actually make it to North America until 1989. In fact, another Russian player would get to sign an NHL contract before Fetisov—Sergei Priakin.

Priakin signed with the Calgary Flames the end of March 1989, just days before the playoffs were to begin.

“The deal is costing the Flames $500,000 in total for two years, $120,000 per season allegedly going to the player and the rest to the currency-starved Russians. And you can be sure Priakin won’t be seeing anywhere near those numbers, When the deal to bring Viacheslav Fetisov to New Jersey was being discussed, the player was to be allowed to keep just $1,200 per month,” columnist Tony Gallagher of The Province wrote of the signing.

“Three months later [March, 1989], after what seemed like an eternity of waiting, history was finally made and the Soviet Union allowed one of its citizens to legally play for a National Hockey League club. But that citizen wasn’t Slava Fetisov, nor was it any of his Green Five comrades, Fetisov had always hoped to be the first, but the devolution of his relationship with Tikhonov eventually compelled the Soviet program to select forward Sergei Priakin to be that player. While Priakin was reporting to the Calgary Flames, Fetisov was rumored to be toiling at a government desk job after leaving the Red Army team,” described Taj Pinchevsky in Breakaway, From Behind the Iron Curtain to the NHL—The Untold Story of Hockey’s Great Escapes.

In addition to Fetisov, the Green Five of the CSKA Moscow team included Alexei Kasatonov on defense and forwards Vladimir Krutov, Igor Larionov, and Sergei Makarov. Like Fetisov, Makarov had been drafted in 1983, but by the Flames who now had the first Russian player.

“Makarov received the long-awaited news Thursday [May 25]: That he and teammates Viacheslav Fetisov and Igor Larionov were finally discharged from the Soviet army, the last remaining hurdle in their efforts to play in the National Hockey League,” reported Calgary Herald’s Eric Duatschek.

Of course, management within the Flames and the Devils, along with the NHL Players’ Association executive director Alan Eagleson still had their doubts that Makarov and Fetisov would actually get to play in the NHL.

Eventually Fetisov and Makarov were able to sign with their respective teams in time for the 1989-90 season. When the Calgary Flames visited the New Jersey Devils on October 10, 1989, history was made. For the first time in the NHL players from the Soviet Union faced each other. The Flames had Priakin and Makarov while the Devils had Fetisov and Sergei Starikov—who had played for CSKA Moskva and the Soviet national team.

The Flames took the game 4-2 with Priakin notching the game-winning goal and Makarov getting an assist on the Flames’ fourth goal.

“We played together 16 or 17 years,” said Fetisov of Makarov. “The first time you play against him, it’s unusual. I looked to pass to Serge once. Then I remembered.”

Eventually Fetisov would get traded to the Red Wings where he would be reunited with Larionov and put together with Sergei Fedorov, Slava Kozlov and Vladimir Konstatinov—who would go down in history as The Russian Five.

Additional Sources:

Tony Gallagher, “CCCP spells dissent,” The Province (Vancouver, British Columbia), Friday, March 31, 1989, p. 59.
Eric Duhatschek, “Decision on Makarov comes down to dollars,” Calgary Herald, Friday, May 26, 1989, p. C-15.
Eric Duhatschek, “Pride stung, Priakin makes Devils pay,” Calgary Herald, Wednesday, October 11, 1989, p. C-1-2.
Taj Pinchevsky, Breakaway, From Behind the Iron Curtain to the NHL—The Untold Story of Hockey’s Great Escapes (Mississauga, Ontario: John Wiley & Sons Canada, Ltd., 2012), kindle edition.