Vladimir Krutov

Template:Short description Template:Infobox ice hockey player Vladimir Yevgenyevich Krutov (Template:Langx; 1 June 1960 – 6 June 2012), nicknamed "The Tank", was a Russian professional ice hockey forward. Together with Igor Larionov and Sergei Makarov, he was part of the famed KLM Line. He is considered one of the best ice hockey wingers of the 1980s.

An instrumental part of the Soviet Union national team in the 1980s, Krutov won the 1981 Canada Cup, two gold medals (1984, 1988) and one silver (1980) at the Olympics, and five golds (1981, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1989), one silver (1987) and one bronze (1985) in the World Championships. He was the scoring leader at the 1987 World Championships.

On the club level, Krutov played for CSKA Moscow from 1978 to 1989. He was one of the first Soviet players to make the jump to the NHL, doing so with the Vancouver Canucks in 1989. However, Krutov did not have a successful season, battling homesickness and weight problems, which provoked the derisive nickname of "Vlad the Inhaler".

Krutov left the NHL after his lone season in North America and played for several clubs in the Swiss and Swedish leagues before retiring to move into coaching. His son Alexei Krutov is a former hockey player who played professionally from 1999 to 2017.

In 2010, he was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame.

Krutov died of internal bleeding and liver failure in a hospital in Moscow on 6 June 2012, just five days after his 52nd birthday.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1977–78	CSKA Moscow	USSR		1	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
1978–79	CSKA Moscow	USSR		24	8	3	11	6		—	—	—	—	—
1979–80	CSKA Moscow	USSR		40	30	12	42	16		—	—	—	—	—
1980–81	CSKA Moscow	USSR		47	25	15	40	20		—	—	—	—	—
1981–82	CSKA Moscow	USSR		46	37	29	66	30		—	—	—	—	—
1982–83	CSKA Moscow	USSR		44	32	21	53	34		—	—	—	—	—
1983–84	CSKA Moscow	USSR		44	37	20	57	20		—	—	—	—	—
1984–85	CSKA Moscow	USSR		40	23	30	53	26		—	—	—	—	—
1985–86	CSKA Moscow	USSR		40	31	17	48	10		—	—	—	—	—
1986–87	CSKA Moscow	USSR		39	26	24	50	16		—	—	—	—	—
1987–88	CSKA Moscow	USSR		38	19	23	42	20		—	—	—	—	—
1988–89	CSKA Moscow	USSR		35	20	21	41	12		—	—	—	—	—
1989–90	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		61	11	23	34	20		—	—	—	—	—
1990–91	Zürcher SC	NDA		1	0	1	1	0		3	3	6	9	0
1991–92	Zürcher SC	NDA		28	13	19	32	4		6	4	3	7	4
1992–93	Östersunds IK	SWE III		19	25	24	49	12		—	—	—	—	—
1993–94	Östersunds IK	SWE II		28	18	22	40	14		—	—	—	—	—
1994–95	Östersunds IK	SWE II		27	9	9	18	31		—	—	—	—	—
1995–96	Brunflo IK	SWE III		18	7	9	16	6		—	—	—	—	—
USSR totals				438	288	215	503	210		—	—	—	—	—

International

Year	Team	Event	Place		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1979	Soviet Union	WJC			6	8	6	14	2
1980	Soviet Union	WJC			5	7	4	11	5
1980	Soviet Union	OG			7	6	5	11	4
1981	Soviet Union	WC			8	6	3	9	8
1981	Soviet Union	CC			7	4	4	8	10
1982	Soviet Union	WC			10	4	3	7	6
1983	Soviet Union	WC			10	8	7	15	12
1984	Soviet Union	OG			7	4	1	5	2
1984	Soviet Union	CC			6	3	5	8	4
1985	Soviet Union	WC			10	3	5	8	8
1986	Soviet Union	WC			10	7	10	17	14
1987	Soviet Union	WC			10	11	4	15	8
1987	Soviet Union	CC			9	7	7	14	4
1988	Soviet Union	OG			8	6	9	15	0
1989	Soviet Union	WC			10	4	2	6	12
Junior totals					11	15	10	25	7
Senior totals					112	73	64	137	92

External links

• Template:Icehockeystats