Alexander Gusev, hockey player: biography, sports career, achievements

Alexander Vladimirovich Gusev - hockey player, who became a real legend. In the 1960s and 1970s, he was part of the USSR national hockey team, which, with its professional game, conquered millions of hearts not only in its own country, but also abroad. Alexander Gusev played in the team as a defender and played under the second number. It was a great time for Soviet and Russian hockey. Then the real masters of their craft played, the example of which to this day inspires modern sports youth.

Sports biography of Alexander Gusev

January 21, 1947 in Moscow was born hockey player Alexander Gusev. His biography is very rich in all kinds of sports achievements of different years. So, he became a two-time world and European champion in 1973 and 1974. In 1976, Gusev won the title of Olympic champion. Beginning in 1968, he became the champion of the USSR seven times. And this is only the brightest of his awards. In total in the championships of the USSR Alexander Vladimirovich Gusev spent 313 matches. Scored 64 goals in the opponent's net. At the European championships, the world and the Olympic Games, Gusev played 42 games. During these games in the opponent's gate, he drove 12 goals.

Manner of the game

Watching the game of Alexander Gusev, we will not see the mass of various hockey tricks and tricks. However, his behavior in defense was effective and extremely reliable. Partners on the team could always rely on him. He took the puck off the opponent, as it often seemed, quite at ease and easy. In addition to good external data, such as high growth and long arms, Gusev also had an excellent click, his cast was well-placed, strong and accurate.

As noted by the players of the Canadian hockey team, the irreconcilable rivals of the USSR national team, Gusev is a hockey player, differing in the game with severe rigidity. He had excellent speed, sharpness and almost no sense of fear, so he, when necessary, confidently entered into a power struggle. In addition, Gusev often connected to the attacks of his team, scoring a lot of goals. For these qualities, he has earned the respect of his sports opponents and the love of fans. How genius Gusev Alexander Vladimirovich (hockey player), photos and video reports of matches of those years visually show.

Features of Soviet hockey

Soviet hockey is famous for generations of legendary players, whose names have forever entered the sport history of the country. Among them, of course, and the hockey player Gusev. His biography includes playing in the teams of the SKA MVO and SKA Leningrad. But Alexander especially likes to remember how he played in defense in CSKA paired with Valery Vasilyev, and ahead was the legendary troika of attackers - Kharlamov, Mikhailov and Petrov. These were amazing years, Soviet hockey players played with all their heart, without "dirt", in courage.

Of course, hockey is quite a tough game, but in Soviet times it was still somewhat different. Hockey, of course, was cruel, but, above all, it remained high-speed and combinational. The fights on the ice field in front of spectators were at that time a rare phenomenon.

How did Gusev's career begin?

The future sportsman was born on January 21, 1947 in Moscow. The first skates, according to Alexander Vladimirovich, his father gave him when the future hockey player was only four years old. Since then, riding in the courtyard of his native Pestsovaya Street on the compacted snow, Gusev literally fell ill with hockey. The father himself also made his first stick for his son. In ten years Gusev joined the CSKA section. In this he was the only time in his life helped by a kind of patronage. The fact is that Gusev at first did not take part in the section, but his mother, who worked in CSKA as an accountant and had a certain influence, persuaded coach Boris Afanasyev to change his decision.

So, thanks to the efforts of both parents, the world has learned what a unique Gusev hockey player is. The career of the defender-legend began. Of course, not everything was easy and smooth, the skill still needed to be properly honed and its place in the team of CSKA to win. With special gratitude Alexander Gusev recalls everything that his second coach after Afanasyev taught - Andrey Vasilyevich Starovoitov. He really skilfully skated. The coach taught often not in words, but in practice, he always showed himself how and what to do. In one of the interviews Gusev noted that in those days young hockey players were allowed to play more, to spill out energy. And it was much more useful than a long theory.

"A pure soul"

In the biography of Alexander Vladimirovich, it is very remarkable that although Gusev is a hockey player who was happy to give himself all his favorite sports, he never forgot about his family, even though he could not give his family much time. On the money earned for the game, he always hurried to buy gifts to his beloved wife Nina and her mother. I thought about myself last. The famous trainer Epstein often called Gusev a "pure soul," and attacker Valery Kharlamov joked that he was not afraid to go to reconnaissance with him. "Die yourself, and help your comrade" - these words are really about him.

The image of Gusev in the cinema

Thanks to modern cinema, we can to some extent see what Gusev was a hockey player. The image in the movie of Alexander Vladimirovich appears in the film in 2012 "Legend №17". It tells about the legendary and truly selfless game of the Soviet hockey team.

Although the main character of the film is Valery Kharlamov - a brilliant striker, but on the screen in front of the viewer is also Gusev - a hockey player and no less than a brilliant defender of the national team. As it was in life, in the film he is one of Kharlamov's closest associates and friends. Together they begin not an easy path to glory. The famous hockey coach Anatoly Tarasov directs the Moscow children to play in the Chelyabinsk region for the little-known "Zvezda" team. But what at first seemed a step back, eventually brings Kharlamov and Gusev a real success.

After the film, the film did not receive any bad or negative feedback, but only compliments. In "Legend No. 17" we really succeeded in realistically demonstrating the Soviet atmosphere of the 70s and the tremendous will for the victory of hockey players of those years.