“Aren’t you ashamed?!” USSR hockey scandal: the legendary Mikhailov got an apartment in Lokomotiv, but left for CSKA

Maksim Samartsev The coach of Lokomotiv did not talk to the forward for two years. Boris Mikhailov is a living legend of Soviet hockey. As a player, he won absolutely everything: 2 Olympics, 8 world championships, 11 USSR championships and 4 USSR Cups. The Olympic champion also had plenty of individual awards – he was recognized as the best striker at the world championships and repeatedly became the best sniper not only in the domestic championship, but also in the international arena. By the way, in 572 matches in the framework of the Soviet championship, Mikhailov scored 428 goals. A grandmaster result that only Alexander Ovechkin would not envy. In this regard, it is hard to imagine that until the age of 24, Boris lacked stars from the sky and did not even dream of playing for the national team. The striker spent the first three seasons at the highest level in the Saratov Kristall, and then, at the invitation of Anatoly Kostryukov, he moved to the Moscow Lokomotiv. But even in the new team, which was a strong middle peasant in the USSR championship, he was not the main star – in two full seasons, Mikhailov scored 48 points. Not a bad result for an ordinary hockey player, but definitely not outstanding. Who knows how the career of a great forward would have developed if it were not for his childhood friend Evgeny Mishakov, who played in CSKA in those years. He persuaded Anatoly Tarasov to invite Mikhailov to watch, although at first the head coach of the army opposed this idea. The easiest way, of course, was to refuse, especially since Mikhailov was already twenty-four years old. Until then, he played in low-flying clubs, and even there he didn’t particularly show himself, ”said Tarasov.RIA Novosti Anatoly Vladimirovich radically changed his mind after checking a potential newcomer in training. During complex and multifaceted studies, Mikhailov proved himself to be an exemplary hard worker and plowman who is ready to work as long as necessary. And what was especially important for Tarasov, Boris did all this not for show – he really had the character of a real fighter. Having received approval to move to CSKA, Mikhailov had only to tell this news to Lokomotiv head coach Anatoly Kostryukov. The situation was complicated by the fact that for the coach the departure of players from the team was a sore subject – earlier the Moscow Railwaymen had already lost Evgeny Mishakov, Evgeny Zimin, Yuri Volkov, Alexander Filippov, Vladimir Migunko and many other leaders. In addition, Mikhailov was given an apartment in Loko and created all the conditions for development. Therefore, the conversation turned out to be not easy. As a result, Kostryukov was mortally offended by his hockey player and after that did not talk to him for two whole years. “Time heals, but the sediment remains. When Mishakov and Mikhailov graduated from the CSKA school, they were of no interest to Tarasov. They were thrown into the street. I picked them up, fiddled with them, brought them to the level of the national team. And then Tarasov showed up. Dragged both. I somehow could not stand it, I asked: “Aren’t you ashamed ?!” He shrugged his shoulders: “Only, they themselves want to join CSKA!” As if I don’t know his methods … At the same time, we had a warm relationship. He called me Tolka. So, he recognized him as a close person, ”said Kostryukov.RIA NovostiFor 13 years in CSKA, Boris Mikhailov has achieved real hockey happiness. Pyrya, as the stubborn striker was called in the army club, became the king of Piglet and received worldwide recognition. Mikhailov has won everything in hockey. Except for the Stanley Cup. But in some cases, real greatness can be achieved without winning the main NHL trophy.