Larionov induction tailings

Posted by George James Malik - - Mlive.com

The Miami Herald's George Richard earns the most creative entry of the week award for his note that the Florida Panthers officially have a Hall of Famer in their midst:

November 11, Miami Herald: In case you didn't notice, and I'm betting many didn't, the Panthers had their first player inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame tonight.

Sure, Igor Larionov didn't spend much time in a Florida sweater, but he still PLAYED for the Panthers. Wrap your arms around that: A Hall of Famer who actually played for the Panthers.

He must of really ticked off the Panthers because, as hard as this is to believe, the franchise really whiffed on this one.
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One of the top Soviet players of his day, Larionov won three Stanley Cups with the Red Wings, but during the 2000-01 season -- which happened to be one of the worst in Florida history -- he scored five goals with six assists in 26 games before those hapless Panthers traded him back to the Wings.

Sure, the Panthers signing the 40-year-old Larionov as a free agent in 2000 was a mistake. And there is no doubt a team like Detroit, Toronto or Montreal wouldn't make a stink about a guy being inducted into the Hall who only played in 26 games for them.

Yet, as bad as publicity has been for this Florida team, one would think Larionov being inducted into hockey's hallowed hall would be worthy of something. Anything. One would be wrong.

Larionov has no hard feelings about the Panthers' decision to not acknowledge his achievements:

I'm glad Igor Larionov had the class to briefly thank the Panthers during his induction speech.

The San Jose Mercury News's David Pollak discussed a fond memory from Larionov's tenure as a Shark:

November 11, Mercury News: Monday night, Igor Larionov became the first player who wore a Sharks jersey to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

In summer 1995, I spent time with Larionov in his Sunnyvale home for a story I wrote for West, the newspaper's Sunday magazine at the time.

The moment that sticks with me the most came after Igor finished constructing a wooden platform in his garage, 33 inches high. I asked him its use and he showed me. We were standing side by side next to it and in an instant, the wiry Larionov was standing on it in an amazing display of vertical leap.

Even then, he looked more like a professor than an athlete, but don't be fooled.

Larionov revealed a bit of wry wit in discussing his activities when he received word of his induction, as noted by NHL.com's Dan Rosen:

November 11, NHL.com: Igor Larionov said he got the call in the morning Los Angeles time as he was getting ready for his morning workout in the pool. Larionov was certainly elated, but he still did his 45 minutes worth of laps before telling anyone.

If you see how fit this guy is today, you wouldn't be surprised to hear that story.

Stellick then asked Larionov, who owns his own wine business, if he cracked open a bottle once he got home and gave his family the news.

"Well, it was the morning, and the morning is time for orange juice," Larionov said, filling the room with laughter. "Wine has got grapes in it, but you better drink it after 12 o'clock."

Larionov talked about his wine business in detail with the National Post's Sean Fitz-Gerald, and here are some of the highlights thereof:

November 11, National Post: Sean Fitz-Gerald: What kind of wine does The Professor prefer?

Igor Larionov: [laughs] Well, I've got so many different wines, and I like them all. I like the reds and I like the whites. It all depends on the day. In the summertime, it's more white wines. And during the cold season - when it's grey skies and cold weather - I like the reds. All of them: a Cabernet, or a Shiraz, or a Cabernet Franc, or a Zinfandel.

Fitz-Gerald: How many wines do you produce?

Larionov: I've got 14 different wines. In California, I've got two Chardonnays, one Sauvignon Blanc. And in the reds, I've got Pinot, Shiraz, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. I have a Bordeaux-style blend.

Fitz-Gerald: How does a hockey player get into that?

Larionov: Well, now we're going back to my year when I left Vancouver after three years and went to Lugano [Switzerland], to play in Europe for one season ... and during the old days, people in Switzerland invited you to different functions, to meet some friends and fan clubs. I was taking my wife and children to join a few people to talk about life, hockey and trying to make some new friends in Switzerland. And every time, I was going to meet people at restaurants -- so it was a nice meal, and it was a nice couple bottles of wine. And when I came back after a year, I was in San Jose, and I was right next to Napa Valley. I met some great people, and some great winemakers. They were so nice, and they all have a passion for the wine, and for the sport

Larionov says that his wines actually are made from California grapes, but they come together in Detroit, via his Triple Overtime company, and he suggests that marketing wine in his native Russia involves almost as much politicking as his dealings with the KHL:

Fitz-Gerald: Since you live in California, but still do work in Russia, do you find it difficult to straddle increasingly polarized worlds?

Larionov: It's like the NHL and Russian hockey. We have to work together, we have to find solutions and be friendly. It's two great superpowers, Russia and the U.S. I can feel [the tension], because I'm making very nice California wines and I have to promote those wines in Russia. But even with my reputation and my name, sometimes I'm having a difficult time because it's an American wine. To me, politics, you can't really judge the people by the group of politicians who run the policies for both countries. People, we're made from the same material -- Russians, Canadians, Americans, Japanese. We just speak a different language.

Regarding his involvement in the KHL, Larionov told the National Post's Joe O'Connor that he hopes to improve relations between the NHL and KHL, but he faces a task as daunting as the Americans do in discussing politics with Russian president Dmitry Medvedev (no relation to KHL president Alexander Medvedev), who claims that the United States both incited the war in Georgia and intentionally caused the world's economic crisis:

November 11, National Post: On Monday morning, at a ring ceremony at the Hall, the professor spoke about the need for peace between the NHL and Russia's Continental Hockey League. "We don't need a Cold War right now in hockey, the game should be growing," said Larionov, a special advisor to the KHL on a host of issues.

There already is a war between the leagues. One of the major battles involves the poaching of players, including Alexander Radulov, the young Nashville Predators star who signed a three-year deal in July with Salavat Yulayev Ufa despite having a year left on his contract with Nashville. Currently, the leagues do not have a transfer agreement in place.
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Alexander Medvedev, the Russian energy baron and KHL chief, has also reportedly accused the NHL of failing to hand over its medical records for Alexei Cherepanov. The New York Rangers prospect collapsed and died on the bench during a KHL game last month.

Medvedev is in Toronto for Larionov's induction ceremony. Gary Bettman will also be attendance. No official talks between the two hockey czars are scheduled. But the trailblazing Russian believes there will be peace between the two leagues.

"Alexander Medvedev and Gary Bettman should be making the decision soon," Larionov said, when asked about the possibility of the two sides settling the issue of poaching players. "That is what is best for the game, and at this point, they should forget about the past and think about the future, and make some very smart decisions for both sides."

Jim Kelley of all people lends proper perspective to the event:

November 11, Sportsnet: [T]he Hall has also done a great many good things for a good number of great people. If you ever get the chance to attend an induction ceremony you will witness and truly understand how -- in the course of a single evening -- the Hall can change lives.

I've seen it happen year-after-year and on Monday night within the cathedral-like atrium of BCE Place I saw it happen again.

I saw how Glen Anderson, who might have harbored a hint of bitterness at being on the outside looking in for so many years, let it all slip away in an emotion-packed speech regarding his life in the game and the special bonds of brotherhood that are forged with teammates (and even a snarly general manager or two).

I heard it in the thoughtful and reasoned words of Igor Larionov, who in the same studied way in which he played the game provided insight into the once faraway world of old-school Soviet hockey. Larionov was as composed as Anderson was emotional in articulating the dreams of a young boy who thought the hockey world started and stopped with a chance to put on a sweater and play for the national team.

But at age 29, considered late in hockey terms, Larionov was introduced to another hockey universe. But once he learned to play in it he excelled at every aspect of it.

Those of us who grew up watching the North American game perceived the Soviet system as some form of living hell designed to create robotic perfection, but Larionov gave us insight into a very different world, a world where the difficulties were very real. The pride and honor that came with being a part of a system that rewarded hard work with undeniable world-class success was undeniably real.

The different worlds Larionov straddles still present significant issues in terms of relationships between hockey leagues and political firestorms that may lead to the return of on and off-ice cold wars, but Larionov continues to call for reasoned relations between the two hockey federations and two countries, and he's just the person we need to proffer such lines of thought.

As previously noted, Larionov discussed the precarious financial positions in which some KHL teams find themselves, and if you want further reading on the subject, the Edmonton Oiler's Jim Matheson spoke to Larionov about the KHL's precarious present status.

Also of note: the Toronto Sun posted a seven-image gallery of the induction ceremonies.