WorthPoint founder and CEO Will Seippel had a hunch there was a narrative to inform when he started sorting by way of a ninety-pound trove of private paperwork from Russian-born hockey legend Johannes “Johnny” Gottselig. A picker beneficial the gathering as a result of of its impeccable provenance and variety.
Desperate to be taught extra, Seippel contacted Phil Pritchard, Vice President and curator on the Hockey Corridor of Fame. On this particular characteristic, Seippel’s inspiring dialog with Pritchard opened a window into hockey historical past. Following the video is an article by Canadian hockey knowledgeable Jon Waldman on Gottselig and different necessary Russian names within the NHL.
Sports activities’ Unsung Legacy of Johnny Gottselig
Johnny Gottselig is a landmark title in a couple of sport. Born in Klosterdorf of the Russian Empire, Gottselig initially turned well-known in hockey as one of many first Russian-born NHL athletes. He performed at an extremely excessive stage between 1928 and 1945 with the Chicago Blackhawks and gained the Stanley Cup twice, as soon as as captain. Gottselig’s taking part in profession encompassed 589 NHL games and 371 points, and he moved on to be the crew’s head coach and later PR supervisor, accumulating a 3rd Stanley Cup ring within the latter function.
If these accolades weren’t sufficient, Gottselig can be acknowledged for main groups round filth diamonds as a substitute of on the ice. He helped with the formation of and managed groups within the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, the founding journey of which was fictionalized within the 1992 Tom Hanks-led movie A League of Their Personal. Throughout the Forties, Gottselig managed the Racine Belles and later the Peoria Purple Wings and Kenosha Comets.
Gottselig’s memorabilia isn’t too frequent on {the marketplace}. Nevertheless, as you’ll be able to see within the video above, there are some cool items on the market. Amongst these are private results, which have been up on the market from Basic Auctions a couple of years in the past.
Nonetheless, regardless of Gottselig’s groundbreaking achievements—in hockey and in any other case—he has by no means been inducted into the NHL’s Hockey Corridor of Fame. And he isn’t alone in awaiting recognition.
Different Russian Star Athletes within the NHL
Within the eyes of many NHL followers, the gamers answerable for important accomplishments throughout the sport deserve recognition. Take, as an illustration, the long-running campaign to have Paul Henderson elected to the Hockey Corridor of Fame for probably the most iconic purpose in Canadian hockey historical past. And solely not too long ago have Willie O’Ree and Herb Carnegie been acknowledged for breaking the game’s coloration barrier greater than fifty years in the past.
The popularity is even sparser for Russians like Johnny Gottselig and different European hockey gamers. And that’s in the event that they joined the league within the first place—generations of Russia’s elite gamers, together with Vladislav Tretiak and Boris Mikhailov, by no means performed within the Nationwide Hockey League regardless of abilities that will have scouts and basic managers drooling.
Till the Seventies, it was uncommon for any European participant to cross the Atlantic Ocean, however with sideburns and bell bottoms got here a European invasion. For instance, Sweden’s Borje Salming and Finnish sensation Jari Kurri crossed into the NHL. Others like Anders Hedberg began their North American play within the World Hockey Affiliation.
However this invasion didn’t embrace the Soviets. Solely two gamers—Victor Nechayev and Sergei Pryakhin—defected to North America earlier than Alexander Mogilny famously made his technique to the NHL in 1989 throughout an period the place the Soviet authorities held their gamers tightly at residence. After these athletes, there was a full-on run of Russia’s hockey stars. Some, like Pavel Bure and Sergei Fedorov, made a right away, constructive impression. Others like Johan Garpenlov faltered amid new environment.
The politics that stored Russians from shifting throughout the Pacific Ocean are defined elsewhere. However right here, we’ll focus solely on these people who bucked the instances and made an impression within the NHL.
Sweeney Schriner
After Gottselig, Sweeney Schriner was the subsequent Russian-born participant to make an impression within the NHL. Born in Saratov, Schriner moved to Canada as an toddler and lived in Calgary, the place he performed minor and later senior hockey. Finally, Schriner joined the NHL’s New York People and gained Rookie of the Year honors in 1933–34. He then led the league in factors the next two seasons.
Schriner had an unbelievable profession with the People and later Toronto Maple Leafs, garnering quite a few accolades and successful two Stanley Cups with the Buds. His accomplishments led to induction into the Hockey Corridor of Fame in 1962.
Schriner was a part of a number of hockey card units throughout his profession, and his HHOF induction stored him in memorabilia for years after retirement.
Victor Nechayev
Nechayev (or Netchaev, relying in your Cyrillic interpretation) was the primary participant skilled behind the modern-age Iron Curtain to play within the NHL. After marrying American Cheryl Haigler, Nechayev was chosen within the 1982 NHL Entry Draft by the Los Angeles Kings. He played three games in Lala Land, scoring one purpose.
Nechayev’s fast departure from the league, as he instructed the Los Angeles Kings web site in a 2020 interview, got here all the way down to contract points. “I instructed my agent, ‘I’m 27 years outdated … Both let me play or don’t let me play [in the NHL]. Or discover me the crew the place I can play.’ And the agent, who wasn’t the correct man for this second, as a result of he didn’t perceive the enterprise, he didn’t clarify that that is the way it works,” Nechayev said in 2020. “[When I wouldn’t sign their contract], they took all my gear away from me. They didn’t let me skate or something with the crew for one month. For me, it was surprising, the enterprise.”
Regardless of his place in historical past, collectors are hard-pressed to seek out any sports activities memorabilia devoted to Nechayev. Within the Nineteen Eighties, when Nechayev performed within the huge league, O-Pee-Chee and Topps have been the one firms creating hockey playing cards, and neither included him in a 1983–84 product nor has any firm labored with him since. A few on-line sightings present press pictures of the pioneer, together with signed photographs, however these are extraordinarily scarce.
Sergei Pryakhin
The shortage of Nechayev memorabilia is a stark distinction to Pryakhin, who earned a couple of playing cards and different memorabilia after taking part in for the Calgary Flames for elements of three NHL seasons. Over 46 video games, Pryakhin (who additionally has English spelling variants) totaled 11 factors. He spent most of his professional profession with the Soviet Wings and even captained the crew, however as lore tells, he was not thought of a priceless commodity for the Purple Military.
Pryakhin was a part of the Flames’ Stanley Cup-winning crew in 1989 however didn’t play sufficient video games within the playoffs to earn getting his title engraved on the Cup. He did, nonetheless, earn a championship ring.
Regardless of his defection, Pryakhin was allowed to play along with his residence nation internationally and helped lead the Soviets to the 1990 World Senior Males’s Hockey Championship gold medal.
Alexander Mogilny
Of all of the gamers talked about, none have had the success of Alex Mogilny.
Mogilny’s story begins with the worldwide consideration he gained on the 1988 Olympics, the place he gained the gold medal. After this, he joined the Soviet 1989 World Senior Males’s Championship crew. As a substitute of returning to Russia and his teammates at CSKA Moscow after the match, Mogilny went to Buffalo, the place he was a draftee one yr prior.
Mogilny began the 1989–90 season with the Sabres, scoring in his first NHL recreation. He wore the quantity 89 to commemorate his first yr on North American soil and his draft place. Mogilny went on to have a 16-year NHL profession that included a number of firsts for Russian-born-and-trained gamers, together with the primary to be named to the annual NHL All-Star crew. He holds the file for many targets by a Russian participant in a single season (76), and he gained a Stanley Cup.
Mogilny’s accolades have put him in Hockey Corridor of Fame competition, however he has but to be given Shinny’s highest particular person honor. Collectors, nonetheless, have constructed spectacular memorabilia shows devoted to the Soviet hero. These hobbyists have an unlimited array of choices, together with figures, playing cards, pictures, signed pucks, and nearly the whole lot else conceivable.
Jon Waldman is a Winnipeg-based author. He has written for Beckett, Go GTS, Canadian Sports activities Collector, and a number of other different pastime retailers over his twenty years within the pastime. His expertise additionally contains two books on sports activities playing cards and memorabilia. Join with Jon on Twitter at @jonwaldman.
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