Legendary Soviet and Russian hockey player Valery Kamensky: biography and sports career

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:48

Valery Kamensky is a legendary Soviet and Russian hockey player. During his sports career, he collected many awards and titles in his collection. The first Russian hockey player to win Olympic and World Championship gold medals, as well as the Stanley Cup.

Biography

Kamensky Valery Viktorovich was born in April 1966 in the Russian city of Voskresensk. As a child, the winger was noticed by the coaches of the main team.

Hard training and natural talent helped the young hockey player quickly become famous not only within the Soviet Union, but throughout the world.

Beginning of professional career

In March 1983, 16-year-old hockey player Valery Kamensky first went on the ice as part of the adult team "Khimik" from his native Voskresensk. In that season, the young striker was just beginning to be allowed to play. In total, Kamensky played in 5 matches in the championship, without scoring goals.actions.

Only a year later, Valery becomes a player in the main team of "Chemist". He played in 45 fights, in which he scored 9 goals and gave 3 assists. After this season, he was invited to the capital club CSKA.

"Army" years

After moving to the Moscow team, Valery Kamensky from the very first matches began to win a place in the first team. In the first season, he scored 24 (15 + 9) points in 40 fights. In the same year, the striker was first called to the location of the national team of the Soviet Union.

Valery Kamensky spent 5 years as part of the Moscow "Army". During this time, he became the champion of the Soviet Union three times, and twice - the silver medalist. In total, the striker played 219 matches for CSKA, in which he scored 96 goals and assisted teammates 82 times. In addition, he managed to rise to the rank of senior lieutenant of the army.

Thanks to a brilliant game in the Super Series against NHL teams, the whole world learned about Valery Kamensky. In 1991, the Russian hockey player decided to move overseas and continue his sports career there.

"Overseas" stage

In the 1991 NHL Entry Draft, Valery Kamensky was selected by the Quebec Nordiques. In his debut season, the striker was not always allowed to the main squad. He played in 23 fights and scored 21 (7+14) points.

In the 1992/93 season, the Russian hockey player began to go out on the ice more often. The striker tried to justify the trust of the coaches, andhe succeeded. In 32 matches, Kamensky scored 37 (15+22) points.

The following season, Valeriy firmly established himself in the first team of the Northerners. He becomes one of the best players in terms of performance: in 76 games of the regular season, Kamensky scored 28 goals and gave 37 assists.

After the NHL lockout, during which the hockey player played for the Swiss team Ambri Piottu, he played another season for the Quebec Nordiques, after which, together with the team, which became known as the Colorado Avalanche, he moved to Denver.

The first season in the new place was very successful. Valery Kamensky's 85 (38+47) points in the regular season and 22 (10+12) in the hockey playoff series helped his club win the Stanley Cup.

As part of the Colorado Avalanche, the Russian striker spent 3 more seasons, in which he scored 68 goals and 108 assists in 208 fights. In the 1997/98 season, Valery Kamensky's best goal against the Florida Panthers was recognized as the most beautiful in that NHL regular season.

In 1999, the hockey player moves to the New York Rangers. Here he spent two seasons, after which he played for six months for the Dallas Stars and the New Jersey Devils. In 2002, Kamensky decided to return to Russia. In the NHL, the striker played 637 games in which he scored 501 (200+301) points.

Retirement and further activities

In Russia, hockey player ValeryKamensky played from 2003 to 2005 for his native Resurrection "Chemist". In total, he played 80 fights, scored 22 goals and gave 28 assists. In 2005, Kamensky announced the end of his playing career.

After leaving hockey, Valery Viktorovich took up social activities. He is one of the founders of the Talent and Success Foundation. Kamensky also holds the post of president of the Moscow Regional Hockey Federation, is a member of the board of the Night Hockey League. In 2015, he took over as vice president of Spartak Moscow.

Team performances

Valery Kamensky was first called up to the youth team of the USSR in 1985 on the eve of the World Cup. At this tournament, Soviet hockey players became the third. A year later, at a similar competition, 7 goals and 6 assists from Kamensky helped the youth team win gold medals.

In the same 1986, the striker scored a "champion" hat-trick - as part of the national team he became the first at the World and European Championships in Moscow.

Two years later, Kamensky added to his collection of awards the gold medal of the Olympic Games in Calgary. Valery played 8 fights, scored 4 goals and provided 2 assists.

After the Olympics, there were two victorious World Championships, in which the forward was one of the best players in the Soviet team.

A rather interesting incident happened at the 1990 World Cup. After a rough game by the Swedish defender Samuelsson, Kamensky repliedoffender with a direct blow to the forehead. Such a violation was the first at a similar level and provoked changes in hockey rules. Now such a foul is punished with 10 minutes of pen alty and removal until the end of the game.

After the collapse of the USSR, Valery Kamensky continued to play for the Russian national team. At the Olympic Games in Nagano in 1998, he became the silver medalist of the competition.