The Vladimir Krutov saga

[wetcoast]

That's not even an unreasonable amount of calories for a professional hockey player.

I've been involved on the food side of some teams. The players eat an obscene amount of food.

Sure but Krutov had problems with conditioning and self motivation outside of the system and that's one him right?

 

[Doctor Coffin]

Krutov's struggles were discussed openly and honestly, but the media and fanbase sensationalized some of the issues. Long before Twitter, The Province - even when the writing was top notch - always had sensational headlines and ledes, and this was the era when the radio call-in shows were ascendant, so the fact that a big Soviet star was flaming out was schadenfreude for a big part of the fanbase that unfairly piled up on Krutov, making it even more difficult for him to succeed..

I also recall a magazine article about the newly-arrived Soviet players early in 1989-90 that featured a large photo of Sergei Mylnikov smiling as he was dining on a meal in a Quebec cafe. The North American media's eagerness to insinuate at any opportunity that the these players were gluttonous slobs coming to feast on capitalist largesse was a real thing.

 

[Crosby2010]

I think it is ironic that the player on the KLM line who was considered 3rd best ended up having the best NHL career. No one thought Larionov was better than either one of Makarov or Krutov in the 1980s. I think a lot of it was exhaustion as well. Those guys were playing a ton of hockey in the 1980s, I guess so was Larionov, but there are some guys who just have that burnout at an earlier age.

 

[Overrated]

I think it is ironic that the player on the KLM line who was considered 3rd best ended up having the best NHL career. No one thought Larionov was better than either one of Makarov or Krutov in the 1980s. I think a lot of it was exhaustion as well. Those guys were playing a ton of hockey in the 1980s, I guess so was Larionov, but there are some guys who just have that burnout at an earlier age.

Larionov was not just considered the worst out of the three, he objectively was.

 

[ozzie]

I had totally forgotten that Larionov was on the canucks with Krutov as well. Some people struggle with change, feedom and choice. Krutov never adapated to North American life and didn't give it much of a chance.

Some people can't function without a stricit regiment. Years of Soviet training, suddenly absent. He was lost and not like any NHL team was in the know. It took several years for teams like Detroit to make the transition seamless.

 

[Sentinel]

I think it is ironic that the player on the KLM line who was considered 3rd best ended up having the best NHL career. No one thought Larionov was better than either one of Makarov or Krutov in the 1980s. I think a lot of it was exhaustion as well. Those guys were playing a ton of hockey in the 1980s, I guess so was Larionov, but there are some guys who just have that burnout at an earlier age.

Larionov was just younger.

 

[johan f]

Larionov was just younger.

That he could cope best with american life helped a lot.

 

[Nerowoy nora tolad]

I had totally forgotten that Larionov was on the canucks with Krutov as well. Some people struggle with change, feedom and choice. Krutov never adapated to North American life and didn't give it much of a chance.

Some people can't function without a stricit regiment. Years of Soviet training, suddenly absent. He was lost and not like any NHL team was in the know. It took several years for teams like Detroit to make the transition seamless.

You might term it "buzz aldrin syndrome" for another great example

 

[Albatros]

Sure but Krutov had problems with conditioning and self motivation outside of the system and that's one him right?

He also had conditioning problems within the system for what it's worth.