Without ranking them. Probable top ten in alphabetical order.
Aleksandr Almetov [1940-1992] – He was a standout among his peers as a junior and relied a lot on his raw talent alone.
He had incredible hands and could beat defenders in a variety of ways. Difficult player to defend against. Good instincts and often used as a penalty killer. Only his battle with the bottle deprived him of a longer playing career.
National team stats: 174-146-54-200
Vyacheslav Bykov [1960-] - A Chelyabinsk product. He developed into a pretty complete player. Low-key type of player.
Never fancy, but effective and learned to play solid defensive hockey. Had great chemistry with his sidekick Andrei Khomutov.
Also often played with Valeri Kamensky. Drafted by Quebec, but opted to play in Switzerland with Khomutov in the 90s.
National team stats: 236-102-108-210
Aleksei Guryshev [1925-1983] – He had decent size for a forward in the 1950s. Very strong player in the slot, where he loved to pounce on rebounds. Scored a ton of goals, much thanks to his quick release. He had an excellent wristshot that surprised a lot of goalies. Guryshev had powerful skating strides combined with good speed.
National team stats: 149-129-26-155
Igor Larionov [1960-] - Like Gretzky, it was his playmaking and hockey intelligence that stood out. Larionov wasn’t the biggest guy, had the best shot or was the speediest player around. He conserved his energy out on the ice wisely, and could read plays well in advance. Complemented Krutov and Makarov in a great way on that KLM line.
National team stats: 223-84-111-195
Aleksandr Maltsev [1949-] - He was a versatile player who could play on all three forward positions, preferably as a RW or C. Extremely creative player with terrific one-on-one skills. He could really motor with the puck on his blade. Maltsev had an underrated wrist shot that was quite accurate. Had good consistency on the national team.
National team stats: 415-300-216-516
Vladimir Petrov [1947-2017] – For many years he centered the legendary line with Mikhailov and Kharlamov. That was the Soviet go-to line in the 1970s. Petrov was efficient in any game situation. As a young player he was often compared to Starshinov.
Petrov could give and take a hit. He was responsible defensively and probably the best Soviet faceoff guy when he played. Stubborn player with a powerful and accurate shot. His only drawback was that he was a relatively slow skater compared to many of his teammates.
National team stats: 359-265-216-481
Vladimir Shadrin [1948-] - He was often overshadowed by his teammates. But Shadrin always gave 110% and was known to always be physically exhausted after games. Coaches liked him because he was very useful, making few mistakes or errant passes.
He wasn’t much of a physical player per se, but battled hard and never gave an inch to anyone. Always in top physical condition.
National team stats: 233-118-97-215
Viktor Shuvalov [1923-] - The last surviving member among the early legendary Soviet players. He centered the famous line with Bobrov and Babich. Shuvalov possessed excellent physique, technique, speed and endurance. Back then he was the modern prototype of a semi-powerforward. Shuvalov was really hard to contain, and could grind down opponents.
National team stats: 89-90-17-107
Vyacheslav Starshinov [1940-] - Very versatile athlete who excelled in many sports. Broad-shouldered center and a fierce competitor. Not quite Phil Esposito, but very strong in front of the goal, where he scored most of his goals. Difficult to move out of the goal crease. He wasn’t tall, but muscular (used to box). Starshinov sometimes gave an impression to be a bit clumsy as he wasn’t a particularly smooth skater. Always set an example to his teammates by being in top shape. Anatoli Tarasov used Starshinov as an example for others to follow his work ethic. Worked extremely hard during the off season and practices.
He never complained and was very durable.
National team stats: 274-219-67-288
Viktor Zhluktov [1954-] - Perfect size for the NHL. Big center who also played as a LW.
Coaches liked him because he wasn’t your typical Soviet player. He wasn’t very fast on his skates, and he didn’t have the soft hands of his teammates, but he was strong on the puck and good around the net. Liked the smaller rinks where his style fit in well. Drafted by Minnesota back in the days.
National team stats: 243-107-95-202
Honorable mentions to Vladimir Golikov, Viktor Polupanov, Sergei Shepelev and Viktor Yakushev. Most of Sergei Fedorov’s career came after the Soviet era, so I do not have him on the list.
