Vladislav Aleksandrovich Tretiak was a legendary Soviet ice hockey goaltender who helped the USSR team win multiple gold medals. He played for the Soviet Union national team from 1970 to 1984, establishing himself as one of the greatest goaltenders in international competition through his performances in the 1972 Summit Series and 1976 and 1984 Winter Olympics. After retiring in 1984, Tretiak became a goaltending coach and continued to contribute to the sport, including serving as president of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation from 2006 to 2014.

1. Vladislav Aleksandrovich Tretiak
is the greatest goalkeeper of the Soviet
Union's national ice hockey team.

2. Early
years
Tretiak was born April 25, 1952, the son of a physical
education teacher.
Like many children of his generation, he loved hockey and
at age 11 entered the Children and Youth Sports School of
the Central Sports Club of the Army (known by its Russian
abbreviation as TsSKA or CSKA). "I forgot all about my other
toys when I first saw that hockey stick. I pushed rocks
around in the backyard with it," says Vladislav.
A young Tretiak was admitted to the renowned Central
Red Army Sports Club, where he initially played forward
but, in the absence of forms for all players, volunteered to
be a goalkeeper. "When I was twelve, I received my first
serious injury," Tretiak recalls. "The puck hit me squarely
in the forehead. I didn't cry only because I was afraid that
I'd be kicked off the team. I had fallen in love with the
game so much that I was selflessly devoted to it."

3. International playing career
He was well known in the USSR by 1971, when he was named to
the Soviet Ice Hockey League's First All-Star Team. He also played
well in the 1972 Winter Olympics, in which the Soviets took the
gold medal.
Tretiak became internationally famous after his outstanding
performance in the Summit Series in 1972, when he helped
surprise the world, and more importantly, the Canadian team.
During the 1976 Super Series, Tretiak put on a dominant
performance against the Montreal Canadiens, holding them to a
3–3 tie despite his team being outshot 38–13.
Tretiak went on to star for the Soviet Union, helping them
win gold medals in the 1976 Winter Olympics, and again
winning gold in the 1984 Winter Olympics and the 1981
Canada Cup. Tretiak also back-stopped the Soviets to
ten IIHF World Championships victories and nine in
the IIHF European Championships.
Though he was only 32 in 1984 and still capable of playing
top-level hockey for many more years, Tretiak retired. It is
said that he wanted to spend more time with his family.

4. Records and honours
First All-Star in the Soviet League consecutively each year from 1971 until 1984. In those
fourteen years, Tretiak won thirteen league titles with the Red Army team, and was
named MVP of the league five times
In 1978, Tretiak was awarded the Order of Lenin
First player born and trained outside North America to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of
Fame; along with longtime teammate Valeri Kharlamov, one of only two Russian players in
the Hockey Hall of Fame in the players' category who played exclusively in Russia. In
addition, Tretiak and Kharlamov are the only two in the players' category who played their
entire careers behind the Iron Curtain. Tretiak is also the only such person to be so honored
while living.
When Sports Illustrated named its greatest hockey team ever in 2000, it chose Tretiak as the
goalie in a lineup that also included Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Hull, Gordie Howe,andBobby Orr.
Order For Merit to the Fatherland 4th class (Russian Federation)
Order of Honour (Russian Federation)
Order of Lenin (USSR)
Order of the Red Banner of Labour (USSR)
Order of Friendship of Peoples (USSR)
Order of the Badge of Honour (USSR)
Medal "For Labour Valour“ (USSR)
Jubilee Medal "60 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" (USSR)

5. Post retirement
Tretiak retired in 1984.
In 1990, Mike Keenan hired Tretiak as a goaltender
coach for the Chicago Blackhawks, which has allowed
him to coach some of the top goalies of the past 20
years, such as Ed Belfour, Dominik Hašek, and Jocelyn
Thibault. In 1987 Vladislav wrote an autobiography
titled "Tretiak-The Legend".
He was named to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1989, the first Soviet player to be so honored
and to be inducted as a player without having played a game in the NHL.
In 2000, he was voted Best Russian Hockey Player of the 20th century.
On 25 April 2006 (his 54th birthday), Tretiak was elected head of the Russian Ice Hockey
Federation, capping his rise to the pinnacle of the Russian hockey elite. He obtained 93
out of the possible 96 votes, with the remaining three voters abstaining.
He also runs a Goalie School at the Canlan Ice Sports in Toronto, Ontario. Called the
Vladislav Tretiak Elite School of Goaltending.
On 28 March 2007, Tretiak went to Ottawa to discuss with Canadian officials about the
possibilities of holding another Summit Series during the summer of 2007. Series was held
in September 2007 between the national junior teams of Canada and Russia.
On 21 December 2012 he voted in favor of “Dima Yakovlev Law” in Russian State Duma.
This legislation bars the adoption of Russian children by U.S. citizens.

6. His family
Tretiak's wife, Tatiana (born 1950), is
qualified as a Russian literature teacher,
although she no longer works. He has two
children, a son Dmitri (born 1973) who is a
dentist and a daughter Irina (born 1976) who
is a lawyer. Tretiak hopes that Dmitri’s son,
Maxim, born 1996, will follow in his
footsteps as a professional hockey player.

7. Vladislav Aleksandrovich Tretiak is one of
the best goalkeeper of our country and we
are proud of!!!