Alexander Ragulin

Who was Alexander Ragulin?

Alexander Pavlovich "Rags" Ragulin was one of the best defensemen in Soviet ice hockey history, winning three Olympic gold medals and ten world titles.

Ragulin began training in ice hockey in 1957 with Khimik Voskrosensk. In 1962 he moved to CSKA Moscow and played with that team until retiring in 1973. With CSKA he won nine Soviet titles and five European Champions Cups. During his 13 years with the national team, Ragulin played 239 matches and scored 29 goals. Besides the Olympic and world titles, he won nine gold and three silver medals at the European Championships, and was selected as the best defenseman of the 1966 World Championships. In 1972 he played six out of eight games of the legendary Summit Series between Canada and Soviet Union. After retiring from competitions, Ragulin coached SKA Novosibirsk and worked with children at the CSKA Moscow sports school. He was inducted to the IIHF Hall of Fame in 1997 and in 2001 received the Olympic Order in Silver.