Held in Moscow over the weekend, the Cup of Legends saw the brightest stars of Soviet hockey, representing CSKA, Dynamo, Spartak and VVS, back on the ice on the eve of a great jubilee.
Held in Moscow over the weekend, the Cup of Legends saw the brightest stars of Soviet hockey, representing CSKA, Dynamo, Spartak and VVS, back on the ice on the eve of a great jubilee.
The first Soviet championships were held in 1946, with Dynamo Moscow claiming the first-ever domestic title and CSKA finishing second.
Sixty-five years later, the ice is still hot when it comes to this capital derby.
“It’s always been like that,” Aleksandr Mogilny, 1988 Olympic Champion, told RT. “Before the game we say like: ‘Oh, God! Dynamo again!’ I can remember this since I was kid. The Red Army against Dynamo was a huge rivalry. And it looks like we’ve shown it tonight. It was an exciting game.”
The Army Men opened the scoring with Igor Mishukov netting from an incredibly narrow angle, but Dynamo were quick to level matters, with Lev Berdichevsky cashing in to make it 1-1.
CSKA responded with a textbook powerplay goal and it was one of the greatest defensemen of all time, Vyacheslav Fetisov, giving his side the lead.
The hockey veterans presented the crowd with five more goals, setting the final score 4-4.
“It’s still a tough rivalry, with no excuses,” Vyacheslav Fetisov, two-time Olympic Champion, said. “Everybody fights to the end. This time around it was a draw and we’re all pleased. That’s the way we can recall good old times and check out how much we still have to offer.”
“It’s always nice when veterans get together and people organize tournaments like this,” Mogilny added. “It’s nice to see old friends. We play for the people who come to the stadium. Unfortunately, not too many fans over there, but I understand that. It’s still nice to see the guys and give them respect.”
Stars of the past proving they still have the star quality in the present, while the draw was enough for CSKA to become the Cup of Legends winners.