Russian Crushin'

I might as well not even try to hide this from you all, as I know it's going to come out through my posts sooner or later.  Welllll... I have a serious thing for Russian hockey players.  Serious.  I'm drawn to their style of play, as well as their somewhat goofy, "Eurasian" looks.

So!  For my own sanity, we're going to rank MY top five Russian cuties, but please keep in mind, they are not ranked on looks alone...  In fact mostly on how much I love them as players before looks, but looks do draw my eye? Well, I am a girl, so yes it does show it's face occasionally. Duh.

#5 Nikolai Zherdev

Definitely no secret that I think the guy is a whiz. I mean, he even has had his own tag on here! But I just got rid of it today because, alas, Zherdev landed in the East. But following the Wings obsessively, I saw a lot of the Jackets and Zherdev was always the one I was following. Not Nash, not Klesla.... Zherdev. I'm used to watching Datsyukian dekes and pickpockets all game long, so when this little Russian wearing #13 on a team with a long shot to make the playoffs can pickpocket Datsyuk (even if Dats steals it right back)... hell yeah I'm gonna watch! I know, I know, word is he doesn't have a good work ethic. But that was his raw talent shining through a veil of Hitchcockian smother. I honestly think - with no basis but my watching Wings/Jax games - that he was unhappy and unable to do what he was good at under pressure. I've already heard great things of his work ethic and skill come out of New York. Maybe that move was what he needed.

#4 Evgeni Malkin

Clearly, Malkin has skill. Clearly, he is on a really good team. Clearly, he's destined for a great career. But why do I love him? He can hold his own in stupid hockey politics, he knows what he wants, and of course, he has MAD skills. I can't write about him winning a cup in his second full season or going first overall his draft year, and I can't change his name to Sidney Crosby so Pens fans might actually see the real star of the team (I swear.), but I KNOW he's the best so that's all that matters. He's MY #4 in a list I couldn't make up my mind for order of 2-4! So basically they're interchangeable.

#3 Vyacheslav "Slava" Kozlov

It was so, so hard to put Kozzie at #3 here. He only got bumped from #2 because his fan favor and talent has dropped off some with age... and location. He's in Atlanta now (dang, ANOTHER Easterner!) but I ADORED Kozzie when he was with Detroit! I have a card from his second or third season hanging on my wall and it brings back amazing memories. He's one of the guys that I just can't pinpoint WHY I love him, but I do without a doubt in my mind. He wore #13 with Detroit, and now another favorite Russian of mine wears the same with the team... perhaps it's a good luck charm :)

#2 Alexander Ovechkin

This one is a no brainer. He's talented, has a great personality, and would be so damn cute if he would just take care of that unibrow! He and Mike Green are the reasons I love Washington so much (they're my Eastern team I root for). But really... great personality! Favorite example, besides the NHL commercial with him beating the vending machine to get chips? This:

Alex totally calls Mike Milbury a cat... and he's the dog that's going to rip the cat to bits! I about died laughing when I saw this during the Playoffs. Alex... you're the greatest :)

#1 Pavel Datsyuk

Pav is, without question, my favorite Russian. The Datsyukian Dekes are eyegasmic, his anger over teammates making noise to get the puck is adorable, and his humor, though hidden for a long time and only now starting to emerge, is crazy amazing! 

Ready for a list of things to watch on my boy?

Datsyuk's humor showing through at the NHL Awards Ceremony here.

Datsyuk's personality shining during an interrupted interview here.

Proving he isn't a wimpy, unphysical star here... and here.

Some of his greatest clips in a wonderful compilation here (check out that stick handling!).

That last one in particular. If you can watch that and NOT smile or be awed... you have NO heart and have NO idea what amazing hockey is. Really. 3:18 in? Crazy. Goalies just have to wet themselves when he breaks away without an opposing defender in front of him.

Bonus!! Igor Larionov

"The Professor" had to be included in this list, but I didn't kick anyone out of the ranking because I wanted to keep that current. Larionov was a key player in Russians coming to the NHL when their country didn't want them to leave, and he also beat down the negativity here when the Russians finally made it over here - he helped show that Russians could adapt to the North American game... and win (see: Wings back-to-back '96-'97/'97-'98). He was a member of the Russian Five, and after the Five was no longer, still played a key role with the team - he helped Pavel Datsyuk find his niche in Detroit and develop into the player he is today. The Professor was accepted into this year's Hall of Fame class, and it is WELL deserved.

Today, outside of hockey, Igor has his own wine company in California, IL Triple Overtime, his eldest daughter Alyonka was seen on Ovechkin's arm at the NHL Awards Ceremony, and both Alyonka and her younger sister Diana are pursuing singing careers. He's still prominent in hockey, but The Professor has settled into another life too, it would seem.

So there you have it! My list of beloved Russians. Unfortunately, I don't know that this... rank by country of birth... will show up again. I could certainly do Swedes and Canadians if I chose, but then the other prominent countries with players I know little about would be sad. So... Sweden, Canada, and maybe the Czech Republic could show up at some point, but I'm going to have to be really bored...