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Viktor Tikhonov

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Hockey Coach

The Resume

    (June 4, 1930-November 24, 2014)
    Born in Moscow, Russia
    Defenseman for WS Moscow and Dynamo Moscow
    Coached the Army team, CSKA Moscow (1977-96), and the Soviet/Russian national team (1977-94)
    Led the Soviet national team to eight world championships (1978-79,1981-83,1986,1989-90) and three Olympic gold medals (1984,1988,1992)
    Inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame (1998)

Why he might be annoying:

    He became so used to winning that he seemed to have trouble adjusting when the Soviets failed to dominate a bunch of American college players at the Lake Placid Olympics (1980).
    Sports Illustrated called him 'the epitome of Russian hockey -- stoic and ruthless.'
    He kept players in barracks away from their families for eleven months a year and constantly interfered in their personal lives.
    He would cut players from the national team if he suspected they might defect while abroad.
    He made an unsuccessful return to coaching the Russian national team (2004).

Why he might not be annoying:

    Under his leadership, Soviet or Russian national teams won medals at every World Championship and Olympics until the 1994 Olympics.
    His players bonded together from the enforced togetherness and their hatred of him.
    His coaching style mellowed after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
    His son Vassily, also a hockey coach, died in a fall from his apartment window (2013).

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2022, Out of 6 Votes: 16.67% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 12 Votes: 91.67% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 7 Votes: 42.86% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 4 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 11 Votes: 90.91% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 103 Votes: 46.60% Annoying