Viktor Kuzkin
Team USSR # 4

By the time of the Summit'72, Victor Kuzkin was considered a veteran of Soviet hockey. He was an experienced defenseman with 3 Olympic gold medals won by Team USSR. Kuzkin began his hockey career as a center forward which helped him to become a successful scoring blueliner with a slick puck handling and skating skills. He became famous for his strong positional hockey skills and ability to lead his team in following the tactical game plan. The Soviet defense pair Kuzkin - Davydov was arguably one of the best in the Soviet hockey history. After retiring from hockey, Kuzkin became one of the CSKA's coaches and led the team to several national championships.

CAREER HIGHLIGTS:

• Played in the following clubs of the USSR Elite League: CSKA
• USSR Gold (13): 1959-1961, 1963-1966, 1968, 1970-1973, 1975
• WC Gold: 1963-1969
• Olympics Gold: 1964, 1968, 1972
• National Awards:
  USSR All Stars 1965, 1971
  Merited Sports Master (USSR ZMS) 1963

PERFORMANCE IN THE 1972 SUMMIT

"Kuzkin began to play for the national team in the early 1960's. He played in and won all the international tournaments. But even for such an experienced veteran., this series was extraordinary. Kuzkin, the legend, had to face the legendary hockey players from Canada. It was a new challenge for him. "

Sergei Shmitko, FiS

Game-by-Game Performance: Scoring

Game-by-Game Performance: Penalty History