Vyacheslav Fetisov

Viacheslav (Slava) Alexandrovich Fetisov, born April 20, 1958, in Moscow, Soviet Union now Russia) was the Minister of Sport in Russia in 2002-2008, is the current member of the upper house of the Federal Assembly of Russia, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Kontinental Hockey League, chair of the World Anti-Doping Agency Athletes Committee, and a former ice hockey defenseman, considered one of the best defensemen of all time, a long-time captain for the Soviet Union national team. He was voted one of six players to the International Ice Hockey Federation's (International Ice Hockey Federation) Team of the Century in a poll conducted by a group of 56 experts from 16 countries, receiving the most votes out of all players.

With Igor Larionov, he was instrumental in breaking the barrier that stopped Soviet players from joining the NHL. Fetisov was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001.

On the international stage, Fetisov is one of the most decorated players ever, winning two golds (1984, 1988) and one bronze (1980) in the Olympics, and seven golds (1978, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1990), one silver (1987), two bronzes (1985, 1991) in the World Championships, one Canada Cup in 1981, and Ice Hockey World Junior Championship in 1978. At the 2002 Olympics, he was head coach of the Russian national team, winning the bronze. Fetisov and team mate Igor Larionov, along with NHL defenseman Scott Niedermayer, are the only players to win the Stanley Cup, World Ice Hockey Champions, Ice Hockey at the Winter Olympics, World Ice Hockey Junior Championship, and Canada/World Cup Championship.

On the club level, Fetisov played for CSKA Moscow (1975–89), New Jersey Devils (1989–95) and Detroit Red Wings (1995–98). He won two Stanley Cups with Detroit (1997, 1998). After retiring as a player, Fetisov became an assistant coach with New Jersey (1999–2002), winning the Stanley Cup in 2000. In his heyday, many referred to Fetisov as the Russian Bobby Orr.

Fetisov was awarded Order of the Red Banner of Labour (1984).

On March 29, 2005, Fetisov joined the World Anti-Doping Agency's Athlete Committee as its inaugural chairman.

Following a private party on June 13, 1997, celebrating the Red Wings’ Stanley Cup triumph, Fetisov, along with teammate Vladimir Konstantinov and team masseur Sergei Mnatsakanov, hired a limousine to drive them home. The driver, Richard Gnida, whose license was suspended at the time for drunk driving, lost control of the limousine and hit a tree on the median of Woodward Avenue, in Birmingham, Michigan, a suburb north of Detroit. Konstantinov spent several weeks in a coma before finally pulling through. He also suffered from serious head injuries and paralysis, while Fetisov escaped with relatively minor injuries and was able to play the following season. Mnatsakanov sustained heavy head injuries and also spent some time in a coma. He has had a considerably more difficult recovery than Konstantinov. The driver was charged with and convicted of driving with a suspended license.