Alexander Ragulin

Alexander Pavlovich Ragulin (Russian: Александр Павлович Рагулин; 5 May 1941 – 17 November 2004) was a Russian ice hockey player widely regarded as one of the greatest defensemen in Soviet hockey history. Over his illustrious career, he captured three Olympic gold medals and ten World Championship titles. In recognition of his achievements, he was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 1997 and was awarded the Olympic Order in Silver in 2001.

Ragulin began his ice hockey career in 1957, training and playing alongside his brothers Anatoly and Mikhail at Khimik Voskresensk. In 1962, he joined the elite CSKA Moscow club, where he remained until his retirement in 1973. During his time with CSKA, he captured nine Soviet league championships (1963–66, 1968, 1970–73) and secured five consecutive European Champions Cups from 1969 to 1973. Representing the Soviet national team for 13 years, Ragulin appeared in 239 games and tallied 29 goals. In addition to his Olympic and World Championship victories, he claimed nine European Championship gold medals (1963–70, 1973) and three silver medals (1961, 1971, 1972), and was honored as the top defenseman at the 1966 World Championships. Notably, he played in six of the eight games in the 1972 Summit Series against Canada. After retiring as a player, Ragulin coached SKA Novosibirsk and worked with youth players at the CSKA Moscow sports school. His contributions to the sport were recognized with his induction into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 1997 and the awarding of the Olympic Order in Silver in 2001.