1988-89 Spartak Moscow Yuri Yashin Jersey

Founded back in 1925 as a physical culture and sports society of union workers in the Soviet Union, the Spartak Moscow Sports Society draws it's name from the famed gladiator Spartacus, a famous leader of Greek slaves in an uprising against the Romans.

The famous Spartak logo, with a Cyrillic "C",
which translates to English as an "S"

It was a many faceted society, with it's athletes eventually competing in gymnastics, track and field, basketball, boxing, skiing, figure skating, handball, speed skating, tennis and it's well known football club FC Spartak Moscow. It's hockey club, HC Spartak Moscow was formed in 1946. For their first seven seasons they competed in the Soviet Championship League, finishing second overall in only their second season with a 14-2-2 record.

A poor season in 1952-53 saw Spartak relegated to the second division of Soviet hockey for the 1953-54 season, but their stay was a short one, as they earned a promotion back to the top level in only their second try in 1954-55.

Once back in the top level, Spartak were there to stay for the next 46 years. After six seasons of generally moderate success, Spartak put together a dominating season in 1961-62 when they tore through the league with a 31-4-3 record on their way to their first Soviet League Championship.

The 1962 Soviet champions Spartak Moscow

That title signified Spartak's arrival as one of the "big four" of Soviet Hockey, along with Central Red Army (CSKA), Dynamo Moscow and Soviet Wings, with the difference being their popularity, as Central Red Army was the sporting club of the Soviet Army, Dynamo being sponsored by the KGB and Wings being affiliated with the Soviet Air Force, while Spartak was the club of the working people. Those four clubs would combine to win 43 out of 46 Soviet Championship League titles between 1947 and 1992.

With the stringent rules regarding freedom of speech, particularly when it came to criticism of the government in general and the ruling Communist Party in particular, supporting Spartak was one of the very few times the citizens of the Soviet Union could openly cheer in public against the oppressive government which controlled so many aspects of their lives.

Spartak's fans enthusiastically cheering on their club

Following their championship in 1962, Spartak would not finish outside the top four until 1977, a span of 15 seasons. Their second championship would arrive in 1967 after a spectacular 38-3-3 season, followed by a third in 1969.

The dominant Spartak Moscow championship team from 1967

In addition to their league championships, Spartak would win back to back Soviet Cups in 1970 and 1971, which was a season long knockout competition for clubs from various levels of play held concurrent to the Soviet League regular season.

Spartak Moscow's 1971 Soviet Cup winning team

Spartak also was competing in Europe at this time, winning the Ahearne Cup for three consecutive years in 1971, 1972 and 1973 as well as adding a Stars Cup in 1975.

Spartak again became Soviet champions in 1975-76, their fourth and final Soviet championship. They would suffer their first losing record since 1960 when they went 14-18-4 in 1978, but quickly returned to form for the next decade, which saw them compete in the Super Series in 1978 against five NHL clubs, winning three against the Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Blues and Atlanta Flames.

Spartak's fourth championship team in 1976

The club would also capture the prestigious Spengler Cup five times in 11 years, with those coming in 1980, 1981, 1985, 1989 and 1990 while defeating clubs from Czechoslovakia, Switzerland, Canada and Sweden. During this time period Spartak would also host the Washington Capitals in 1989 and the Minnesota North Stars in 1990.

The game program from Spartak vs. Minnesota in 1990

The Soviet Union would cease to exist in late 1991, which threw the world of Russian hockey into a period of transition and turmoil, as the teams attempted to form new leagues, which were somewhat evolutionary for a period of time. Still, it was the same core group of traditional clubs competing against each other regardless of the name of the league, which

was known as the CIS Championship in 1991-92, the International Hockey League from 1992 to 1996 and the Russian Hockey League/Russian Superleague from 1996-97 to 2007-08.

After a pair of third place finishes in the post-Soviet era, Spartak began a downward slide to 8th in 1994, 9th in 1995, 14th in 1996 and 17th in 1997. They rebounded with a 9th place finish only to bottom out with a 19th place finish in 1998-99, which saw them relegated for the first time since 1953.

On their second try in the Vyssshaya Liga, Spartak won the league championship in 2000-01, and were promoted back into the Russian Superleague. During their first season back they managed to avoid relegation with an 11th place finish, but a 15th place finish the following season saw them back in the Vysshaya Liga once more.

A first place finish in the Western Conference earned them a top seed in the playoffs, and the cruised to the playoff finals with a 9-1 record. Although they lost in the finals, it was enough to gain a promotion back to the RSL once again.

They played another two seasons in the Superleague, but their financial situation was worsening. Businessman Vadim Melkov agreed to help the club secure the much needed sponsorship, but any arrangements which were in the works died along with Melkov when he was killed in a plane crash in July of 2006. After attempting to improve their situation, it was decided by team management to sit out the 2006-07 season.

Fortunately, the club returned to the ice for the 2007-08 season, the final one for the RSL, as a new league was on the horizon, promising better times ahead.

That new league was the Kontinental Hockey League, which began play in the 2008-09 season with Spartak Moscow being placed in the Bobrov Division, where they finished third out of six clubs, qualifying for the postseason, where they would win their first playoff round.

In 2009-10, Spartak posted their third consecutive winning record in the KHL and again came third in the reconfigured Bobrov Division, again winning their opening round playoff series. 2010-11 was yet another third place in the division and a return to the playoffs.

In their most recent season, Spartak finished below .500 and missed the playoffs for the first time as a member of the KHL with a ninth place finish in their conference, where eight teams would advance to the post season.

While their days as one of the "Big Four" seem behind them, they have rebounded from the brink of extinction to carry on their legacy as the team that was once the most popular club in the nation.

Notable players to have skated for Spartak during their over 65 year history include former NHLers Stefan Ruzicka, Danny Markov, Alexander Selivanov, Vitali Prokhorov and Nikolai Borschevsky. Spartak made headlines in 2010 when they signed legendary 45 year old goaltender Dominik Hasek, who played the final of his 31 seasons with the club.

The best known Spartak alumnus is current NHL star Ilya Kovalchuk, who played for Spartak during the 1999-00 and 2000-01 seasons, which was highlighted by his 18 points in 12 playoff games as Spartak won the Vyssshaya Liga playoff championship to earn promotion back to the Russian Superleague before he joined the Atlanta Thrashers of the NHL the following season.

Ilya Kovalchuk while with Spartak in 2000-01

Today's featured jersey is a 1988-89 Spartak Moscow Yuri Yashin jersey from the season of their fourth of five Spengler Cup victories. Yashin was a defenseman with Spartak from 1987-88 through 1992-93. After one season in Sweden, he returned to Spartak for 1994-95 and go on to play three more seasons in Russia before his career came to a close.

This jersey is a prime example of late Soviet-era jerseys, constructed of a mid-weight mesh material with heavy white silk screening of the name, numbers and stripes, with only the white of the shoulders being a separate white fabric sewn into the jersey.

The jersey also has some interesting design features, such as the fonts for the sleeve numbers not matching the ones on the front and back and the uphill angle for the sash on the front which contains the team name, which runs uphill counter to the traditional style employed by most clubs.

Being game used, it also possesses the unique "funk" of a game worn Soviet jersey, which we recommend keeping far away from your better half!

Today's video segment begins with fantastic footage of Spartak Moscow winning their first championship in 1962.

Here is a look at the dominant Spartak Moscow club from 1967. Don't miss the brief appearance of the metal water jug on the bench.

Next, a look at the championship team from 1976. Apparently color film had not arrived in the Soviet Union in the mid-1970's!

Finally, a look at the modern Spartak Moscow with a preview of the 2010-11 season, capturing the excitement of the current day club and it's fans.

1991-92 Spartak Moscow Nikolai Borschevsky Jersey

Born on this date in 1965, Nikolai Borschevsky began his professional career with Dynamo Moscow in 1983-84. During that season Borschevsky took a break from Dynamo to compete in the World Junior Tournament where he excelled offensively, scoring 13 points in seven games as the Soviet Union earned a gold medal.

He played for Dynamo six seasons with a high of 11 goals and 18 points in 1987-88. For the 1989-90 season Borschevsky became a member of Spartak Moscow where he took on a much greater offensive role. He set a Russian League high of 42 points during his first season with Spartak and his goal totals jumped to 17, 19 and then 22 in 1991-92.

He also competed for the Unified Team of former Soviet states at the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, France, scoring seven goals and nine points in eight games for third in team scoring as the Unified Team won the gold medal.

Three months later Borschevsky took part in the World Championships for the Confederation of Independent States, again another team made up of former Soviet states during the unsettled time of the break up of the Soviet Union.

The rise in his offensive game, as well as his performance on the world stage at the Olympics, led to his being drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs at the 1992 NHL Entry Draft.

He introduced himself to the NHL in 1992-93 with 34 goals and 74 points in 78 games (good for second place on the Maple Leafs in scoring), as well as scoring the Game 7 overtime goal in Toronto's playoff series against the Detroit Red Wings.

Two seasons later with the NHL on strike, Borschevsky returned to Spartak during the work stoppage before returning to the Maple Leafs when the league restarted in early 1995. After being limited to 19 games due to injuries, the Maple Leafs traded Borschevsky to the Calgary Flames, his third team of the season.

The following season he signed with the Dallas Stars as a free agent, but once more injuries limited him to just 12 games. Once recovered, Borschevsky joined the Cologne Sharks of the German DEL. While he only played in eight regular season games, he was a playoff contributor as the Sharks captured the DEL playoff championship.

Borschevsky returned to Spartak for the 1996-97 season and put the injuries behind him as he captured the Russian Super League scoring championship with 44 points in 42 games. He returned to Spartak for one final season before retiring at the end of the 1997-98 season.

He played 15 seasons, four in the NHL, scoring 49 goals and 122 points. Additionally he won a Russian Super League scoring title and gold medals at both the World Juniors and the Olympics.

Today's featured jersey is a 1991-92 Spartak Moscow Nikolai Borschevsky jersey. Spartak was founded in 1946 and won the Soviet League championship four times between 1962 and 1976 as well as the Spengler Cup five times between 1980 and 1990. The club was also Soviet League runners up 11 times.

Today's video highlight is Borschevsky's overtime series winner in 1993 against the Red Wings and his eloquent interview following the game.

Here is a look at Borschevky's time with Toronto from a broadcast from the Atlant Moscow club he later became head coach of.

2000-01 Spartak Moscow Ilya Kovalchuk Jersey

It was on this date that the Atlanta Thrashers selected Ilya Kovalchuk with the first pick of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, making him the first Russian ever chosen first overall.

The first Russian ever drafted by an NHL team was Viktor Khatulev, who was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the ninth round, 160th overall, of the 1976 NHL Amateur Draft. He never even learned he was drafted until 1978 and never had the chance to play in North America. He was eventually banned for life from the Soviet hockey league in 1981 for hitting a referee during a fight with another player.

The first Russain in to play in the NHL was Sergei Priakin, the first Soviet player granted permission to do so. Priakin, already a nine year veteran in the Soviet League, lined up for two games for the Calgary Flames at the end of the 1988-89 season after the conclusion of Soviet League season. He was carefully chosen by the Soviet authorities at the time. He was good enough to play in the NHL, but not so good that they could not afford to lose him from the national team. He would represent Soviet hockey and at the same time be used to dangle the carrot of possibly being allowed to play in the NHL in front of the other Soviet players back home. Priakin would play an additional 44 games over the next two seasons for the Flames, before moving back to Europe where he would continue to play another nine seasons in the Swiss, Russain, Finnish and even the Japanese leagues.

Other early Soviet players in the NHL included Viacheslav Fetisov, Igor Larionov and Valdimir Krutov, the first true Soviet stars to fight for the opportunity to play in the NHL. While Krutov did not pan out as an NHLer, Fetisov and Larionov would go onto win the Stanley Cup five times between the two of them, all with the Detroit Red Wings.

Sergei Makarov would also compete in the NHL, and well enough to inspire a rule change. He was named the Calder Trophy winner, given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the NHL" at the age of 31. The rules for eligibility were were changed so that only players 26 or younger now qualify for the award.

While Fetisov, Larionov and Krutov would be granted permission to play in the NHL, others would take a different route. Both Alexander Mogilny and Sergei Fedorov would defect in order to play in North America. Both chose the year of their escape from the Soviet Union as their jersey numbers, with Mogilny taking #89 and Fedorov #91.

Mogilny would become the first Russian to lead the NHL in goals and reach the 100 point plateau in 1992-93, the year of his amazing 76 goal season, which still stands as the record for most goals in a single season by a Russian player. He would later become not only the first Russian, but the first European of any nationality, to captain an NHL team in 1993-94 with the Buffalo Sabres.

Fedorov would become the first Russian to capture the Hart Trophy, the Selke Trophy and the Pearson Award. He is currently the all-time leading Russian scorer in NHL history with 1179 points.

Prior to Kovalchuk being selected first overall, the three highest drafted Russians were Alexi Yashin, selected by the Ottawa Senators (1992), Oleg Tverdovsky by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1994) and Andrei Zyuzin by the San Jose Sharks (1996), all of whom were selected with the #2 pick overall.

A significant event in the acceptance of Russian players by the North American hockey community was the 1989 election to the Hockey Hall of Fame of long-time Soviet National Team goaltender Vladislav Tretiak, the first European born player without any NHL experience and the first Russian player ever elected to the Hall.

When the New York Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1994, Sergei Nemchinov, Alexander Karpovtsev, Alexi Kovalev (the first Russian taken in the first round of the draft at #15 overall) and Sergei Zubov became the first Russians to have their names engraved on the Stanley Cup.

Just this year Evgeni Malkin became the first Russian to win the Conn Smythe Trophy.

Today's featured jersey is a Lutch 2000-01 Spartak Moscow Ilya Kovalchuk jersey. Spartak was the team Kovalchuk last played for in Russia before being drafted first overall. The team name across the waist is in Cyrillic as is the city name and Kovalchuk's name on the back. The jersey is dye-sublimated, as are most good quality authentic Russian jerseys.

It's been explained to me that Spartak (named for "Spartacus" the gladiator) was very popular with the Soviet citizens due to the fact that the Spartak hockey and soccer teams were part of the Spartak Moscow sports society, a physical culture and sports society of the workers, compared to rivals Dynamo Moscow, the sporting arm of the Soviet secret police, the KGB, and Central Red Army, the sports club of the Soviet Army. This made Spartak "the people's club" and cheering for them at games was the one chance Soviet fans had to cheer openly against the government in public without fear of reprisals.