The Russian Connection, Part 2: Igor, 'The Professor'

 From Foe to Favored Friend: Igor Nikolayevich Larionov (can I buy a vowel, Vanna?), born December 3rd, 1960. As part of his bio, he is listed as a sports agent and former professional hockey player. Known affectionately as 'The Professor', a moniker earned from his cerebral style of play and methodical approach to conditioning, Larionov was instrumental along with a few other Russians in breaking barriers which kept players who played for the Soviet Union (where many played as part of "The Red Army" hockey team) from jumping to the NHL. So, you might argue, among other accomplishments, Igor was an 'ice breaker'! 

Russian Invasion: Along with Sergei Federov, Vladimir Konstantinov, Slava Kozlov, and Slava Fetisov (always enjoyed hearing the TV or Joe Louis announcer articulate every syllable), Igor Larionov became forever embedded in every Detroit hockey fan's memory as being part of the "Russian Five", who were instrumental in bringing the Stanley Cup back to Detroit after a protracted hiatus. And, for some years after, allowed us around these parts to not only identify ourselves who lived in or near Detroit as hailing from '"Motown" or the "Motor City", but also "Hockeytown" (not so much lately, but we have newfound hope in the form of the return of Stevie Izerman, a former teammate of these guys). Can you imagine the rumors that would swirl if such a combination of 'Ruskies'  arrived close in time to any major city, all adorned by the dark glasses most of them wore during the Stanley Cup parade here? 

Working Overtime: Okay, so much for a lesson in geopolitics. In 2002, The Professor scored the triple overtime in the Stanley Cup playoffs, which was amazing not only because of the record breaking stat of the goal itself, but the mere fact he was keeping up with, if not setting the pace, so late in the game as the oldest player in the NHL at the time at 42! It was partly for this reason and the high level of respect from teammates and competitors, for always taking everything to the maximum on every shift he played, which gained his entry into the NHL Hall of Fame in 2008 (after which he served on the selection committee). The highly disciplined approach to both on/off season conditioning that allowed him to continue to keep up with the 'kids' became a focus of all fitness experts thereafter. A few years later, local and then more widely circulated articles featuring the late career conditioning of another oldest NHL Detroit player with a Detroit connection (Chris Chelios) gained attention, in part due to the less orthodox regimen of exercises (made necessary in part by his knees being a mess), including....paddle-boarding for core training--"Cool, dude!" 

Connecting the Dots: The 'Russian Connection' for today's pandemic circumstances, while not clear as ice at first glance, is nonetheless important. First of all, we need to be leery of the constantly swirling rumors and accusations, which occur at a higher level during both election cycles and dramatic events that seem to elude rhyme or reason (which are likely to persist for some time after the election, not exactly a profound or prescient prediction, eh?). Second, if we are to be prepared for the 'long haul' (do you feel like you're already in triple overtime?), to sustain our physical, mental, and even emotional stamina, we should pay attention to the successful conditioning of such enduring men and women (check out Diana Nyad's incredible accomplishments as a 'mature' woman as well). Finally, as I referenced in a previous post, extreme athletes such as Wim Hof ("The Iceman") have demonstrated the benefits of ice baths on our immune system. Now do you see the 'CONNECTION'?!