Vladimir Konstantinov
| Vladimir Konstantinov | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
March 19, 1967 Murmansk, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
| Weight | 176 lb (80 kg; 12 st 8 lb) | ||
| Position | Defense | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for |
USSR CSKA Moscow NHL Detroit Red Wings |
||
| National team |
 Soviet Union
|
||
| NHL Draft | 221st overall, 1989 Detroit Red Wings |
||
| Playing career | 1984–1997 | ||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Representing Soviet Union
|
||
| Men's ice hockey | ||
| World Championships | ||
 |
1986 Soviet Union | |
|
1989 Sweden | |
|
1990 Switzerland | |
 |
1991 Finland | |
| World Junior Championships | ||
|
1986 Canada | |
Vladimir Nikolaevich Konstantinov (Russian: Владимир Николаевич Константинов; born March 19, 1967) is a Russian-American retired professional ice hockey player who played his entire National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Detroit Red Wings. Previously, he had played for Soviet club CSKA Moscow. His career was ended in a limousine crash just six days after the Red Wings 1997 Stanley Cup victory.
Vladimir Konstantinov, known also as "Vladdie" and "Vlad the Impaler" (for his vicious hits), was drafted 221st overall in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings, after impressing a Red Wings scout at the 1987 World Junior Championships, where a brawl broke out in the USSR/Canada game. Scout Neil Smith remembers, "He was the only one of the Russians who fought back." Probably the most notable aspect of his hockey career was his aggressive style, specializing in getting opponents off their game. "For my game," he explained, "I don’t need to score the goal. I need someone to start thinking about me and forgetting about scoring goals." Konstantinov's aggressive style of play also earned him the nickname "Vladinator".
In the 1993-94 NHL regular season, he scored three short-handed goals to tie Raymond Bourque, Jyrki Lumme and Richard Smehlik for the league lead among defensemen.
He was also part of the unit known as "The Russian Five," which consisted of him and fellow defensemen Viacheslav Fetisov, and forwards Igor Larionov, Sergei Fedorov, and Vyacheslav Kozlov.
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