On this day Nikolay Puchkov, the Olympic champion, two-time world championship gold medalist, multiple USSR champion on CSKA team, and legendary CSKA goalie, was born.
Nikolai Georgievich came to hockey at the age of 21. It caused some difficulties, but great persistence and diligence of the future goalie of the USSR national team combined with good athletic form allowed Puchkov to reach unprecedented heights.
He came to hockey from football (before that he was engaged in volleyball and basketball). Moreover, originally the future goalie performed a completely different role - he was an attacker. After he tried his hand at goal, he realized his place was in the last line of defense. He proved it more than once.
He was a player of steel character: in the 50's there were no masks, helmets, the hockey players hit the ice without gloves, so the hands were constantly bruised, they played on the open ice even in such a frost when the rubber puck turned to stone. But all that didn't matter to Puchkov.
He made his debut for the national team at the 1954 World Championship in Sweden, having won the gold there. Then as a member of the national team he went to the Olympics-56 and together with his partners brought the country its first Olympic victory in hockey.
He protected the gates of teams of Air Force (1950-1953), CDKA, CSKA (1953-1962), SKA (1963-1964) and the USSR national team (1954-1960).
After his sports career Nikolai Georgievich worked as a coach.
In 1969, Nikolai Puchkov was appointed the head coach of the Soviet Union national team, and in 1972, together with Vsevolod Bobrov, he headed the USSR national team at the World Championship in Prague.
Nikolay Georgievich Puchkov
(January 30, 1930 - August 8, 2005).
Olympic champion - 1956. Bronze medalist of the 1960 Winter Olympics.
World champion - 1954, 1956. Silver medalist - 1955, 1957-1959. Bronze medalist in 1960. As a member of the USSR national team, he played 38 games in the World Championships and Olympic Games.
Best goalie of the World Championship-1959.
The champion of the USSR-1951-1953, 1955, 1956, 1958-1961; second prize winner of the USSR championships-1954, 1957, third prize winner in 1962. He played 220 games in the USSR championships.
USSR Cup winner-1952, 1954-1956, 1961, finalist of the Cup of the USSR-1951.
He was awarded two Orders of Honor.
He was inducted into the National Hockey Hall of Fame.
