Legendary Soviet ice hockey coach Tikhonov dies

MOSCOW: Legendary Soviet ice hockey coach Viktor Tikhonov, who led his team to three Olympic gold medals but also oversaw the shock "Miracle on Ice" defeat to the US, has died at the age of 84, the Russian Ice Hockey Federation said on Monday.
"Last night, Russian hockey and all Russian sport suffered an irreplaceable loss -- the legendary trainer and famed hockey player Viktor Tikhonov passed away," the federation said in a statement.
Reports said Tikhonov was hospitalised at the end of October and had been unable to walk without assistance.
Russian President Vladimir Putin presented his condolences to Tikhonov's family, the Kremlin said.
As a coach, Tikhonov led the Soviet national side to gold at the 1984, 1988 and 1992 Olympics and victory at eight world championships in 1978, 1979, 1981-83, 1986, 1989 and 1990.
He was also the coach during the USSR's most painful hockey defeat, during the 1980 Lake Placid Olympic Games, when the dominant Soviets lost to their Cold War rivals the United States in a shock defeat that became known as the "Miracle on Ice."
The game saw the heavily-favored Soviets -- having won four previous consecutive gold Olympic medals and having crushed the Americans just three days before during an exhibition match -- lose to an underdog US team mostly made up of college amateurs after Tikhonov in a surprise move replaced experienced goalkeeper Vladislav Tretiak at the end of the first period.
As a coach, Tikhonov also won the Challenge Cup in 1979 and Canada Cup in 1981 with the Soviet national team.
As a player, Tikhonov won four Soviet titles in 1951-54.
Tikhonov also led CSKA Moscow team to 13 consecutive Soviet titles between 1977 and 1989.
The Continental Hockey League (KHL) management announced it would start all 10 league matches on Monday with a minute of silence in memory of the great coach.