Professional Hockey Player. A native of Moscow, Russia, Kharlamov was considered one of the greatest masters of the game of hockey. Although small in size, he was a star ice hockey player with CSKA Moscow (1967 to 1981), Russian National Team (1969 to 1970), and the Soviet Union All-Stars (1972 to 1973), who combined speed, rapid acceleration, and superb stick handling ability together with creative and unpredictable moves that kept the opposition perpetually off balance. He began playing hockey as a young boy, and by the age of 20, he had joined the team of CSKA Moscow. In 1971, Kharlamov was awarded the Best Sniper Award for his goal scoring ability, and he was then named to the Soviet Union All-Star Team. He went onto gain international stardom when he led the Soviet National Team to winning the Gold medal at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan. Kharlamov gained more fame during the 1972 Summit Series along with teammate Vladislav Tretiak, when the Russians played Team Canada at Montreal, Quebec. During game one of the eight game international series, he astonished Canadian fans and their star hockey team with his explosive speed, agility, and goal scoring ability. Kharlamov who scored two goals during the game was voted the game's Most Valuable Player. Although he was injured after being slashed in the ankle by Philadelphia Flyers' Bobby Clarke during game six, he continued to play which led to more admiration. At the end of the series, several National Hockey League scouts wanted to recruit Kharlamov, but at the time no Soviet Union players were allowed to leave the Country due to the Cold War era. In 1973, Kharlamov remained a top Soviet hockey star, winning the World Championship for the next three years. In 1976, he attended the Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, and scored the team's winning goal, for which he won his second gold medal. Also that same year he was seriously injured in a car accident, but soon came back. In 1980, he participated in the Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, but his team lost to the Miracle on Ice American Team, but they won the silver medal. Kharlamov's total career highlights include 11 time winner of the USSR championship, 8 time winner of the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships, 2 time Winner of the Olympic Games Gold Medal, MVP USSR League for 1972, and 1973, USSR All-Stars for 1971 to 1976, and 1978, Scoring Champion in Goals in 1971, Scoring Champion in Points in 1972, Voted Best Forward at the 1976 World Championships, and the International Ice Hockey All Star for 1972, 1973, 1975, and 1976. On August 18, 1981, he played his final game with the Soviet Team against the Finnish National Team in Helsinki, Finland. On August 27, 1981, while travelling on a busy highway between Moscow, Russia, and St. Petersburg, Russia, Kharlamov and his wife Irina, were killed in a car accident. Khalarmov was just 33 years old. He was inducted posthumously into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame in 1998, and the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2005, along with Cam Neely and Murray Costello.