Alexander Pavlovich "Rags" Ragulin (Russian: Александр Павлович Рагулин; 5 May 1941 – 17 November 2004) was a Russian ice hockey player. He is considered one of the best defensemen in Soviet ice hockey history, winning three Olympic gold medals and ten world titles. He was inducted to the IIHF Hall of Fame in 1997, and received the Olympic Order in silver in 2001.
Playing career
Ragulin began training in ice hockey in 1957 with Khimik Voskresensk, where he played with his brothers Anatoly and Mikhail.[1] In 1962, he moved to powerhouse CSKA Moscow and played with that team until retiring in 1973. With CSKA he won nine Soviet titles (1963–66, 1968, 1970–73) and five European Champions Cups (1969–73). During his 13 years with the Soviet national team, Ragulin played 239 matches and scored 29 goals. Besides the Olympic and world titles, he won nine gold (1963–70 and 1973) and three silver medals (1961, 1971, 1972) at the European Championships, and was selected as the best defenseman of the 1966 World Championships. In 1972, he played six out of eight games of the Summit Series between Canada and the Soviet Union. After retiring from competitions, Ragulin coached SKA Novosibirsk and worked with children at the CSKA Moscow sports school.[2] He was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 1997, and in 2001 received the Olympic Order in Silver.[3]
