Viacheslav Fetisov served as captain of both the National Team and of the Central Army squad. Fetisov was named as the top defenseman at the European Junior Hockey Championships in 1976 and achieved the same honor at the 1978 World Junior Championships along with a berth on the tournament All-Star team. Viacheslav was a nine-time All-Star and five-time winner of the best defenseman award at the senior World Championships. He also played on a total of nine Olympic and World Championship teams during his international hockey career.

After the 1989 Worlds the Soviet Union hockey powers proclaimed that they would be going into a rebuilding phase and veteran players such as Fetisov were free to join the NHL.

In 1989, at age 31, Fetisov finally began his NHL career as an element of the New Jersey Devils. Fetisov would go on to play for nine years in the NHL, including his final three in Detroit. While with the Red Wings, Fetisov participated in the 1997 and 1998 All-Star games, and earned two Stanley Cup rings in 1997 and 1998. After that first title, Fetisov organized the Cup's first visit to Russia.

Fetisov retired to accept a position with the Devils as an assistant coach. He earned his third Cup ring following New Jersey's championship in 2000. Viacheslav Fetisov was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001.

Hockey