Top 30 most influential people in Russian hockey

30. Gennady Velichkin, head of KHL disciplinary committee.

He was the face behind Metallurg Magnitogorsk’s rise from a lower-division team in the Soviet era to the most successful Russian club in the post-Soviet era. After managing the club for 18 years, Velichkin was released as the General Director to move into politics. His parting gesture to the club was the signing of Russian legend Sergey Fedorov – a target of his for many years.

29. Ilya Kochevrin, Commerce and Communications Vice-President in the KHL.

Kochevrin became involved in hockey fairly recently, but has since assumed a key role in all aspects of hockey marketing and promotion in Russia and Eastern Europe.

28. Sergey Paremuzov, agent.

President of hockey agents union in Russia and chief of statistics agency Global Sport Consulting, Paremuzov is one of the most prominent agents the region. He was one of the forces that initiated negotiations with the KHL about formulating a professional agreement that gave Russian hockey players certain rights and privileges.

27. Andrey Kovalenko, head of Professional Hockey Players Union in Russia.

A well-known and respected figure, in the media as well as among the players, who claim that Kovalenko is ready to talk to them about their issues 24 hours a day.

26. Mikhail Tyurkin, Dynamo president, member of the KHL board of directors, Lieutenant General of the Russian police force.

Tyurkin fell on the wrong side of the of the fans when he united two «military» clubs, Dynamo and HC MVD, but soon made up for this by bringing the club’s finances in order. Very media-friendly and internet savvy, despite his links to the military.

25. Valery Postnikov, Metallurg Magnitogorsk GM and KHL board member.

The godfather of hockey in the Urals and a key figure in «Magnitka».

24. Viktor Tikhonov, honorary president of CSKA, ice-hockey legend.

Well into his 80s, Tikhonov is a legendary hockey coach and one of the most long-lasting figures in Russian hockey. A great man.

23. Oleg Gross, Salavat Yulaev GM.

One of the architects of Ufa’s first championship title. A smart and efficient manager, he succeeded where many others have failed: he brought Alexander Radulov back to the KHL.

22. Ravil Shavaleyev, Ak Bars vice-president.

The man who created the title-winning Ak Bars team, the former SK defender has been likened to Vladimir Putin by SI reporters for his charismatic and uncompromising style. Shavaleyev not only helped the Kazan club achieve success, but also worked tirelessly to build the Ak Bars’s incredible infrastructure, including the training complex and the impressive youth academy. He is also a local MP for the ruling party United Russia and assistant executive at local oil company Tatneft.

21. Alexander Radulov, Salavat Yulaev and Russia forward.

«The best player outside the NHL», according to Nashville GM David Poile, Radulov is the face of Russian hockey. He is a prominent public figure, appearing on TV, in advertising and even in Twitter. He causes as much controversy as he draws admiration with his flamboyant behaviour and lifestyle.

20. Vladimir Saraev, KHL vice-president, Corporate and Law director.

For many years Saraev has been a faithful servant to Avangard Omsk, keeping the club out of legal troubles where possible and minimising the damage, when damage was unavoidable. After leaving the club in somewhat mysterious circumstances, he moved to the KHL, where his role is essentially the same.

19. Shumi Babaev, agent.

One of the most respected agents in the business, very bold and outspoken. Babaev’s authority among the players is unquestionable and teams value him for his fast and efficient methods that allow clubs to find the necessary players in a short time period.

18. Aleksandr Polyakov, Head of the KHL Refereeing and Competitions Department.

Has been impressive in his role since day one through his willingness to talk to the press and thorough and meticulous work in the refereeing department. He has the final word in most refereeing controversies and decisions.

17. Valery Shantsev, governor of the Nizhniy Novgorod region.

A significant figure in Russian politics and hockey. In the 90s Shantcev was director of commerce at Dynamo, but even after becoming the vice-mayor of Moscow he continued to look after the club, leading them to two gold and two silver league medals. After moving to Nizhniy Novgorod he revitalised Torpedo and is currently working on the project for the club’s new arena.

16. Rashid Nurgaliev, Russian internal affairs minister, Dynamo Board of Trustees member.

A prominent and influential politician, Nurgaliev is naturally a fan of the former police affiliate Dynamo. He is not only actively involved in the day-to-day affairs at the club, but also like to occasionally put on skates and gloves himself.

15. Boris Gromov, the governor of Moscow oblast.

A prominent Russian military and political figure, Gromov initiated the construction of a world-class arena in Mytischi, watched over the rise and fall of Khimki HC and founded Atlant – a club that has been kept afloat through rather controversial schemes.

14. Mikhail Yurevich, governor of Chelyabinsk region

The local official has taken hockey in the region under his wing, starting from the return of current Tractor head coach Valery Belousov, whom Yurevich brought in personally. The governor is taking the development of this club one step at a time, but the progress is visible already – represented by the decision to host the KHL All-Star match at the Tractor arena.

13. Murtaza Rakhimov, ex-president of the Bashkortostan Republic, head of the Ural charity fund.

A hugely respected figure in the Urals, he is the man who arranges the funding for hockey in the region. Regularly comes to the stadium to support his favourite club.

12. Sergey Naryshkin, Russian MP, chairman of the KHL Board of Trustees.

The politician tends to stay on the periphery of hockey business, but still commands a lot of authority in the sport. His influence was one of the crucial factors in finalising the creation of the KHL and now he continues to oversee the league, albeit from a distance.

11. Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals forward, top Russian hockey star.

The most famous Russian hockey player and one of the most recognisable names in the NHL, Ovechkin remains in the spotlight no matter what he does. Singlehandedly increased the attendance figures in Caps’ arena and was rewarded with a lucrative long-term deal at the NHL club.

10. Zinetula Bilyaletdinov, Russia national team coach.

The legendary defender and former Ak Bars boss was reluctant to leave the club, but could not resist his nation’s call. Since replacing Bykov at the helm of the national team Bilyaletdinov has been subject to some criticism, but followed up on his promises by introducing younger players into the team. Will undoubtedly lead Russia into the Sochi Olympics.

9. Vyacheslav Fetisov, former chairman of KHL board of directors, Russian hockey legend.

Many predicted the legendary defender, would one day make a great coach, but somewhere his career took a turn and he moved into the office. He had achieved certain success in his administrative duties as the KHL chairman, but a few weeks he resigned from the position in controversial circumstances. Still, he remains a key figure in Russian sport.

8. Vladimir Shalaev, KHL vice-president

Shalaev started off as head of the legal department at Torpedo Yaroslavl but swiftly moved up the ladder, first taking the role of vice-president in the PHL and the, after it was dissolved, in the KHL. He is the man on call to deal with the most difficult and controversial cases in Russian hockey, such as the Ak bars vs Zinoviev scandal. Firm believer in the idea that hockey has to be financially self-sustaining, which may be a little far off at the moment.

7. Leonid Polezhaev, governor of the Omsk region

Since the early 00s the governor has been heavily invested in the life of Avangard, helping to raise the club from mediocrity to the world-renowned status it hold now. Know all the ins and outs of the Omsk club, and is willing to offer his help and support when it is need (such as the transfer of Jaromir Jagr).

6. Yury Yakovlev, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl president.

Yakovlev is not just a club president – he wields power in all of Russian hockey. Some see him as the puppet master behind the scenes of the KHL, but in reality he is just an excellent manager, whose expert understanding of hockey affairs is appreciated by anyone connected to the sport. The first man to even mention the word «lock-out» in the context of the KHL.

5. Viktor Rashnikov, owner of the ironworks factory in Magnitogorsk, KHL boardmemeber.

Rashnikov is one of the biggest businessmen in the country and the main figure in the Magnitogosrk steel industry, who, similarly to Polezhaev in Omsk, is tightly involved in the life of the local hockey team. His main involvement tends to focus on general strategic planning and investment into the club, but is not limited by it: he also has a hand in the selection process, having helped to bring Sergey Fedorov back from the NHL.

4. Shafagat Takhautdinov, Ak Bars president, head of Tatneft, KHL boardmember

Ak Bars’s main investor and a man from the «big league». He is the executive director of one of the biggest oil-producing companies in the land, but still has time to take excellent care of the Kazan team. The architect behind the development of the best club infrastructure in all of Europe.

3. Aleksander Medvedev, KHL President.

Russian president’s namesake is also the current Deputy Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Russian energy company Gazprom and the Director-General of Gazprom’s export arm Gazprom Export. If this is not enough to impress you, then perhaps his 2007 initiative to create «a new league», which eventually became know as the KHL, shows how powerful this man is.

2. Vladislav Tretiak, president of the Ice Hockey Federation of Russia.

The most authoritative figure with a hockey history in Russia. The legendary Soviet goaltender acts as a mediator between two main ruling bodies – KHL and IHFR. His influence and reputation allow him bring about changes into Russian hockey that no one else could. He was the one, who demanded Russia’s participation in the Euro Hockey Tours, he called for the breaks in the national championship, he introduced the restrictions on foreign players. Ultimately, his persistence led to Bilyaletdinov’s appointment at the helm of the national team.

1. Vladimir Putin, Russian Prime Minister and presidential candidate

The man behind it all. He appointed Tretiak as president of IHFR, his support allowed former Russia coach Bykov to hold two jobs simultaneously, he found the struggling CSKA Moscow a new sponsor, and he first came up with the concept of the KHL. When he puts on his skates and comes out on the ice, you start to wonder – did he come up with the idea of hockey itself?