Toyota Sports Center

The Toyota Sports Center is proud to announce that the Igor Larionov International Youth Hockey Invitational Tournament will be held at our facility on May 22nd - 26th, 2008!

Birth Year Divisions

• 1999
• 1998
• 1997

Format

• 4 Games + Playoffs (5 games guaranted)
• Team Entry Fee - $1400
• 8 team per division (max)
• Invitation or approved application is required for a team to participate.

Registration Process

• All teams interested in participating must send a request via email to: jfushman@toyotasportscenter.com .
• Selected teams will be notified by email.
• Upon acceptance, teams/players will complete the online registration process.

Biography - Igor "the Professor" Larionov

Igor Larionov grew up in Voskresensk, a factory town not far from Moscow. Larionov was good enough to have made it to the local team Khimik at the age of 17. From 1977 to 1981 Igor played for his hometeam, scoring 73 points in 123 games. Larionov wanted to serve his two-year term in the army and return to play home, but Red Army coach Viktor Tikhonov did everything in his power to put Larionov on his team. In 1979 and 1980 Larionov was on the Soviet teams that won the World Junior Championship. As a member of the Red Army team for eight seasons, Larionov became one of the best Soviet players ever. He was the center of the famous KLM line with Vladimir Krutov and Sergei Makarov. Every year Larionov's CSKA was USSR's champion. During this span, Igor was a five-time all-star and in 1988 the Soviet Player of the Year. Larionov was also one of the best players in international tournaments. He won the gold medal at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics, and the World Championship in 1982, 1983, 1986, and 1989. In 1981 Igor helped the Soviet Union beat Canada for the Canada Cup.

Along with teammate Slava Fetisov, Larionov fought for the right to continue his hockey career in the NHL. Despite being drafted in 1985, Larionov was permitted to join the Vancouver Canucks only in 1989. In the NHL, his hockey sense and creativity were only second to Wayne Gretzky's. Igor spent three years in Vancouver, but due to contract problems between the Canucks and CSKA, Larionov left the NHL in 1992. He spent the next season playing for Lugano in Switzerland, collecting 29 points in 20 games. Igor learned some Italian in the process. In 1993 Larionov returned to the NHL, but this time to the San Jose Sharks. He played with Sergei Makarov again. In October 1995 Larionov was traded to the Detroit Red Wings and joined fellow Russians Sergei Fedorov, Slava Kozlov, Slava Fetisov and Vlad Konstantinov (aka the Russian Five). Their puck possesion style was unmatched by anyone in the NHL at that time.  To this date, skill and puck possesion are the hallmarks of the Detroit Redwing franchise.  Larionov played a big part in helping the Red Wings win the Stanley Cup in 1997 and 1998. With Kozlov and Fetisov, Igor brought the Stanley Cup for the first time to Russia.

He also brought it to his old hockey rink in Voskresensk. Larionov still played in international tournaments for Russia. He participated in the 1996 World Cup and a bronze at the 2002 Olympics. In 1998, Larionov played in the NHL all-star game. After a short stint with the Florida Panthers in 2000, he returned to Detroit. Igor won his third Stanley Cup in 2002, but refused to retire. He brought the Cup to Russia again.

On December 13, 2004, Larionov hosted his farewell game at Moscow's Luzhniki arena. The match pitted Team Russia (a mix of past and current Russian stars, incl. Larionov, Fetisov, Nabokov, Fedorov, Kovalchuk, etc.) versus Team World (Larionov's former Detroit and New Jersey teammates, incl. Shanahan, Yzerman, Osgood, Gomez, etc.) For the third period, Larionov and Steve Yzerman switched teams and Russia won the entertaining game 6-5. In the post-game celebration, Larionov was awarded the Order of Friendship by Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov. This was a memorable end to the legendary hockey career of one of the most highly respected human beings in sports.