Vladimir Krutov "Fighting For His Life"

Concerning news out of Russia considering former Soviet hockey star Vladimir Krutov:

Former Russian hockey star Vladimir Krutov, who played one season in the NHL with the Vancouver Canucks, is in intensive care at a Moscow hospital and doctors are “fighting for his life,” according to a report on the Voice of Russia website.


Krutov, 52, fell ill on Sunday and was taken to hospital where doctors found internal bleeding in the stomach area, a condition known at gastrorrhagia. The website reported that Dmitry Shaposhnikov, CEO of an organization called "Hockey Legends," said Krutov's condition was poor. The report said Krutov was in a drug-induced coma.


Krutov's wife, Nina, told the Sovietski Sport newspaper that her husband “began to feel sick” on Sunday and asked her to call an ambulance.

Krutov's failed NHL career, due largely to his weight and lack of conditioning, ruined his legacy. In the 1980s he was one of the best players on the planet. He starred on the KLM Line with Igor Larionov and Sergei Makarov. Objectively watch some of his play in the 1987 Canada Cup and you will agree he was a truly remarkable player.