Summit Series Heroes: Vladimir Shadrin

Shadrin was second in team scoring, 4th overall in the tournament. He centered a line featuring Alexander Yakushev, perhaps CCCP's best player. His job was to set up the Big Yak. Yakushev emerged as a Soviet superstar in this series, and that, according to sports writer Yuri Lukashin is directly related to the play of his center - Shadrin

"The excellent performance of Alexander Yakushev can in part be attributed to Vladimir Shadrin. Aside from averaging one point a game, Shadrin was the best Soviet defensive forward in the series."

There is little doubt that most of the Soviet players from this 1972 team could have played in the NHL. Shadrin would have been an a star.