The 20 greatest Russian hockey players to star in the NHL

[post_page_title]Slava Fetisov 1990-1998[/post_page_title]
Slava Fetisov was already 31 years old when he arrived in the NHL as a re-entry, after he was drafted twice during the Cold War era. He was one of the first players in history to be allowed to play in the North American league after quitting the Red Army. He would play nine seasons in the NHL, recording 228 points in just 546 games played. During those nine seasons, Fetisov won two Stanley Cup Finals, in back-to-back seasons, 1996-97 and 1997-98, and retired while at the top of the league and became an assistant coach with the Devils (where he’d win a third ring in 2000). He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001 and is known for paving the way for Russian players in North America as well as organizing the Cup’s first trip to Russia.