Russian Five
The Russian Five was a group of five Russian professional ice hockey players who played for the Detroit Red Wings in the 1990s . The group consisted of Sergei Fjodorow (C), Igor Larionow (RF), Vyacheslav Koslow (LF), Vladimir Konstantinov (V) and Vyacheslav Fetissov (V).
Together they played an important role for the team, especially on their way to the Stanley Cup victories in 1997 and 1998. They were often singled out for their playing skills and good teamwork when they were on the ice. Often it was one of the "Russian Five" who could decide a game with a goal.
The "Russian Five" lost a member a few days after the Stanley Cup triumph in 1997, when Vladimir Konstantinov was involved in a car accident and sustained serious injuries that resulted in both physical and mental disabilities. After the accident, the following season the Red Wings wore a patch that read "Faith" in both English and Russian in honor of Konstantinov and one of the team's supervisors, who was also seriously injured in the accident. This motto helped the team build strength for the 1998 playoffs to win the second Stanley Cup in a row.
Shortly before the end of the 1998 transfer window, the team signed Russian defender Dmitri Mironov . With him "Russian Five II" was founded, a less successful variant with Fyodorow, Larionow, Koslow, Fetissow and Mironow.