BY HELENE ST. JAMES - - Detroit Free Press

2/3/2003

"This is something they will remember for all their lives." - Igor Larionov

In the midst of hockey season, where personal time is at a premium, Larionov welcomes the chance to speak at length about his native land and the country’s long-standing love affair with the game.

Although he might not use the term himself, ‘role model’ is certainly an appropriate label for the Russian hockey legend and veteran of 14 NHL seasons, whose latest gesture has generated a great deal of press in his hometown of Voskresensk, Russia, and beyond.

Teaming with the NHLPA’s Goals & Dreams fund, Khimik Voskresensk Hockey School was recently given 100 complete sets of equipment courtesy of the grassroots hockey program, a donation Larionov assures will have a enduring effect on the young recipients.

"This is something they will remember for all their lives,” said Larionov, one of the most decorated and successful players in the history of Russian hockey. “It's wonderful to know these kids will have the opportunity to play the game they love with new equipment.”

Mike Gartner, Chairman of the Goals & Dreams fund, was equally enthused by the joint effort.

“It was a great trip due to the fact that the programs we have assisted in Russia are very special,” said Gartner, of his recent trip to Russia. “Igor has done so much for hockey in his home country. We are pleased to compliment his efforts with the donation of 100 sets of equipment to his hometown hockey program.”

Larionov can no doubt relate to some of the young players who will now experience the game of hockey like they never have before. The two-time Stanley Cup champion knows first-hand what it is like to compete without the benefit of top-quality hockey gear.

“I didn’t get a new pair of skates until I was 17,” said Larionov, who made his NHL debut in 1989 as a member of the Vancouver Canucks. “We always managed to get by with what we had, but it meant a lot when we finally had good equipment. I’m sure these kids will feel the same way I did.”

In all, representatives from G&D have visited the country three times and in their latest trip, Khimik Voskresensk Hockey School isn’t the only beneficiary of the Goals & Dreams fund. Sport Club Julebino, a program in Moscow supported by Andrei Nikolishin of the Chicago Blackhawks received 168 sets of hockey equipment from the NHLPA. The equipment was presented in a ceremony on January 25, one day after the event in Voskresenk.

Although he has a vested interest in the G&D donation to the very hockey school he attended as a youngster, the personable player believes the program has universal appeal.

“Hockey is a game that is enjoyed by kids all over the world,” said Larionov, who returns to skate with children at the Khimik Hockey School each off-season. “This program has helped so many of them enjoy the game in a way they were never used to. They are making a difference for so many people.” Something that can also be said about Larionov himself.

Goals & Dreams is funded by the NHLPA members to provide up to $15-million dollars to grassroots hockey programs over a five year period. Since its inception in 1999, Goals & Dreams has contributed to hundreds of grass roots hockey initiatives all over the world. Thousands of children living in such places as Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Finland, Kazahkstan, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden and the United States have received full sets of hockey equipment from the NHLPA members.