An Oral History Penguins Russian the by Sal Barry

Home , Igor Larionov, Pavel Bure, Sergei Brylin

| 44| Russian hockey forever CSKA Moscow, whichchanged the Pittsburgh Penguins and partnership like theonebetween There’ll never beanother accidental on-ice sex acts. blood-soaked mascots and lest we forget theacrobats, bucks, first and foremost, but It was aboutthepucksand AN ORAL HISTORY PENGUINS RUSSIAN THE BY SAL BARRY

THE HOCKEY NEWS APRIL1,2019 IT’S 1993, ANDTHEHISTORIC CSKA ment, andalmost nofans come to watch theteam. and CSKA is broke. Itcan’t afford uniforms orequip- is nolongerapriority for theRussian government, greener pastures oftheNHL.Funding for sports clubs gei Fedorov andmany others –have headedfor the players –IgorLarionov, Slava Fetisov, Pavel Bure, Ser ey Club–isnearingdefeat. All oftheteam’s best Moscow program –a.k.a. theCentral Red Army Hock - -

unlikely partnership. came to promoting this ground floorwhenit and Gusev gotinonthe Nopponen, Warshaw MERGERMEN

COURTESY OF STEVEN WARSHAW

TOP: COURTESY OF STEVEN WARSHAW; TIKHONOV: VLADIMIR BEZZUBOV/AFP/GETTY IMAGES SERGEI BRYLIN: (Left winger, CSKA 1991-92 to ’92-93 & CSKA/Russian Penguins 1993-94) The whole country was going through a transition, from the Sovi- et Union to Russia. Obviously, hock-

two years playing for the Red Army wereey wasn’t pretty the challenging main priority. years. My first

CSKA reaches out to several NHL teams looking for support. The Pittsburgh Penguins answer the call. The Penguins’ ownership group, which includes Tom Ruta, Howard Baldwin and his wife Kar- en Baldwin, forms Penguins Army International Limited, a joint venture between the Pens and Cen- tral Red Army. Superstar Mario Lemieux and actor Michael J. Fox are also involved as silent partners.

TOM RUTA: (Co-owner, Pittsburgh Penguins; co-owner/president, Russian Penguins) We created a company where the Pittsburgh Penguins owned 50 percent and the Russian partners owned 50 percent. Dinamo Riga in the mid-1970s and was That’s the structure they required at the time. You now CSKA’s GM, responsible for the couldn’t have Americans owning 51 percent of a Rus- team’s travel arrangements and busi- sian company. ness dealings.

HOWARD BALDWIN: (Co-owner, Pittsburgh Penguins; co-owner/ HOWARD BALDWIN: Tikhonov was like chairman/CEO, Russian Penguins) the Scotty Bowman/Vince Lombardi of We thought we could make money because good players were coming from the Red Army team. If a Russian player was drafted, the NHL team who stoicRussia. and He not was that an iconicwarm. hockeyBut once figure. you picked him would have to pay a pretty fat fee to his scratchedWhen we the first surface, met him, socialized he was with very Russian team, I think it was around $250,000 for a him and spent time, he’s just a wonder- ful guy. Tikhonov could care less about all the marketing stuff. He could have RUTA:first-rounder. cared less if there was one person or until they got on their feet, and then we’d split it with 10,000 people in the stands. But then them. So,At infirst, the we’d beginning, give all they’d the draft be ablemoney to rebuildto CSKA, he warmed up to it. He got into it. Both their program and pay all their bills. And then even- tually, we’d get a 50-percent share. REEDKaren NOPPONEN:and I were very (VP offond sales ofand him. marketing, HOWARD BALDWIN: We also thought a partnership Russian Penguins) would give us an edge in knowledge on Russian play- VIKTOR’S WAY Of course, I was in awe of Tikhonov. I was born in ers and give us a way to get sponsorships, because Coach Tikhonov could 1966, so the Miracle on Ice in 1980 was one of the North American companies were looking to come make players such as over and start doing business in Russia. Aleksei Krivchenkov and hockey team all those years, it was somewhat shock- Alexei Kasatonov (top) ingdefining to see moments Tikhonov of every my youth.day and Watching work with the him. Soviet RUTA: The Red Army was a great hockey program, quiver in their skates. and Howard didn’t want to see it die. And it was dying HOWARD BALDWIN: Valeri Guschin was like Sgt. for want of a small amount of money. I’m not saying Schultz from Hogan’s Heroes. He was just a charac- we were altruists, but Howard is a hockey person, and ter. And yet, he had an endearing quality. Very warm, if there was a way we could do things that were good engaging, friendly guy. He tried hard, and he did care. for us and still have some part in preserving the tradi- He wanted people in the building. His approach was tion of great hockey in Russia, we’d be interested. more businesslike.

The other half of the team is owned by Viktor Tik- KAREN BALDWIN (Co-owner, Pittsburgh Penguins; co-owner/execu- honov and Valeri Guschin. Tikhonov is the famed tive VP, Russian Penguins) coach of the Red Army and Soviet/Russian national Guschin spoke some English. Whenever we would teams since 1977, and he’s known for being harsh ask him what we should do to make the team better,

COURTESY OF STEVEN WARSHAW COURTESYTOP: OF STEVEN TIKHONOV: WARSHAW; VLADIMIR BEZZUBOV/AFP/GETTY IMAGES with his players. Guschin played under Tikhonov for his standard response was, “Mercedes for Guschin!”

APRIL 1, 2019 THE HOCKEY NEWS | 45 | If you want to have a marketable team, it helps to have a memorable logo you can put on jerseys, hats and T-shirts to sell to fans. CSKA is rebranded as the Russian Penguins, replacing its simple insignia with a cartoon penguin clad in a hockey uniform. Karen Baldwin worked on early designs of the logo, first sketching it out on a restaurant napkin.

HOWARD BALDWIN: When we showed Tikhonov and Guschin the original design, they both got hysterical.

KAREN BALDWIN: They laughed because, appar- ently, the way I drew the nose and beak, it looked like one of their generals, and they thought it was hilari- ous. We changed the nose on the penguin, and changed its uniform.

BRYLIN: Obviously, it was unusual to see the penguin as our logo, be- On opening night, teams line up OPENING DROP cause it’s the Red Army organiza- for the faceoff, but there is no puck. Russian fans went tion, and if you know the logo, it’s A female acrobat, dressed in a CSKA wild when they saw pretty simple, it’s pretty strict. It uniform, rappels down from the raf- the western notion of took a little time to adjust to it. But ters, skates a lap around the rink, promotions – a mascot we were young kids. For us, every- then gives a puck to the referee. rappel with the puck. thing was new and interesting. The crowd goes nuts. Nothing like this has ever happened in a Russian KAREN BALDWIN: The whole idea hockey game before. was to get sponsorships and pro- mote, and be able to do some fun BRYLIN: When the Pittsburgh or- things with marketing. So, we want- ganization came in, there was more ed a logo that was kid-friendly but focus on bringing people into the also adult-friendly. It got a lot of posi- stands and making a show out of tive response. hockey, creating some kind of hype around the team. They did a real Baldwin and company partner with good job, because we went from Disney to create a finalized version of no fans in the stands to selling out the logo and uniforms. Steven War- a 6,000-seat rink. shaw is tasked with sales and marketing of the Russian Penguins. His goal was to draw fans NOPPONEN: On Revolution Day (Nov. 7) of 1993, and sponsorships to the rebranded Red Army team. we had sold out the Ice Palace, which was shocking, because our team was basically kids and a couple RUTA: of veteran players. But we were sold out, and it was and Tikhonov told us it was impolite to cheer when done through creating an atmosphere of excitement. you gotCSKA a goal. was Five only hundred drawing quiet crowds people of 500 in people,a huge Game-day promotions, premiums, free beer, give- building, that isn’t American hockey. Steve introduced a whole new thing there. WARSHAW:aways, contests, We anythinghad 13 games it took a to season fill the on seats. national STEVEN WARSHAW: (Executive VP of sales and marketing, Rus- sian Penguins) time our games were delayed or cut into was when Guschin would knock on doors and collect money Boristelevision Yeltsin – primeaddressed time the on country. Channel If One!you wanted The only to from people in the arena. They were making more be on TV, you had to buy your way on. But they paid us $100,000 for the season, plus we got to control part of than they were in ticket sales before we got there. the advertising and got to select interview guests be- money renting out offices and space in the building NOPPONEN: Up at the top of the Soviet Ice Palace were these boxes, which weren’t intended as luxury NOPPONEN:tween periods, like players or CEOs of our sponsors. boxes, but were used as storage rooms. Or people - were living in them. We had to clean them up and lamov, doing aTikhonov television sawinterview Alexander that we Kharlamov, arranged. renovate them. We took out the windows so people Tikhonovwho was the got son upset of Sovietand said hockey that thelegend kid Valeridid nothing Khar

could feel closer to the action. to justify any sort of media attention. I remember him COURTESYTOP: OF STEVEN NAPKIN WARSHAW; LOGO: COURTESY RUTA OF TOM BOTH: COURTESY OF STEVEN WARSHAW

| 46 | THE HOCKEY NEWS APRIL 1, 2019 the dirtiest words I ever heard in my life. ripping Kharlamov in front of me, using RUTA: Howard and I went to a practice one time. Some fairly young player, like 17 or so, was on the ice and did something wrong. Tikhonov barked at him in Russian, went over and whacked him on the head and knocked his helmet off. He didn’t hurt the kid, but his point to the kid was, “Wake up!” The players were obviously frightened of him.

BRYLIN: Tikhonov was an old-school coach. His winning records, Olympic

speak for themselves. He did something right.and World Obviously, Championship he was very gold demand medals- ing, but I felt like when you played hard and gave everything you had, it was never a problem. Tikhonov had to adjust, because he didn’t have the same kind of power he was used to. It was a transition for everybody.

Warshaw visits a Russian strip club one day after PUCK NAKED and went out into the stadium before the fans arrived. work, and he decides to hire a few exotic dancers as Nothing garnered the The OMON (special police unit of the military) were cheerleaders for a game. It does not go according media’s attention like providing security at the game. Somehow, von Bush to plan. the time exotic dancers had gotten into an altercation with security, and they were hired to perform WARSHAW: The idea was to have these women come almost nude on the ice. all over it, that is something that is still ingrained in - mybeat memory. the crap out of him. The penguin outfit had blood tease down to pasties and a G-string. My Russian out with full CSKA uniforms on and then do a strip The Russian Penguins tour North America in Feb- media and broadcasting) to translate. So, I tried to ex- ruary 1994, playing against minor pro teams in the plainwasn’t to good, them and that I Icouldn’t wanted themfind Victor to dance Gusev in unison. (VP of old International League, starting with an exhibition I was saying “synchronize,” but they misunderstood it in Pittsburgh against the Pittsburgh Penguins’ farm as “sexual.” So, they started performing this sexual act club, the Cleveland Lumberjacks. The Russian Pen- on the ice, in full synchronization. I started banging on the glass, telling them to stop. So, then everybody started banging on the glass. The more people banged on the glass, the more salacious the act became. It became one of our most infamous moments, and was the beginning of us getting media attention for this hockey team.

KAREN BALDWIN: It’s important to note that the at- tendance went up dramatically for the next game.

Then there was the time that Iceburgh got beat up – and not by Jean-Claude Van Damme.

NOPPONEN: We brought in a Pittsburgh Penguins mascot costume and put a Russian Penguins logo on it. We hired a guy named Alexander von Bush to play the mascot. He was an eccentric character, but a nice guy.

WARSHAW: He was a terrible skater. Opening night,

and he wiped out. He was very clumsy, but that’s what madevon Bush the bigwas ol’ carrying penguin the even big moreCSKA charming.flag on the Fans ice used to throw beer and food at him and check him when he came off the ice.

TOP: COURTESYTOP: OF STEVEN NAPKIN WARSHAW; LOGO: COURTESY RUTA OF TOM BOTH: COURTESY OF STEVEN WARSHAW NOPPONEN: One time, von Bush put on the costume

APRIL 1, 2019 THE HOCKEY NEWS | 47 | guins lose 8-1. The team then tours all 13 IHL cities, with games counting in the IHL standings. The Rus- sian Penguins compile a 2-9-2 record.

WARSHAW: It was an incredible tour, but it was brutal from a playing standpoint. We packed 14 games in 25 days. The Russian Penguins were much younger, smaller, less experienced than the IHL players.

BRYLIN: It was a great experience for everybody. We weren’t used to playing back-to-back games and trav- eling in between. It was great to play in front of North American crowds.

HOWARD BALDWIN: We were very pleased with the way the tour went. We sold merchandise, and it introduced the team to our culture over here. That was a win-win all the way around. I liked the IHL. It was a fun league. NOPPONEN: You had this weird mix of people com- RUSSIAN TOUR WARSHAW: There were some former NHL players on - A campy cartoon logo these IHL teams who lost their jobs in the NHL to Rus- tinational corporation types and hockey fans, all and slick promotions sians. And now, here they were in the minor leagues. sittinging to thetogether. games, It mafiawas a bosses,time in Russiaarmy generals, where every mul- lured in young fans. So, here was their way of sending a message. “You’re body mixed. Future NHLer Brylin taking our jobs. I’m 28, and I’m pissed off, and you’re 18. was just 19 at the time. F--- you, you’re going into the boards face-first.” It was WARSHAW: We worked out a deal with Nike, but brutal for our guys. Every arena we went to there was Guschin didn’t like it. He got a cut of the money, but he was mad that he didn’t have control or any say in the deal. So, the night before the Nike executives showed BRYLIN:all this “USA! I just USA!” had great bulls---. memories. It was like For the some Cold reason, War. I up, he cut the Nike logo out of the ice and covered the Nike logos on the boards with Adidas logos, just to name (laughs). And playing in Phoenix and San Diego embarrass us in front of the Nike executives. I made inremember February Kalamazoo, and seeing becauseoranges itgrow was on kind trees. of a weird him change it back. That was the kind of insanity we had with our partners. During its partnership with the Pittsburgh Pen- guins, CSKA steadily improves its record during the NOPPONEN: Procter & Gamble was one of the com- 1993-94 and ’94-95 seasons. But perhaps more im- panies that advertised with us. Their marketing guy portantly, CSKA is making money. had this idea to have Viktor Tikhonov endorse Vicks - RUTA: We put some money in, raised ticket pric- crewCough and Drops. shot Tikhonovfootage of agreed. a game. So, The Procter next day, & Gam worked. The team started to sell tickets and get ad- ble flew in all these advertising people and a film vertising.es, fixed upThe the games seats, got cleaned exciting up and the people boxes, loved and it. it team practice, where he’d say his lines The atmosphere was like hockey here. forthey the were commercial. supposed But to filmhe refused Tikhonov and at a

WARSHAW: When we started winning, the young kids in the crowd would chant “Tik-hon-ov! Tik-hon-ov! tryinglocked tohimself work init allhis out.office. In Ithe shuttled end, Tik-hon-ov!” Viktorin and outacquiesced of his office, and negotiating did the com and-

NOPPONEN: Fans’ emotions didn’t rise and fall solely were at times. with the wins and losses of the club. They were just mercial. This is how difficult things having a great time. People were coming because it The NHL and IIHF work out an was fun. It was like nothing they had ever seen before. agreement that drastically reduces COURTESYTOP: OF HOWARD BALDWIN; BRYLIN: MITCHELL IMAGES LAYTON/GETTY how much money Russian teams are WARSHAW: It became the place to be seen. All of a paid for losing their players to NHL clubs, making the Penguins’ arrangement guys wanted their own skyboxes. Guschin had a few with CSKA far less profitable. Even worse, boxessudden, to oursell, skyboxes and that’s became where soughthe put after.the people The mafia who the popularity of the Russian Penguins were coming in with guns, the “novi (new) business- attracts a criminal element that wants a

men,” as he would call them. piece of the action. COURTESYTOP: GABE OF STEVEN BOTTOM: POLSKY WARSHAW;

| 48 | THE HOCKEY NEWS APRIL 1, 2019 TOP: COURTESY OF HOWARD BALDWIN; BRYLIN: MITCHELL LAYTON/GETTY IMAGES

TOP: COURTESY OF STEVEN WARSHAW; BOTTOM: GABE POLSKY and cheerleaders, are thenormfor theKHL. Penguins inthe1990s, suchascartoony logos,music by themid-2000s. Today, ideasused by theRussian – stories for another time–butmore orless stabilizes with thearmy andexternal problems withthemafia seven years. The team goesthrough internal troubles and even use theRussian Penguins logofor another CSKA. Tikhonov andGuschin continue to runtheclub, back andparted company asfriends. the keysyours. andsaidit’s Wesome ofourmoney got wesaid nothanks, just gave TikhonovGuschin and fornot and fornot involving sport, NHL team.an So, and we just said that this wasn’t a good idea. Certainly RUTA: for usinRussia. was It time toout. get dangerous to have peoplework was it decided I and Karen Tom,day, next over.The sense? Wethat get didn’targue. We the meeting got was beingputonus at thattime.You know when you HOWARD BALDWIN:was It very the arm that clear those partnerswere. other partners, andwe didn’tquite understandwho RUTA: seen theinsideofabank. ers.”Let metell you something, I’msure they haven’t troduced to usasourRussianbank partners’“new suits,whitein black shirts and goldwatches were in- Tikhonov andGuschincame.Andthen,these two guys afterrestaurant the1994-95 a season at in NewYork. HOWARD BALDWIN: We didouryear-end meeting Russia didn’t have lobbyists, justguys withguns. business inRussiayouunless protectionpaid money. had a lot of mafia in our building. You could not do any “Don’tor you’llask, byhanging be your thumbs.”We arena.the Guschin whoask I’d they werehe’d say, and WARSHAW: The American partnersendtheagreement with We didn’tfall yesterday,truck off theturnip All of a sudden, weof a All found ourpartnershad lt f epe ee etn ofcs at offices renting were people of lot A - to beseen. games were theplace at Russian Penguins rudimentary skyboxes Before long,the EXECUTIVE CLASS

know? That was quite acomplimentfrom you theoldfascist, what you didinMoscow, andnoonehascomeclose.” the translator, “Many peoplehave cometo re-create in about14years. He shookmy handandsaidto and Viktor Tikhonov was there. He hadn’t seenme conference, press big a had We Committee. Olympic ing the2014SochiWinter Olympics for theRussian WARSHAW: ally liked thecountry. Ienjoyed theexperience. were having Ireallyit. funwith enjoyed andIre- that, HOWARD BALDWIN: We were We doing wellwith it. be done. job ofpromoting hockey andshowing how thingscan nately, itdidn’tlong. Ithought last Steven did a great BRYLIN: the first international joint sports venture in the world. WARSHAW: is thedocumentary version ofthat.” know it’s ahighbarto set, butIhopethat Red Penguins “Slap Shot isoneofthefunniest movies ofall-time. I “The characters are really interesting and funny,” hesaid. most oftheinterviews for Red Penguins inoneweek. the U.S. state –Polsky headednorthto Russia andgot ing afamily tripto Georgia –theEurasian country, not resisted. Butherelented after urging from hiswife. Dur other materials. Russian Penguins, andeven sent himabox ofnotes and suggested that Polsky make adocumentary about the worked for theRussian Penguins team. Warshaw New York, Polsky met Steven Warshaw, whoformerly the 1970s and’80s.Duringafilm-festival screening in Soviet program that dominated international hockey in released in2014 andtold thestory ofthepowerful out inlate 2019. tentatively titledRed Penguins andscheduledto come as just anothercrazy story inRussia duringthistime.” ‘sequel’ really makes mewant to vomit,” hesaid.“Iseeit Polsky would prefer ifyou didn’t.“The soundoftheword DON’T CALLITASEQUEL. At least filmdirectorGabe Red Army director gives itanothergoinRussia SILVER SCREEN RED PENGUINS, Not wanting to retread hissteps, Polsky initially Polsky’s first hockey documentary, Red Army , was That crazy story isabouttheRussian Penguins, It wasIt aprettyinteresting project. Unfortu- APRIL 1,2019 The Pittsburgh Penguins and CSKA were CSKA and Penguins Pittsburgh The I was inVancouver in2010,promot- THEHOCKEY NEWS

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