Tikhonov Victor Jr. - a new star of Russian hockey
Victor Tikhonov, the youngest, was destined to becomehockey player. The boy was born in the family of the famous hockey coach Vasily Tikhonov, his grandfather was a living legend of this sport. With Viktor Tikhonov, the senior Soviet hockey team was eight times the world champion and three times won the Olympic gold medal. Viktor Tikhonov, Junior inherited not only love for this sport,but also became the full namesake of his grandfather. According to the established custom in the family, Tikhonov's son was given a name in honor of his grandfather, so the names of Viktor and Vasily alternated along the male line.
Childhood
Vitya was born in Riga in May 1988, wherehis father coached the Dynamo team. When he was one year old, his father was offered to head the ice hockey club Essit in Finland, so the family moved there from Riga. In 1992, Vasily Tikhonov and his family went to the United States, where he coached the San Jose club.
Interest in hockey manifested in the boy in 3 years,After the grandfather gave him skates. The child with pleasure went to them around the room, learned to ride on ice. Serious enthusiasm for the game began in America. Here he played in the children's hockey league "Santa Clara" and showed good results.
In 2000 the Tikhonovs returned to Finland. His father was offered the position of senior coach of the club "Lucco", and Tikhonov Victor Jr. began to play for the junior team of this club. A year later the family moved to Switzerland. Vasily Tikhonov was invited to become the head coach of the "Landau" team, his son started playing in the youth club team. In the national hockey championship among young men, the team with his participation becomes the winner.
Return to Russia
In 2002, the coach's family returned to Russia. Viktor Tikhonov, Jr. (photo can be seen below) first saw the country of which he was a citizen. His father was given the post of head coach of the Moscow team of CSKA Moscow, where the main mentor was his grandfather - Viktor Tikhonov. His grandson began to attend the CSKA hockey school. Three years later, the successor of the hockey dynasty became a player of the club "Dmitrov", and a year later he was in the team "Severstal" in the city of Cherepovets. For this team, Victor played until 2011. In 2008, he entered the Russian national team at the World Youth Championship, received a bronze medal. He was recognized as the best forward of the last tournament.
In 2011 Tikhonov Victor Jr. receivedoffer to move to St. Petersburg and play for the SKA team. At first he was an extreme attacker, later the coach tried it in the center, so he played in both positions. According to the hockey player, this did not make him uncomfortable. Until 2015, Victor played for the SKA team - one of the best teams of the Continental Hockey League. In 2013 Tikhonov became the best scorer of the KHL, and in the season of 2014-15 the SKA team won the Gagarin Cup, beating the clubs Dynamo M, Torpedo, CSKA and Ak Bars.
In the summer of 2013 the hockey player has hard survivedthe tragic death of his father, and in November 2014 his famous grandfather passed away. On the day of his death, a match took place between the teams of SKA and CSKA, which Viktor Tikhonov-senior coached for many years. The grandson decided to go out on the ice. On this day, he scored 2 goals at CSKA Moscow, which he dedicated to his beloved grandfather.
Games in the NHL
Tikhonov Victor Jr. (hockey player) grew up inAmerica, constantly watched NHL games not only on TV, but also live, so he did not leave dreams to get into the most famous professional hockey league. His idol was Pavel Bure. Later, Victor began performing at number 10 in his honor.
In 2008, a representative of the hockey dynastyplayed in the NHL in the club "Phoenix Coyotes". Unfortunately, he failed to prove himself completely, because the coach did not use him much in the game. Despite good results, he was sent to a farm club. After playing the beginning of the season, Tikhonov took advantage of the terms of the contract and returned to Cherepovets Severstal, but he did not leave dreams of playing in the NHL.
In the period from 2009 to 2011, young Tikhonov again played overseas in the San Antonio Ramage team, which belonged to the AHL, and received a tremendous experience there.
Season 2015/16 year hockey player played in the club "ChicagoBlackhawks »NHL, but started not very well, so the player was put on a draft refusal. There he was bought by Arizona Coyotis, in which Victor played in 2008. But here again he was haunted by setbacks. In the summer of 2016, after the contract with the NHL was completed, Tikhonov returned to SKA. He said he really missed the St. Petersburg club and hopes that this season will be interesting.
Games in the Russian national team
Despite Viktor Tikhonov's good game togetherwith Ilya Kovalchuk, head coach of the national team Zinetula Bilyaletdinov did not take him to the World Cup in 2013. The player was very worried whether he would get into the Russian national ice hockey team at the Sochi Olympics, so he was very happy when he saw himself on the players' lists. At the Olympics, the Russian team performed unsuccessfully. Victor went on the ice in the quarterfinals with the Finns, but it was already impossible to reverse the game. The team lost with a score of 1: 3 and eventually finished fifth.
In 2014, the World Championships in Minskhockey. Tikhonov Victor, Jr. was part of the Russian team. The team won the tournament, winning in the final match with the Finnish team with a score of 5: 2. During the championship, the hockey player scored 8 goals and made 8 successful games.
Sport family
Viktor Tikhonov married early. With his wife Eugenia he met in San Jose. The girl worked as a designer in the company, which was engaged in the manufacture of equipment for athletes. She was very fond of hockey and dreamed of winning the Stanley Cup, until they explained to her that women do not participate in the rally.
Young celebrated the wedding without specialscope, close relatives and friends were invited. Now Viktor Tikhonov, Jr. and his wife raise a son, who was born in 2012. They decided to break the tradition and gave him the name of Leo, so that in the future the boy would not be pressured by the Tikhonov dynasty's hockey past, and he could choose his own profession.
In February 2016, a daughter was born in the family,which received the name Sofia-Victoria. The sports family does not like the attention of journalists and tries to appear less under the sights of cameras, so their photos are difficult to find in the media.