Sports
Vladimir Konstantinov
born 1967 · ice hockey defenseman
Fearsome Soviet-born defenseman of the Red Wings' "Russian Five" whose career ended in a limousine crash in Birmingham six days after the 1997 Stanley Cup.
- Born
Murmansk, Soviet Union
age 59- Birth name
- Vladimir Nikolaevich Konstantinov
- Also known as
- Vladdie · The Vladinator
- Detroit years
- 1991–present
- Field
- Sports
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Detroit drafted Konstantinov in 1989 and spent two years getting him out of the Soviet Union; he finally reached the city in 1991, flown in on owner Mike Ilitch's private jet amid the turmoil of the Soviet coup attempt. At Joe Louis Arena he became one of the NHL's most feared defensemen, a punishing hitter with an agitator's edge, and in 1995–1996 he was runner-up for the Norris Trophy. With Sergei Fedorov, Igor Larionov, Vyacheslav Kozlov and Viacheslav Fetisov he formed the "Russian Five" that helped Detroit win the 1997 Stanley Cup. On June 13, 1997, six days after the victory, the limousine carrying him, Fetisov and team masseur Sergei Mnatsakanov crashed into a tree on the Woodward Avenue median in Birmingham; the driver's license had been suspended for drunk driving. Konstantinov suffered severe brain injuries and never played again. A year later his teammates wheeled him onto the ice to celebrate their second straight Cup.
Highlights
- Played for the Red Wings 1991–1997
- Stanley Cup champion in 1997
- Runner-up for the Norris Trophy in 1995–1996
- Member of the "Russian Five"
- His No. 16 has not been worn by a Red Wing since
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 1
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Played here · 1991–1997
Joe Louis Arena
Demolished · 1979–2017
His home rink throughout his NHL career; closed in 2017, demolished in 2019–2020.