Tikhonov Victor Jr. - a new star of Russian hockey

Victor Tikhonov, the youngest was destined to become a hockey 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 the world champion eight times and won the Olympic gold three times. 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, where his father coached the Dynamo team. When he was one year old, his father was offered to head the hockey club Essi 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 was 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. My father was offered the position of the senior coach of the club "Lucco", and Tikhonov Viktor 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 boys the team with his participation becomes the winner.

Return to Russia

In 2002 the family of the coach 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 coach 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 joined the team "Severstal" in the city of Cherepovets. For this team, Viktor 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. received an offer 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 had a hard time surviving the 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 in the goal of CSKA Moscow, which he dedicated to his beloved grandfather.

Games in the NHL

Tikhonov Victor Jr. (hockey player) grew up in America, constantly watched NHL games not only on TV, but also live, so he never lost his dream of getting into the most famous professional hockey league. His idol was Paul Bure. Later, Victor began performing at number 10 in his honor.

In 2008, a representative of the hockey dynasty played 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 "Chicago Blackhawks" NHL, but began 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 he was followed by failure. In the summer of 2016, after the contract with the NHL was completed, Tikhonov returned to SKA. He said that he was very bored by the St. Petersburg club and hopes that this season will be interesting.

Games in the Russian national team

Despite the good game of Viktor Tikhonov, along with Ilya Kovalchuk, the head coach of the national team Zinetula Bilyaletdinov did not take him to the World Cup in 2013. The player was very worried if 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 Hockey Championship was held in Minsk. Tikhonov Victor, Jr. was part of the Russian team. The team won the tournament, winning 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.

According to the results of the games Victor was again recognized as the best attacker. In 2015, Tikhonov was also in the national team, but she won only a silver medal.

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 she was told that women do not participate in the rally.

The young people celebrated the wedding without special scope, close relatives and friends were invited. Now Victor 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 Tikhonovs' hockey past, and he could choose his own profession.

In February 2016, a daughter was born in the family, named Sophia-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 hard to find in the media.