Sergey Babinov was never called the strongest defenseman, but always “one of the strongest.” In the late 70s and early 80s, he was definitely in the top ten, perhaps even the top five.
He joined the team just as the great defensemen of the 60s were retiring. He truly flourished under Viktor Tikhonov, although Tikhonov typically didn`t feature flashy defensemen beyond the first pairing. What`s particularly striking is that despite his titles and consistent play for the national team, Babinov participated in only one Olympic tournament, winning gold at age 21 in Innsbruck in 1976. This fact alone suggests a career that, while stable, wasn`t entirely straightforward. He certainly could have won two Olympic golds.
Even the first and only gold medal might not have happened. In the crucial game against a strong Czech team, Vitya Zhluktov and Seryozha Babinov made critical mistakes near the middle of the match, both receiving two-minute penalties with the score at 0:2. Babinov recalled thinking on the penalty bench how he would face his teammates after his penalty expired. But the team, led by Shadrin, Lyapkin, and Tsygankov, managed to kill the penalties. No one reproached the offenders with a word or a look. The Soviet team gradually turned the game around and rightfully claimed the Olympic gold.
From then on, Babinov remained on the list of the country`s best players. By 1980, before Lake Placid, he was already a seasoned and reliable member of both CSKA and the national team, having only missed the 1978 World Championship due to injury. He naturally traveled to North America, participating in all exhibition games, including the infamous 10:3 victory over the USA team, where he was paired with Vyacheslav Fetisov. This win proved ill-fated for two reasons: firstly, that easy victory later came back to haunt the “Ice Knights,” and secondly, specifically for Sergey Babinov, he suffered a micro-injury. This gave Tikhonov reason to drop him at the very last moment. The injury would only have sidelined him for a game or two, and he could have played through it, but Viktor Vasilyevich was uncompromising in such cases. If you weren`t fully fit, you went home.
He even participated in the final exhibition game before Sarajevo `84, playing in Tampere against the Finnish team alongside Irek Gimaev, but once again, he missed out on the Olympics. Tikhonov never called him up to the national team again, although Babinov remained needed at CSKA for a while longer. The primary reason for his relatively early retirement from playing was undoubtedly injuries. Babinov never avoided collisions; in fact, physical play, alongside his other strengths, was his forte. However, he also sustained numerous injuries, including several concussions. As Boris Mikhailov noted, “Babinov had enough courage for half a team,” and Boris Petrovich`s opinion carried significant weight.
Of course, Seryozha Babinov was noticed in the early 70s not just for his fearlessness. He was also the hope of Traktor – the team that would later win bronze, but Babinov didn`t stay to see that major success in Soviet-era Chelyabinsk hockey; by then, he had already been a resident of the capital for two years.
While fate typically guided talented Chelyabinsk boys to Traktor, not all of the most famous players started their careers with the main club. Seryozha Babinov, for instance, began at the Metal Structures Plant stadium, conveniently located near his home, receiving his initial hockey training under coach Yuri Bukhin. It was only later at Traktor that he was mentored by Yuri Peregudov and Pyotr Dubrovkin. Pyotr Vasilyevich, a significant specialist not just for Chelyabinsk, developed the promising defenseman into a master, integrating him into the “Selkhozvuzovets” team. He even played him as a center forward on occasion, preparing him as a versatile player, not just a good defender.
Babinov joined the USSR junior and youth teams as a Traktor player. He won silver at the 1974 European Junior Championship, but more importantly, he was one of the key players in the victories of the youth team at the first and second unofficial World Youth Championships in 1974 and 1975. Although victories at the youth level weren`t considered major “triumphs” back then, it was clear that such a talent wouldn`t be overlooked by the capital. And he wasn`t overlooked, but it wasn`t CSKA or Dynamo; it was Krylya Sovetov (Soviet Wings).
The story of Babinov`s “acquisition” stirred up Chelyabinsk throughout September 1975. I was aware of the events as I was doing my final journalism internship in the information department of the main regional newspaper, “Chelyabinsky Rabochy.” To say the hockey community was boiling is an understatement. Perhaps if Seryozha Babinov had ended up at CSKA, there would have been less fuss. But here, Krylya Sovetov and Boris Kulagin, also the national team head coach, had the decisive word. Krylya was showing signs of decline after their 1974 championship, and Kulagin needed fresh blood. Anatoly Kostryukov, who had come to Chelyabinsk to lead Traktor to medals, also needed Babinov. The two masters clashed, but Kulagin held the trump card of the national team, and he directly told the young defenseman about the prospects of joining the national team if he moved to Krylya.
Kulagin spoke directly, but the “acquisition” was handled somewhat less straightforwardly. Initially, Babinov was seemingly persuaded to stay in Chelyabinsk and reportedly agreed. However, on the last day of August, as Traktor was returning from Leningrad to the Urals via Moscow, immediately before departure, Babinov`s bag was left unclaimed – the defenseman had disappeared into the capital. A major scandal erupted. An open letter from the leaders of the Chelyabinsk club appeared in Komsomolskaya Pravda, accusing Babinov not only of fleeing (which, to be fair, wasn`t entirely sudden) but also of failing to deregister from the Komsomol. Political heavyweights from both sides became involved. Kostryukov was beside himself, but the explanation “in the interests of the national team” worked – Babinov was not punished. The fact that six months later he became the youngest defenseman to win an Olympic gold medal somewhat quieted everything down.
Strategically, Boris Pavlovich was right, though the subject of this saga was occasionally reminded of it. How could he not be reminded, especially during the scandalous 1980 game between Traktor and CSKA? Tikhonov`s superteam literally forced a disallowed goal against the hosts to be counted, and the goalscorer was none other than Babinov. As the champions left, they had to hide on the floor of the bus to escape the wrath of the fans.
Given a carte blanche in `77, Tikhonov used the “all for the national team” argument against Krylya, taking the defenseman he needed along with Sergey Kapustin. No one objected. The defenseman, who wasn`t part of the silver-winning 1980 Olympic team, salvaged the coach`s reputation at the April Sweden Cup, scoring the decisive goal in the first-place match against the Czechoslovakian team. His career sharply ascended from there. Ahead lay the victorious 1981 World Championship and the dramatic and brilliant win at the 1981 Canada Cup, where Babinov played alongside Valery Vasiliev. He spent three more years with the national team, playing a total of 181 games – a very solid number.
He started on the national team with Gennady Tsygankov, played two World Championships with Vladimir Lutchenko, was paired with Vyacheslav Fetisov at the 1978 Izvestia Prize tournament, and with Torpedo player Yuri Fedorov at the 1979 Challenge Cup. He played the 1979 World Championship with Valery Vasiliev, with whom he primarily played for the national team until the 1982 World Championship. In fact, Babinov had many partners on the national team, including even Sergey Gimayev. At the 1983 World Championship, out of necessity, he played two games with Vasily Pervukhin and one with Pervukhin`s regular partner, Zinetula Bilyaletdinov.
No one ever complained about him – Babinov was a reliable and disciplined partner, playing consistently and powerfully. He never spared himself, especially enjoying facing Canadians, who understood physical play but fought fairly, just like Babinov. However, injuries did not spare him, and he left the big hockey stage just past thirty, a multiple national champion, four-time World Champion, and Olympic champion. By all accounts, he should have played at a high level longer, but he finished his playing career participating in veteran games, continuing for a very long time, as if compensating for what he didn`t manage to achieve. Actually, no, at nearly 40, he returned to big hockey for four months after a nine-year (!) break, accepting an offer from French club “Brest,” and even became a medalist in the French championship with them.
In his civilian life, he long headed the physical training department of a military academy, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He retired at the end of the century and returned to hockey in the early 2000s. Initially, coaching was a hobby, but then Babinov headed the CSKA hockey school and continued along an administrative path – a demanding role, but one that suited him.
A banner with his number four was first raised at the CSKA home arena in 2006, just before Sergey Panteleimonovich`s appointment as director of the hockey school, and the same event occurred in Chelyabinsk more than ten years later. But the main thing is that it happened.
Dossier
- Sergey Panteleimonovich BABINOV. Born July 11, 1955, in Chelyabinsk. Soviet ice hockey player, defenseman, sports functionary. Honored Master of Sport (1979).
- Awarded the Order of the Badge of Honor (1979), Order of Friendship of Peoples (1982). Inducted into the Hall of Fame of Russian Hockey in 2014.
- Playing Career. 1972-1973 – “Selkhozvuzovets” (Chelyabinsk), 1973-1975 – “Traktor” (Chelyabinsk), 1975-1977 – “Krylya Sovetov” (Moscow), 1977-1986 – CSKA, 1994-1995 – “Brest Albatros” (France).
- In Soviet Championships – 452 games, 39 goals. For the USSR national team – 181 games, 19 goals. In Olympic Games and World Championships – 53 games, 11 goals and 10 assists.
- Achievements. Olympic Champion 1976. World Champion 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, Silver medalist 1976, Bronze medalist 1977. Challenge Cup Winner 1979, Canada Cup Winner 1981.
- USSR Champion 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986. USSR Cup Winner 1977, 1979. 10-time European Champions Cup Winner. Participated in three Super Series against NHL clubs. Listed among the season`s best players – 1976, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984.
- Silver medalist of the French Championship.
- Coaching and Sports Functionary Career. 2002-2006 – “Raduga” (Moscow), children`s coach; 2006-2012 – CSKA hockey school, director; 2014-2020 – Director of SBP PSO “Hockey of Moscow”, Deputy General Director of DYSS “Hockey of Moscow” Moscomsport.
Gareth Tenby