The Red Wings were a joke in the ’80s—empty seats, cartoon jerseys, zero playoff wins—and then they went full Cold War and smuggled in five Soviet stars.
“The Russia Five” is a rare hockey doc that has Cold War politics, spy tactics and mafia threats.
I currently rank this #3 on my list of “The Best Hockey Documentaries” (I’m up to 20 so far!).
Thanks to hockey buffs Brad Brown and Rich Wilde for moving this up in my queue.
Trailer for “The Russian Five”
Watch “The Russian Five”
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Ratings:
- My Rating: 98/100
- IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 98/100 (Users); 100/100 (Critics)
Director’s Note
Joshua Riehl directed this 109-minute documentary. He’s not a household name yet, but with “The Russian Five”, he’s firmly planted himself in the hockey doc hall of fame.
This is his breakout feature, and it’s clear he’s studied the storytelling playbook of guys like Jon Hock ( “Survive and Advance” (which I rank a rare 100 out of 100) and “The Best That Never Was”; Ezra Edelman (“O.J.: Made in America”) and Gabe Polsky (“Red Army”).
Release Date: March 4, 2018 (World premiere at Cinequest Film Festival)
Later released in theaters on March 22, 2019
My Review of “The Russian Five”
The Setup
This one’s a Cold War espionage thriller…disguised as a sports documentary. “The Russian Five” tells the story of how the Detroit Red Wings risked everything in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s to smuggle five Soviet hockey players out of the USSR and onto their team.
You Can’t Make This Sh*t Up
- In 1989, the Red Wings drafted Sergei Fedorov in the 4th round—even though it was common knowledge that Soviet players often couldn’t leave Russia, especially without putting their families in danger.
- The Wings tried to recruit Sergei while he was playing against them—handing him $10,000 in cash, photos of a red Corvette, and promises of a high-rise apartment in Detroit.
More Highlights from the Doc
- Slava Kozlov was just 15 and didn’t even wear a number when Detroit started scouting him. They drafted him in the 3rd round anyway.
- Jim Lites and Ken Holland recount just how dangerous it was trying to extract players from the Soviet Union. They met in parking garages, used aliases, and even had help from people connected to the CIA.
- Scotty Bowman’s coaching style—he let the Russians play their puck possession, high-skill game instead of forcing them to “dump and chase” like North Americans.
- When they added Slava Fetisov and Vladimir Konstantinov, the Russian Five dominated possession so thoroughly that announcers began describing their on-ice style as a “ballet with a puck.”
- The team broke a 42-year championship drought by beating the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals.
Cameos
- Jeff Daniels (actor and massive Wings fan) shows up and offers some personal insight, including the emotional moment when he and his son celebrated in the locker room.
- Steve Yzerman, Darren McCarty, and Brendan Shanahan give excellent behind-the-scenes perspectives.
Lesser-Known Details from the Doc
- A Red Wings limo crash left Vladimir Konstantinov with a traumatic brain injury just days after hoisting the Cup. Konstantinov was in a coma for weeks. The accident occurred just six days after the team’s Cup parade. The driver, a team employee, was later found to have a suspended license.
- The Red Wings formed a makeshift hospital room in Joe Louis Arena just for Konstantinov so he could be near the team.
- The Russian players initially didn’t trust team translators, fearing they were KGB plants.
- Slava Kozlov’s early games were so quiet that coaches worried he’d be a bust—until he exploded one night with a hat trick and never looked back.
- The limo crash was after a team golf outing celebrating their championship—not a wild party night.
Wrap Up
“The Russian Five” is a Cold War heist, a cultural experiment, and a deeply emotional story about brotherhood. You don’t need to care about hockey to get sucked into this one.
Thanks for reading!
Rob Kelly, Chief Maniac, Daily Doc