one of the best players in the world." Kharlamov was the second Soviet trained player, after Tretiak, to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Upon hearing the news of his father's induction, Alexander Kharlamov said "I want to say thank you for remembering my father." In 2014, Kharlamov was part of the inaugural class inducted into the Russian Hockey Hall of Fame. Playing style Small in stature (he was measured as and during the Summit Series) Kharlamov was a gifted offensive player. During his prime, he was one of the dominant players in Soviet hockey, and he maintained this reputation during international tournaments. Kharlamov loved the creative opportunities his sport provided saying "I like to score beautiful goals." Some compared Kharlamov's play to Wayne Gretzky, in the sense that their overall play was greater than their individual skills, such as skating or shooting would indicate. He was very popular with his fans and teammates. Personal life Kharlamov and Irina had two children, a son, Alexander, commonly known as "Sasha" and a daughter, Begonita. Valeri married Irina in 1975, after Alexander was born. At that time Kharlamov was unaware he had a son, until he received a phone call from Irina telling him he was the baby's father. After their parents' death, the children went to live with their maternal grandmother in Moscow. Alexander was only 5 years old when his father died, and does not remember him well, although he has seen recordings of his games. Alexander would also become an ice hockey player, and was selected fifteenth overall by the Washington Capitals in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft, though he never played in the NHL, playing in the North American minor leagues where he made a significant contribution to the Hampton Roads Admirals winning the Kelly Cup, and back in Russia before retiring in 2004. Alexander's son is named Valeri, after his grandfather, although his sport of choice is football, rather than hockey. After his death, Kharlamov was buried in the Kuntsevo Cemetery in the Kuntsevo District of Moscow. Career statistics Regular season International Awards and honours Soviet Union and Russia International References Cited sources External links 1948 births 1981 deaths Ice hockey people from Moscow Communist Party of the Soviet Union members Russian State University of Physical Education, Sport, Youth and Tourism alumni HC CSKA Moscow players Hockey Hall of Fame inductees Ice hockey players at the