The KLM-Line describes a very successful Russian ice hockey lineup from the 1980s that consisted of the players Vladimir Krutov, Igor Larionov and Sergei Makarov. It is widely considered to be the best offensive lineup ever.[1][2]
It was a long tradition in the Soviet Union to discover and promote such ranks over the years. In the 1940s and 1950s there were Yevgeni Babich, Vsevolod Bobrov and Viktor Shuvalov. In the 1970s there were Boris Mikhailov, Valeri Kharlamov and Vladimir Petrov, who were then included in the KLM series 'that dominated the Soviet and international scene during the 1980s.
The Soviet national coach Viktor Tikhonov first discovered the talented skater and left-handed shooter Sergei Makarov.[3] Tikhonov then brought him to HK CSKA Moscow.
Vladimir Krutov, a very stocky and powerful left wing, was discovered by Valeri Kharlamov. Krutov had been educated and trained at CSKA and was a great support for the army club at the time.
Voskresensk-born Igor Larionov, the later center of the series was discovered by Nikolay Epshtein while playing for Khimik Voskresensk.
Each of them won numerous prizes and championships, but they were particularly strong as a team: Together with the defenders Viacheslav Fetisov and Alexei Kasatonov they formed the first block for years of the Soviet national team and were instrumental in their successes at that time.
When these three players entered the ice hockey scene during the 1981 Canada Cup, they were only 21 (Krutov and Larionov) and 23 (Makarov) years old, but they were already stars. They scored 22 points (11 + 11) in seven games during the tournament and were the unit of measurement within the Soviet group. So they also won the final against Canada with 8:1. They also beat the best of the NHL in the 1979 Challenge Cup by winning the final, decisive game 6-0 !
In the 1984 Canada Cup the KLM series collected another 18 points (10 + 8) in six games. However, they lost the semifinals to Canada 2-3 in overtime.
1987 played the KLM series again at the Canada Cup and fought a duel with the storm series for Goulet - Gretzky - Lemieux from the Canadian national team. The KLM series scored 32 points (15 + 17) in reach nine games.
Also referred to as the "KLM line" is a lineup combination of the Dallas Stars, which particularly stood out in the 2003/04 season. It consisted of Niko Kapanen, Jere Lehtinen and Brenden Morrow.[4]