Soviet legend Vladimir Krutov dies at age 52

Soviet hockey legend Vladimir Krutov passed away Wednesday morning in Moscow. He was 52.

A member of the famed KLM line with Sergei Makarov and Igor Larionov, Krutov won two Olympic gold medals in 1984 and 1988 and five World Championship gold medals in 1981, ’82, ’83, ’86, and ’89. He was hospitalized Tuesday with a stomach hemorrhage and was in a drug-induced coma.

After the Soviet Union fell, Krutov moved to the NHL and played 61 games with the Vancouver Canucks in 1989-90, scoring 11 goals and 34 points at the age of 29. He played 11 seasons with CSKA Moscow, his best coming in 1981-82, when he scored 37 goals and 66 points in 46 games.