Vyacheslav Bykov
# Vyacheslav Bykov

Vyacheslav Arkadevich "Slava" Bykov (Russian: Вячеслав Аркадьевич Быков, born 24 July 1960 in Chelyabinsk, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union) is a former Russian ice hockey player and a former head coach of the Russian national hockey team. A small, technically gifted center, he was a regular fixture on the Soviet national ice hockey team in the 1980s; after the fall of the Soviet Union, he played for the Russian team in the 1990s. He was drafted by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft in the 9th round at number 169 overall. He opted, however, to never play in the National Hockey League. He was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2014.

## Playing career

Bykov started out playing for the team of his home city, Traktor Chelyabinsk in 1979. After three years, he went to play for powerhouse CSKA Moscow. While at CSKA Moscow, he became a regular on the Soviet national team and later the Russian team, taking part in the following international tournaments:

* With the Soviet Union:
   * 1983 World Championships (Gold)
   * 1985 World Championships (Bronze)
   * 1986 World Championships (Gold)
   * 1987 World Championships (Silver)
   * 1987 Canada Cup (Silver)
   * 1988 Winter Olympics (Gold)
   * 1989 World Championships (Gold)

With the Unified team:

   * 1992 Winter Olympics (Gold)

With Russia:

   * 1993 World Championships (Gold)
   * 1995 World Championships (5th place)

In 1990, Bykov went to play with HC Fribourg-Gottéron in the Swiss Nationalliga A. He ended an illustrious playing career in 2000, having played the last two seasons with HC Lausanne in the Nationalliga B.

He was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2014.

## Coaching career

### Russian national team

On 10 August 2006, Bykov was named as the new head coach of the Russian national hockey team, taking over from Vladimir Krikunov. At the 2007 World Championship in Moscow, his team won the bronze medal. Then, on 18 May 2008, he won 2008 World Championships Gold in Quebec with the team, and on 10 May 2009 again in Bern. After losing 3–7 to Canada and finishing 6th at the 2010 Winter Olympics and failing to win gold in two subsequent WCs, he was fired by the RHF.

* 2007 World Championships (Bronze)
* 2008 World Championships (Gold)
* 2009 World Championships (Gold)
* 2010 Winter Olympics (6th)
* 2010 World Championships (Silver)
* 2011 World Championships (4th)

### CSKA

From 28 April 2004 to 4 April 2009, Bykov worked as the head coach of CSKA Moscow. The best results during this period were the semi-finals of the Russian Superleague and the quarter-finals of the KHL.

### Salavat Yulaev

Salavat Yulaev Ufa named Bykov as new head coach on 14 May 2009 starting from the 2009–2010 season. After winning the Continental Cup and taking bronze in 2009–2010, he won the Gagarin Cup with Salavat Yulaev in 2010–2011.

### SKA Saint Petersburg

SKA Saint Petersburg appointed Bykov as new head coach on 4 April 2014. He signed a two-year contract with an option for a one-year extension. In his first season with the team, Bykov coached SKA to their first ever Gagarin Cup win, becoming the only coach to win the Gagarin Cup with two different teams.

## Career statistics

### Regular season and playoffs

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1979–80 | Traktor Chelyabinsk | USSR | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1980–81 | Traktor Chelyabinsk | USSR | 48 | 26 | 16 | 42 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1981–82 | Traktor Chelyabinsk | USSR | 44 | 20 | 16 | 36 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1982–83 | CSKA Moscow | USSR | 44 | 22 | 22 | 44 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1983–84 | CSKA Moscow | USSR | 44 | 22 | 11 | 33 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1984–85 | CSKA Moscow | USSR | 36 | 21 | 14 | 35 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1985–86 | CSKA Moscow | USSR | 36 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1986–87 | CSKA Moscow | USSR | 40 | 18 | 15 | 33 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1987–88 | CSKA Moscow | USSR | 47 | 17 | 30 | 47 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1988–89 | CSKA Moscow | USSR | 40 | 16 | 20 | 36 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1989–90 | CSKA Moscow | USSR | 48 | 21 | 16 | 37 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1990–91 | HC Fribourg–Gottéron | NLA | 36 | 35 | 49 | 84 | 16 | 8 | 7 | 16 | 23 | 10 |
| 1991–92 | HC Fribourg–Gottéron | NLA | 34 | 39 | 48 | 87 | 24 | 14 | 4 | 16 | 20 | 10 |
| 1992–93 | HC Fribourg–Gottéron | NLA | 35 | 25 | 51 | 76 | 14 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 22 | 4 |
| 1993–94 | HC Fribourg–Gottéron | NLA | 36 | 30 | 43 | 73 | 2 | 11 | 11 | 21 | 32 | 2 |
| 1994–95 | HC Fribourg–Gottéron | NLA | 30 | 24 | 51 | 75 | 35 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 4 |
| 1995–96 | HC Fribourg–Gottéron | NLA | 28 | 10 | 25 | 35 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 1996–97 | HC Fribourg–Gottéron | NLA | 46 | 23 | 45 | 68 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 1997–98 | HC Fribourg–Gottéron | NLA | 18 | 14 | 18 | 32 | 4 | 12 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 6 |
| 1998–99 | Lausanne HC | NLB | 24 | 19 | 21 | 40 | 40 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 2 |
| 1999–2000 | Lausanne HC | NLB | 6 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| USSR totals | USSR totals | USSR totals | 430 | 195 | 170 | 365 | 112 | — | — | — | — | — |
| NDA totals | NDA totals | NDA totals | 263 | 200 | 330 | 530 | 119 | 69 | 42 | 79 | 121 | 38 |

### International

| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1983 | Soviet Union | WC | | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| 1985 | Soviet Union | WC | | 10 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 2 |
| 1986 | Soviet Union | WC | | 10 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 2 |
| 1987 | Soviet Union | WC | | 10 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 0 |
| 1987 | Soviet Union | CC | | 9 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 4 |
| 1988 | Soviet Union | OG | | 7 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| 1989 | Soviet Union | WC | | 10 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 2 |
| 1990 | Soviet Union | WC | | 10 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| 1991 | Soviet Union | WC | | 10 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 0 |
| 1992 | Unified Team | OG | | 8 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 0 |
| 1993 | Russia | WC | | 8 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 6 |
| 1995 | Russia | WC | 5th | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Senior totals | Senior totals | Senior totals | Senior totals | 108 | 47 | 50 | 97 | 26 |

## Personal life

He is married and has two children. In 2003, he became a naturalised Swiss citizen, and his family now lives in Marly, Switzerland.

He is of Mari descent.

In 2023, Bykov slammed the NHL for barring Russian players from bringing the Stanley Cup to Russia, stating he would never watch NHL games again.

