Igor Larionov Signs His Son to a One-Year Contract in First Season as KHL Head Coach

Igor Larionov, aka 'The Professor,' has signed his son, Igor Larionov II, to a KHL contract with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, per championat.com.

The elder Larionov won three Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings ('97, '98, '02) during his NHL career, which spanned 14 seasons with five NHL teams (VAN, SJS, DET, FLA, NJD). He has since held an executive role with CSKA St. Petersburg, and he has held the head coaching position for the Russian U20 program since 2020 before accepting a job for Torpedo of the KHL.

Larionov famously brought a team of solely left-handed shooters to the 2021 World Juniors, where they failed to medal, losing in the bronze medal game to Finland by a score of 4-1.

The younger Larionov scored 33 points in 65 CHL games -- one year with the Quebec Ramparts (QMJHL) and two with the Windsor Spitfires (OHL). He had a brief 25-game stint with the Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL) where he managed 23 points before returning to Europe. Larionov II scored two assists in five games for Kunlun Red Star of the KHL, and he spent last season in the Swedish Elite League, where he went scoreless through four games.

He gets another chance under the tutelage of his father, who is widely held as one of the smartest hockey players ever. This is Larionov Sr.'s first year behind a KHL bench, as he takes over a Torpedo club who missed the playoffs last season with a record of 21-19-4. Former NHLers Kenny Agostino and Andy Miele were two of the team's leading scorers in 2021-22, and maybe the addition of Larionov II will provide the team with some added scoring.

Larionov II has a rather strong presence on Twitter, where he is very engaging with fans and, like his father, outspoken on politics and current events. Although, he hasn't spoken too much on the current conflict in Ukraine, for obvious reasons (jail).

A unique father-son dynamic at any level of professional sports is interesting, and it will definitely be a situation to watch in the peripheral, what with the NHL season just over a month away.

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