Russia mourns death of hockey icon

Aleksandr Martynyuk was a two-time world champion and held a remarkable goalscoring record

Russian ice hockey hero Aleksandr Martynyuk has died at the age of 77, his former team Spartak Moscow has announced.

The news of Martynyuk’s death was shared on the Spartak website, which paid tribute to the forward.

Martynyuk won the World Championships with the Soviet Union in 1971 and 1973, and featured in the iconic 1972 ‘Super Series’ against fellow hockey powerhouses Canada.

“Sad news came this morning. After a long illness, at the age of 77, Aleksandr Martynyuk has died,” a statement read.

The message reeled off the achievements of the “legendary” Martynyuk, who was also a three-time Soviet champion in Spartak colors.

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Martynyuk will long be remembered for his scoring feats – not least the eight goals he netted against West Germany at the 1973 World Championships in Moscow.

The staggering tally remains a record for the Soviet/Russian team in an official international game.

Spartak Moscow has requested that a minute’s silence be held before the team’s Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) game with Severstal in the Russian capital on Wednesday.