About Vladimir Konstantinov
Vladimir Nikolaevich Konstantinov (Russian: Владимир Николаевич Константинов; born 19 March 1967) is a Russian former professional ice hockey player who played his entire National Hockey League (NHL) career, from 1991 to 1997 with the Detroit Red Wings. Previously, he had played for Soviet club CSKA Moscow. His career ended due to a limousine crash six days after the Red Wings' 1997 Stanley Cup victory. == Playing career == === Defection from the Soviet Union === Konstantinov was drafted 221st overall in the 1989 NHL entry draft by the Detroit Red Wings, after impressing a Wings scout at the 1987 World Junior Championships, where a brawl broke out in the Soviet Union–Canada game. Although the end of the Cold War was approaching, the Soviet Union was still not allowing their young ice hockey players to leave the country to play in the NHL. The Red Wings worked for over two years to get Konstantinov to Detroit. Konstantinov had previously signed a 25-year contract committing himself to CSKA Moscow which was a department of the Russian army. If he deserted, he would be considered a felon in Russia, which would make him ineligible for a work visa in the United States. He also had a wife and daughter, and would not consider leaving without them. A Russian journalist named Valery Matveev worked with Wings executive vice-president Jim Lites to secure an army discharge for Konstantinov. With cash provided by the Red Wings, Matveev bribed six Russian doctors to diagnose and confirm that Konstantinov had inoperable cancer, and thus secured his medical discharge from the military in the summer of 1991.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.