Detroit Red Wings
Another Member of Red Wings Russian Five to Coach in KHL
Kozlov often a playoff hero for Detroit
Another day, another member of the Detroit Red Wings famed Russian Five is being announced as a head coach in the KHL.
On the heels of the news that Igor Larionov is the new head coach of SKA St. Petersburg, Sochi was announcing Vyacheslav Kozlov as the club’s new bench boss. It will be the first head coaching role for Kozlov in the KHL.
HC Sochi will be Vyacheslav Kozlov's head coaching debut in the KHL. pic.twitter.com/XefvtXwwHe
— KHL (@khl_eng) June 3, 2025
This past season he was working as an assistant to former NHLer Alexei Kudashov with Dynamo Moscow. That club made it all the way to the KHL Gagarin Cup semifinals. Kozlov has also served under former Colorado Avalanche coach Bob Hartley in the KHL.
His previous head coaching role was with Khimik in the Russian second division. That is Kozlov’s hometown.
A creative offensive force and clincal finisher as a player, as a coach Kozlov was known for his team’s inate discipline and attention to detail. The smothering defensive system he instilled was the envy of the league. Opponents would joke that Khimik parked a bus in the front of their net. Although his club finished ninth in the standings, Khimik wound up with the league’s second-best goals-against average.
Two-Time Cup Winner With Red Wings
Kozlov won two Stanley Cups as a Detroit player, in 1996-97 and 1997-98. His reputation was as a scorer of clutch goals. In the spring of 1995, it was Kozlov’s double-overtime goal against Chicago that won the Wings the Western Conference crown and the club’s first trip to the Stanley Cup final since 1966. He potted four game winners in Detroit’s 1998 Stanley Cup run.
On this day in 1995, Slava Kozlov scored the double. overtime winner in Game 5 to send the @DetroitRedWings to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1966 #Hockey365 #LGRW pic.twitter.com/4FLzivC5tU
— Mike Commito (@mikecommito) June 11, 2024
He might have been the least decorated member of the Russian Five, but to suggest Kozlov wasn’t of significant value to Detroit’s success would be foolhardy. Between 1995-99, Kozlov scored 30 goals during the Stanley Cup playoffs, including two overtime winners. During that time period, only Joe Sakic (38), Claude Lemieux (37), Steve Yzerman (34) and Jaromir Jagr (34) netted more playoff goals.
“That was Kozzy’s time of year,” former Detroit assistant coach Dave Lewis said of the NHL postseason.
Even in his departure, Kozlov would help the Red Wings win another Stanley Cup. In the summer of 2001, he was going to the Buffalo Sabres as part of the package that would bring Hall of Fame goalie Dominik Hasek to Detroit. The Dominator would backstop the Red Wings to the 2001-02 Cup title.
Kozlov’s nephew Vladislav Namestnikov of the Winnipeg Jets played for the Red Wings from 2020-22.
