There's a lot of really interesting stories about the Eastern Bloc defections into the NHL in the late 1980s. IIRC, Alexander Mogilny, who was the best prospect in the world at the time, hid in a suitcase and defected during the World Junior Championships -- talk about bravery!
Once Mogilny defected, it was impossible for the system to hold. Mogilny (along with Pavel Bure and Fedorov) were groomed and training together to be the next great line combination in hockey; two years later, all three were in the NHL.
Rewatched the Russian Five movie the other day, what an interesting story.
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