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#24 Alexander Bodunov 
Alexander Bodunov was one of the members of the Soviet's "Kid
Line," also known as the "Headache Line." Bodunov was the left
winger who was introduced along with fellow linemates Viacheslav Anisin and Yuri
Lebedev in game three of the series..
This trio re-energized the Soviets when the debuted
in Winnipeg. The Soviets handily won game one, and even though they claim they
felt like they played better in game 2, lost convincingly to a recharged Team
Canada.
Game three was in many ways a very pivotal match. It
ended in a tie but was a moral loss for Canada.
The key for the Soviets early success was the
element of surprise they could utilize, as Canada knew almost nothing about
their opponent. After two games Canada had learned much about them.
Then the kid line entered the
scene.
Canada didn't pay much attention to these three
unknowns prior to the game. Why would they? These three youngsters surely
couldn't be better than any three players they replaced - if they were they
would have been playing since game one. And the Soviets had publicly said that
these three were being inserted so that they could "learn" and make
themselves better players for the future.
But the Kid Line, as dubbed by the Canadian media,
played a pivotal role in the game. Canada held a 4-2 lead half way through the
second period when these kids took over. First at 14:59, Lebedev brought the
Soviets back to within one goal. Then, with about 1 and 1/2 minutes left in the
second stanza, Alexander Bodunov snapped home a shot from the crease to beat
Tony Esposito and knot the game at 4.
Bodunov's goal proved to be the final goal of the
game, as goalies Esposito and, in particular, Vladislav Tretiak shut the door.
STATISTICS
Pos. GP G A P PIM
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Alexander Bodunov LW 3 1 0 1 0
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Career Biography
After making quite a name for themselves in game 3 in
Winnipeg, the Kid Line was not often heard from again, at least not as far as
Canadians knew. The big names like Kharlamov, Petrov, Mikhailov and Tretiak
would continue to be great players, but the three heroes of game 3 did not join
them as Soviet stars.
The trio did leave CSKA Moscow to join Boris Kulagin
to join Krylja Sovetov. The trio led the Moscow based team to an upset victory
over CSKA in 1974 to claim the USSR league championship.
But they were not always used on the national team,
or would be used separately, as the 1970s progressed.
Bodunov was an inconsistent player. On one night he
could be the best player on the ice, but the next he would be nowhere to be
found. He had a great arsenal of hockey talent, featuring his heavy shot and
creative playmaking, but his defensive play left much to be desired.
Career Statistics Born: June 3, 1951 in Moscow Height: 5'10" Weight: 165lbs Position: LW Shoots: L
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