Vladimir Konstantinov, known also as "Vladdie" and "Vlad the Impaler" (for his vicious hits), was drafted 221st overall in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings, after impressing a Red Wings scout at the 1987 World Junior Championships, where a brawl broke out in the Soviet Union–Canada game. Scout Neil Smith remembers, "He was the only one of the Russians who fought back." Probably the most notable aspect of his hockey career was his aggressive style, specializing in getting opponents off their game. "For my game," he explained, "I don’t need to score the goal. I need someone to start thinking about me and forgetting about scoring goals." Konstantinov\'s aggressive style of play also earned him the nickname "Vladinator".\n', '

In the 1993–94 regular season, he scored three short-handed goals to tie Raymond Bourque, Jyrki Lumme and Richard Šmehlík for the NHL lead among defensemen.\n', '

Konstantinov was also part of the unit known as "The Russian Five", which consisted of him and fellow defenseman Viacheslav Fetisov, and forwards Igor Larionov, Sergei Fedorov and Vyacheslav Kozlov.\n', '

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