Viktor Gordiouk

When the iron curtain came down in the early 1990s, Russian players were en vogue in the NHL. Teams were signing as many players as they could afford, in attempts to exploit the strong skill and skating games of the former Soviet regime.

The Sabres signed left-winger Viktor Gordiouk for the 1992-93 season. Gordiouk was a veteran of six seasons with the Soviet Wings. He had two World Junior Championships and an Olympics on his resume before coming to North America. In 1992 he won a gold medal with the renamed Commonwealth of Independent States.

Chosen 142nd overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 1990 and scored nine points in 16 games during a brief recall in 1992-93. The young forward earned a second chance at a big league career after notching 67 points for the AHL's Rochester Americans in 1993-94 but only posted 2 assists during a ten game recall in 1994-95.

Thou he was a clever little offensive player, his game was better suited for the European game.He ended up in the IHL for two years then joined Germany's Dusseldorfer in 1996-97. He remained in Germany until 2001