Yury Korolyov

Yuri Vasilyevich Korolev (; 6 June 1934 – ) was a Russian ice hockey administrator, coach and civil servant. He educated athletes and coaches while working for the State Committee for Sports and Physical Education and the All-Union Council on Physical Culture and Sports. He led the Soviet Union national ice hockey team research group for 28 years, when the Soviets won seventeen Ice Hockey World Championships and seven Winter Olympic Games gold medals. He was later an executive with the Ice Hockey Federation of Russia and the International Ice Hockey Federation. He was recognized with the Order of Friendship, induction into the Russian Hockey Hall of Fame, and the Paul Loicq Award.

Early life Korolev was born 6 June 1934, in Moscow, Soviet Union. He dreamed of being an ice hockey player but lacked the necessary skills. He chose to end his playing career by age 20 and transition to coaching.

Career Joining the State Committee for Sports and Physical Education in 1954, Korolev began a career of educating athletes and coaches. He served as the head of the hockey department at the State Committee for Sports and Physical Education from 1974 to 1983, and was the head teacher of its school of hockey coaches. During the 1990 Goodwill Games, Korolev spoke out against Sergei Fedorov leaving the Soviet national team and signing a five-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings. Korolev insisted that his player was stolen by premeditated actions and, rather than defecting on his own "under normal circumstances". He said that "having this happen on the eve of the goodwill games, is like a spoon of tar in a barrel of honey". At the end of his tenure, he was head coach of the national team from 1990 and 1992. and a bronze medal at the 1991 World Championships.

Korolev retired from coaching then served as vice-president of the Ice Hockey Federation of Russia from 1992 to 2001, and as its secretary general from 2001 to 2003.

Korolev's death was announced on 1 March 2026; he was 91.

Honors Korolev was made a recipient of the Order of Friendship by the Russian Federation on 20 December 1996. He was elected to the Russian and Soviet Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004. He received the Paul Loicq Award during the 2011 IIHF World Championship, for recognition of his contributions to the IIHF and international ice hockey.