Vitālijs Samoilovs
| Vitālijs Samoilovs | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
17 April 1962 Riga, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union | ||
| Position | Goalie | ||
| Played for |
Dinamo Riga Latvijas Berzs Sokil Kyiv Latvijas Zelts Riga Alianse Riga | ||
| National team |
 Soviet Union | ||
| Playing career | 1982–1991 | ||
|
Medal record | |||
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Vitālijs Samoilovs (Russian: Виталий Анатольевич Самойлов; born 17 April 1962) is a former Latvian professional ice hockey player who played in the Soviet Championship League. He played for Dynamo Riga and Sokil Kyiv.
The best season of his career was 1987-88, in which he made the Soviet National Team, but as a back-up goaltender, he never actually played in a national team game. He was the third-string goaltender at the 1987 Canada Cup and didn't appear in any games. He was selected for the gold-medal-winning Soviet team at the 1988 Winter Olympics but was Sergei Mylnikov back-up. Also, he was Yevgeni Belosheikin back-up at the 1987 Ice Hockey World Championships where he won a silver medal. Lastly, that season, he led Dinamo Riga to a surprising third-place finish in the Championship League.
The following year an injury caused him to lose his starting job in Riga to Arturs Irbe.
References
- Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
- Vitālijs Samoilovs profile at Latvian Olympic Committee