MOSCOW - Viktor Tikhonov, the Soviet hockey coach whose teams won three Olympic gold medals but fell to the United States in the Miracle on Ice, died after a long illness. Ron Cey Cubs Jersey . He was 84.Russias Kontinental Hockey League said early Monday that Tikhonov died during the night. He had been receiving treatment at home for an undisclosed illness that had left him unable to walk in recent weeks.The entire global hockey community has lost a great coach, Vladislav Tretiak, who played goalie for Tikhonovs Soviet team and now heads the Russian Hockey Federation, told Russias R-Sport news agency.He devoted his entire life to hockey until the last second. Even when I was with him in hospital, we were discussing what needed to be done and how, in order to raise the Russian national team to the very highest level.Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed condolences to Tikhonovs family, the Kremlin said. The Russian Sports Ministry called his death an irreplaceable loss for hockey fans worldwide.While a successful player, winning four Soviet titles as a defenceman, Tikhonov came into his own during 14 years in charge of the Soviet national team.Under Tikhonov, the Soviet Big Red Machine was a powerhouse, although it had to settle for the silver medal at the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid after the stunning defeat to the United States.Tikhonovs teams went on to win Olympic gold in 1984 and 1988, and he took the post-Soviet Unified Team to another gold at the 1992 Games. He also led the Soviet team to eight world championship titles.An authoritarian leader with a taste for intense training sessions, Tikhonov used the Soviet political system to control his players and was known to cut star players from the team for international tournaments if he feared they might defect to the West.Tikhonovs funeral will take place Thursday with a memorial service at CSKA Moscow, the club he coached to 14 national championships, Russian media reported.Tikhonov remained an active coach until 2004, when he stepped down from the Russian national team aged 73 after an unsuccessful comeback. He continued to shape Russian hockey as part of the management of CSKA and the Russian Hockey Federation until this year.In recent years, Tikhonov provided guidance to his grandson, also named Viktor Tikhonov, a former player for the Phoenix Coyotes.On Monday, Viktor Tikhonov Jr. scored two goals and had an assist as his KHL team SKA St. Petersburg lost 5-3 to CSKA.Were in mourning, weve lost a great man, CSKA coach Dmitry Kvartalnov told local media.Tikhonovs only son Vasily, who spent three years as assistant coach with the San Jose Sharks, died last year in a fall at his Moscow apartment. Tyler Chatwood Jersey . TSN was honoured with several awards, with Rod Smith and James Duthie sharing the win for Best Sports Host for SportsCentre and the NHL: Season On The Brink coverage, respectively. Ryan Dempster Cubs Jersey . -- San Francisco 49ers offensive co-ordinator Greg Roman is a finalist to replace Joe Paterno at Penn State, his agent said Monday. https://www.cheapcubs.com/1910t-koji-uehara-jersey-cubs.html . - Jerome Verrier scored the winner 8:24 into overtime and Louis-Phillip Guindon stopped 46 shots as the Drummondville Voltigeurs edged the host Val-dOr Foreurs 4-3 on Friday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoff action. NEW YORK -- The Knicks went coast to coast to let Carmelo Anthony know they want him to stay in New York. Team officials travelled to Los Angeles on Thursday night to meet with the free agent, a person with knowledge of the plans said. Team President Phil Jackson and general manager Steve Mills were expected to be part of the meeting but not Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because details of the meeting were to remain private. The meeting was first reported by ESPN. Anthony was in Los Angeles to meet with the Lakers, who are among the teams hoping to convince the All-Star forward to leave New York. Anthony already visited Chicago, Houston and Dallas this week. The Knicks can offer him the largest contract, nearly $130 million over five years, though Jackson has said he hopes Anthony will take less than a maximum deal. Mickey Morandini Jersey. Other teams can offer Anthony slightly less than $100 million in a four-year deal, according to NBA rules. Contracts cant be signed until July 10, so Anthony is under no rush to make a decision. But the Knicks apparently wanted to make sure they got to make a final pitch after his free agency tour. Jackson, Mills and new coach Derek Fisher had already met with Anthony last month in Los Angeles, where he informed them he would be terminating the final year of his contract and becoming a free agent. He has never said he wants to leave the Knicks, who acquired him from Denver in a February 2011 trade. But the 30-year-old forward also said his priority is contending for championships, and the Knicks were just 37-45 last season, the first time in Anthonys 11-year career that he missed the playoffs. ' ' '