As a member of the Soviet Union men's national ice hockey team, he played in the Summit Series, the Ice Hockey World Championships, and the Olympic Games.

Born in Moscow, Alexander Yakushev is best known as one of the stars for the Soviet Union men's national ice hockey team that played Team Canada in the famous 1972 Summit Series.

His style of play was atypical of his colleagues who were fast and skilled; he was often described as the equivalent of Canada's Phil Esposito.

Although often overshadowed by his famous teammate Valeri Kharlamov, by the end of the Summit Series, Yakushev led the Soviets in scoring with 7 goals and 4 assists for 11 points.

[3] On June 26, 2018, it was announced that he would be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, joining fellow Summit Series teammates Vladislav Tretiak and Valeri Kharlamov.