Russell featured in the 1973 Stanley Cup Finals with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Russell had a reputation as a bruising, physical player and retired with over 2000 penalty minutes to go along with 424 career points.
He played for the Chicago Black Hawks, Atlanta/Calgary Flames, New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres, and retired in 1988.
He was most recently an assistant coach with the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League.
In 2007, Russell was hired as an assistant coach for the now defunct Pensacola Ice Pilots of the ECHL under John Marks.