Alexei Zhamnov

Full name: Alexei Yurievich Zhamnov
Last team: Boston Bruins
Number: 13
Position: Center
Height: 6’1”/185 cm
Weight: 204 lbs/92 kg
Shoots: Left
Born: September 30, 1970 in Moscow, RUS
Drafted: Selected by the Winnipeg Jets in 4th round (77th overall) of the 1990 Entry Draft

Strengths: Alexei Zhamnov played like a prototypical Russian center – patient, skilled with the puck, and with excellent passing abilities. He scored many impressive goals in his career.

Weaknesses: Despite his size, Zhamnov was not physical enough. Also, with his talent, he sometimes didn’t play to his full ability when under pressure.

Biography: As a boy, Alexei Zhamnov was an average student and not very disciplined. He had a fun childhood with hockey being his #1 passion. He was lucky to be noticed by a trainer from the Dynamo organization when practising in a backyard. Alexei was invited to the Dynamo sports school, where he developed his hockey skills and was a productive center. He was drafted to the NHL in 1990, but left two years later, after earning three Soviet league championships with Dynamo (1990-92), a silver medal at the World Juniors, participation at the Canada Cup, and gold medals at the 1991 World Championship and the 1992 Olympics. The Alexei arrived in North America as one of the best young Russian forwards. On the Winnipeg Jets, he enjoyed being the playmaking centre to star snipers Keith Tkachuk and Teemu Selanne. On April 1, 1995, Zhamnov scored five goals in one game and finished third in NHL scoring that season. Next year he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for fan favourite Jeremy Roenick. Zhamnov felt the pressure to be as great a player in Chicago. In 2002, Alexei became the first European captain of the Blackhawks. Unfortunately, Chicago made the NHL playoffs only once with Zhamnov. Internationally, Zhamnov played for Russia at the 1998 and 2002 Olympics, winning silver and bronze medals in addition to his gold from 1992. He later hinted that he was done playing for Russia. In 2004, Zhamnov was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers, where he was a crucial part of their offense. During the NHL lockout, Zhamnov played for Vityaz Chekhov in Russia’s second league. He was briefly a Boston Bruin before retiring due to injury. Alexei then returned to Russia to be the general manager of Vityaz, a position he retains to this day.

Club Stats:

Season	Team	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	PIM
1988-89	Dynamo Moscow	4	0	0	0		0
1989-90	Dynamo Moscow	43	11	6	17		21
1990-91	Dynamo Moscow	46	16	12	28		24
1991-92	Dynamo Moscow	39	15	21	36		28
1992-93	Winnipeg	68	25	47	72	+7	58
1993-94	Winnipeg	61	26	45	70	-20	62
1994-95	Winnipeg	48	30	35	65	+5	20
1995-96	Winnipeg	58	22	37	59	-4	65
1996-97	Chicago	74	20	42	62	+18	56
1997-98	Chicago	70	21	28	49	+16	61
1998-99	Chicago	76	20	41	61	-10	50
1999-00	Chicago	71	23	37	60	+7	61
2000-01	Chicago	63	13	36	49	-12	40
2001-02	Chicago	77	22	45	67	+8	67
2002-03	Chicago	74	15	43	58	0	70
2003-04	Chicago/Philadelphia	43	11	25	36	-1	28
2004-05	Vityaz Chekhov (RSL-2)	24	5	22	27	+11	20
2005-06	Boston	24	1	9	10	-4	30
Totals	USSR League	132	42	39	81	+8	73
Totals	NHL Reg. Season	807	249	470	719	+10	668
Totals	NHL Playoffs	35	6	13	19	-6	18

National Team Stats:

Year	Tournament	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
1990	World U20	7	6	1	7	6
1991	Worlc Championship	10	4	5	9	12
1991	Canada Cup	5	3	0	3	2
1992	Olympic Games	8	0	3	3	8
1992	World Championship	6	0	0	0	29
1996	World Cup	4	0	2	2	6
1998	Olympic Games	6	2	1	3	2
2000	World Championship	5	0	1	1	0
2002	Olympic Games	6	1	0	1	4
Totals	U20 Level	7	6	1	7	6
Totals	Senior Level	50	10	12	22	63

Photo Gallery:

Zhamnov was spectacular for the Winnipeg Jets

Scoring on a penalty shot

The captain shoots

At the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City

Celebrating a goal with the Blackhawks

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Alexander Semin

Team: Carolina Hurricanes
Number: 32
Position: Left Wing
Height: 6’2”/189 cm
Weight: 209 lbs/95 kg
Born: March 3, 1984 in Krasnoyarsk, RUS
Drafted: Selected by the Washington Capitals in 1st round (13th overall) of the 2002 Entry Draft

Strengths: Semin has an abundance of raw talent that often leaves opposing goalies and defensemen, as well as his own teammates in awe. Semin consistently shows that not only is he an elite clutch scorer but also is reliable in defensive situations.

Weaknesses: Whether in the NHL or in international competition, Semin can be prone to playing less competitively when not given a primary role on the team. At times, his undisciplined play leads to costly penalties.

Biography: Alexander Semin was born in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia and was interested in hockey from his early childhood. He developed with the Traktor Chelyabinsk organization and graduated to the main team in 2001. That season he received plenty of NHL attention and in the end was drafted by the Washington Capitals. After one year with the competitive Lada team in the Russian Superleague, Semin made the jump to the NHL in 2003. The Capitals were in rebuilding mode and Semin was one of the club’s few bright spots. During the NHL lockout of 2004-05, Alexander returned to Lada instead of spending the year with Washington’s farm team. This contradicted Washington’s plans for Semin, which got him suspended by the Capitals for that season. With NHL play resuming in 2005, Semin did not return to the Capitals because of continued military service obligations in Russia, meaning that he had to play one more year with Lada. The ensuing turn of events led to legal problems. First, the Capitals filed a complaint against Semin and his agent. Then, when Lada became mired in financial difficulty and could not pay Semin’s salary, Alexander sued for a transfer to another club. He finished the season with Khimik and afterwards returned to the Capitals. The 2006-07 season saw “Sema” produce at nearly a point-per-game rate. He found immediate chemistry playing with Washington’s other Alex, Ovechkin. The two are also good friends off the ice and hang out together during their NHL travels and during the off-season in Russia. According to teammates, Semin and Ovechkin’s are the “class clowns” of the Capitals, constantly pulling practical jokes. A streak of injuries and bad luck caused Semin to miss nearly 50 games in the next three seasons, but the additions of veterans Sergei Fedorov and Viktor Kozlov to the club influenced him to improve his defensive game and be a more complete hockey player. With Caps teammates Ovechkin and Fedorov, Alexander was part of Russia’s dynamic first line that led the way to a gold medal at the 2008 World Championship in Quebec. Semin scored two goals in the final and was named the best player of the tournament. In international play, Semin was part of Russia’s teams that won silver at the 2002 Under-18 World Championship, bronze at the 2005 Worlds, silver at the 2010 Worlds, and gold at the 2012 World Championship. Semin was controversially taken off Russia’s roster for not arriving on time for the start of training camp in Moscow before the 2007 WC. Both Semin and Russia’s coach Slava Bykov laughed the matter off later, citing miscommunication as the cause for the incident. “Sema” is not a vocal leader on his team and rarely gives English-language interviews, but he did find himself in another controversy for being honest and saying that the NHL gives too much attention to a few stars like Crosby over many other talented players. At the beginning of the 2012-13 NHL lockout, Semin agreed to play for minimal salary for his hometome club, Sokol Krasnoyarsk in Russia’s second league. After a few games with Sokol, he joined the KHL’s Torpedo in Nizhniy Novgorod. He made his return to the NHL as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes, with who he signed a five-year contract.

Club Stats:

Season	Team	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	PIM
2001-02	Traktor Chelyabinsk (RHL-2)	46	13	8	21		52
2002-03	Lada Togliatti	47	10	7	17		36
2003-04	Portland (AHL)	4	3	1	4	0	6
2003-04	Washington	52	10	12	22	-2	36
2004-05	Lada Togliatti	50	19	11	30		56
2005-06	Lada/Khimik Moscow Reg.	42	8	11	19		76
2006-07	Washington	77	38	35	73	-7	90
2007-08	Washington	63	26	16	42	-18	54
2008-09	Washington	62	34	45	79	+25	77
2009-10	Washington	73	40	44	84	+36	66
2010-11	Washington	65	28	26	54	+22	71
2011-12	Washington	77	21	33	54	+9	56
2012-13	Sokol Krasnoyarsk (VHL)	4	2	2	4	-1	8
2012-13	Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod	20	7	10	17	-9	10
2012-13	Carolina	44	13	31	44	+14	46
Totals	RHL/KHL Reg. Season	139	37	29	66		168
Totals	RHL Playoffs	28	9	6	15		16
Totals	NHL Reg. Season	513	210	242	452	+79	496
Totals	NHL Playoffs	51	15	19	34	-1	46

National Team Stats:

Year	Tournament	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
2002	World Juniors U18	8	8	7	15	16
2003	World Championship	6	0	0	0	0
2004	World Juniors U20	6	2	2	4	10
2005	World Championship	6	3	0	3	8
2006	World Championship	7	3	3	6	8
2008	World Championship	9	6	7	13	8
2010	Olympic Games	4	0	2	2	4
2010	World Championship	8	1	4	5	12
2012	World Championship	3	2	3	5	0
Totals	U18 Level	8	8	7	15	16
Totals	U20 Level	6	2	2	4	10
Totals	Senior Level	43	15	19	34	40

Photo Gallery:

Semin played three seasons with Lada Togliatti

Semin (left) was part of Washington’s Russian quartet with Kozlov, Fedorov, and Ovechkin

Celebrating goal with friend Ovechkin at the 2008 WC in Quebec

Waiting for a faceoff against Germany at the 2010 WC

Semin is a clutch scorer for the Capitals

Semin’s line with Datsyuk and Ovechkin was Russia’s most productive in the final matches of the 2012 World Championship

Playing for Traktor during the NHL lockout

Semin is a force for the Carolina Hurricanes

Vladimir Konstantinov

Vladimir Nikolaevich Konstantinov
Last team: Detroit Red Wings
Number: 16
Position: Defenseman
Height: 6’0”/183 cm
Weight: 195 lbs/88 kg
Born: March 19, 1967 in Murmansk, RUS
Drafted: Selected by the Detroit Red Wings in 11th round (211st overall) of the 1989 Entry Draft

Strengths: In his prime, Konstantinov was one of few players who would use his physical force to help his team in any situation. Despite contributing valuable offense when needed, Konstantinov will always be known as one of the most punishing and selfless defensemen to play hockey.

Weaknesses: Some of Konstantinov’s dirty play led to his nickname “Bad Vlad” as he accumulated some costly penalty minutes for his team.

Biography: Born in the Arctic port city of Murmansk, Konstantinov moved to Moscow at the age of 16 to enrol in the Central Red Army’s Olympic School. With hard work, he joined the Soviet Union’s leading hockey team, CSKA, at the age of 17. Despite being a stay-at-home defenseman, Konstantinov also developed his offensive game with the Red Army club. In a new era when more and more Russian players were moving to North America, Konstantinov saw the NHL as a natural fit where he could freely use his physical skills. He first caught attention of NHL clubs at the 1987 World Junior Championship, where he demonstrated his fighting skills during the infamous brawl between the entire Soviet and Canadian teams. Konstantinov was also on three gold-medal World Championship teams. Drafted by Detroit, Vladimir made a strong impact in his first season and was named to the NHL’s All-Rookie Team of 1992. His hard-hitting and often-penalized play gained him a reputation as one of the most feared yet respected defenseman in the league. During the 1994 NHL lockout, Konstantinov briefly played for Wedemark in Germany, where he averaged 2 points per game. In 1995-96, Konstantinov’s excellent +60 plus/minus campaign was one of the reasons for Detroit’s record-breaking season. Konstantinov clearly found his niche playing as part of the “Russian Five” unit with Sergei Fedorov, Slava Kozlov, Igor Larionov, and Slava Fetisov (his partner on defense). In 1997, “The Vladinator” was the runner-up in voting for the Norris Trophy – given to the best defenseman in the NHL. On Friday, June 13, 1997 – six days after the Wings won their first Stanley cup in 42 years – Konstantinov, Fetisov and team masseur Sergei Mnatsakanov were riding in a limousine whose driver fell asleep at the wheel and led to a serious crash. Fetisov received minor injuries, but Konstantinov and Mnatsakanov were less fortunate; both suffered severe head injuries and were in a coma for weeks. Vladimir was confined to a wheelchair and had to re-learn basic movement skills. The support from his team was unconditional. Teammates brought him the Stanley Cup, spent lots of time with Vladimir, and won another Stanley Cup in 1998. Upon receiving the Cup, team captain Steve Yzerman immediately placed the prize on Konstantinov’s lap. In a wheelchair, Konstantinov did a victory lap with his teammates. Vladimir knew what was happening and his smile showed that he was having a good time. In 2002, when the Wings became champions again, Konstantinov was there to lift the Cup too. Today, Vladimir retains his own locker in the Red Wings’ dressing room. After years of difficulty walking and communicating, Konstantinov has been making good progress. He is no longer bound to the wheelchair for getting around and has made numerous appearances at Red Wings and NHL events.

Club Stats:

Season	Team	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	PIM
1984-85	CSKA Moscow	41	1	4	5		10
1985-86	CSKA Moscow	26	4	3	7		12
1986-87	CSKA Moscow	35	2	2	4		19
1987-88	CSKA Moscow	50	3	6	9		32
1988-89	CSKA Moscow	37	7	8	15		20
1989-90	CSKA Moscow	47	14	14	28		44
1990-91	CSKA Moscow	45	5	12	17		42
1991-92	Detroit	79	8	26	34	+25	172
1992-93	Detroit	82	5	17	22	+22	137
1993-94	Detroit	80	12	21	33	+30	138
1994-95	ESC Wedemark (DEL-2)	15	13	17	30		51
1994-95	Detroit	47	3	11	14	+10	101
1995-96	Detroit	81	14	20	34	+60	139
1996-97	Detroit	77	5	33	38	+38	151
Totals	USSR League	281	36	49	85		179
Totals	NHL Reg. Season	446	47	128	175	+185	838
Totals	NHL Playoffs	82	5	14	19	+16	107

National Team Stats:

Year	Tournament	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
1985	European U18	5	1	0	1	8
1986	World U20	7	2	4	6	4
1986	World Championship	10	1	1	2	8
1987	World U20	6	1	4	5	8
1989	World Championship	8	2	1	3	2
1990	World Championship	10	2	2	4	12
1991	World Championship	10	0	2	2	37
Totals	U18 Level	5	1	0	1	8
Totals	U20 Level	13	3	8	11	12
Totals	Senior Level	38	5	6	11	59

Photo Gallery:

Konstantinov played 7 seasons for the Central Red Army club

Konstantinov upends Claude Lemieux of the Avalanche – Detroit’s chief nemesis

The 1997 Stanley Cup celebration was shortlived for Vladimir

Detroit’s 1998 Stanley Cup win was dedicated to Konstantinov and Sergei Mnatsakanov

During the 1997-98 season, the Red Wings wore this crest

Vladimir is actively involved in Red Wings events

With the help of Igor Larionov, Konstantinov presented a prize at the 2009 NHL Awards