10 | March | 2011 | Russkiy Hockey

Full name: Sergei Viktorovich Samsonov
Last team: Florida Panthers
Number: 14
Position: Left Wing
Height: 5’8”/173 cm
Weight: 188 lbs/85 kg
Shoots: Right
Born: October 27, 1978 in Moscow, RUS
Drafted: Selected by Boston Bruins in 1st round (8th overall) of the 1997 Entry Draft

Strengths: Sergei Samsonov has shown to be capable of being an elite point-per-game winger. He is among hockey’s fastest and most creative players, exciting fans with flashy plays.

Weaknesses: As one of the NHL’s smallest and least tough players, Samsonov is not a dominant force on the ice. Following an injury in 2002, he has not been able to elevate his play to higher levels and score consistently.

Biography: “Sammy” grew up in Moscow at a time when the Red Army team consisted of legends like Larionov, Makarov, Krutov, Fetisov, and later Bure, Mogilny, and Fedorov. To have the opportunity to follow in their footsteps was a great honour for Sergei, as he developed in the Red Army’s youth program since the age of six. Already at the age of sixteen he was demonstrating that he had world-class hockey skills by tearing up the junior league in scoring. Before the end of his wunderkind season, he earned a spot with the main CSKA club and drew plenty of attention from top NHL teams. Sergei shined at the 1996 and 1997 World Junior Championships, helping Russia win the bronze medal in both years and being named the tournament’s Best Forward in the latter year. While still seventeen, Samsonov moved to North America to play for the International Hockey League’s Detroit Vipers. Sergei helped his new team win the league’s championship and also was named the Rookie of the Year. He is still considered a very popular athlete in the Michigan area. Drafted to the NHL by the Bruins, Samsonov immediately made the team and had an impressive year, winning the Calder Trophy as NHL’s best rookie. He improved in each of the next few seasons, eventually becoming a top-line forward. Samsonov was a member of Russia’s Olympic team that won bronze at the 2002 Olympics. His career took a big hit later that year due to a wrist injury that required surgery and caused him to miss almost an entire NHL season. During the 2004-05 NHL lockout, Sergei joined Dynamo Moscow at the end of the season. After the NHL resumed, Samsonov suffered more injuries that hindered the quality of his play. In 2006, he was traded to Edmonton and went all the way to the Stanley Cup final with the Oilers. Samsonov signed with the Montreal Canadiens in 2006, but did not fit in well with the club and was eventually waived. He began the next season with the Chicago Blackhawks, but finished with the Carolina Hurricanes, with whom he signed a new three-year deal. In 2011, he was traded to the Florida Panthers. Samsonov is currently unsigned.

Club Stats:

Season	Team	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	PIM
1994-95	CSKA-2 Moscow (CIS-2)	50	110	72	182
1994-95	CSKA Moscow	13	2	2	4		14
1995-96	CSKA Moscow	51	21	17	38		12
1996-97	Detroit Vipers (IHL)	73	29	35	64		18
1997-98	Boston	81	22	25	47	+9	8
1998-99	Boston	79	25	26	51	-6	18
1999-00	Boston	77	19	26	45	-6	4
2000-01	Boston	82	29	46	75	+6	18
2001-02	Boston	74	29	41	70	+21	27
2002-03	Boston	8	5	6	11	+8	2
2003-04	Boston	58	17	23	40	+12	4
2004-05	Dynamo Moscow	3	1	0	1		0
2005-06	Boston/Edmonton	74	23	30	53	-3	22
2006-07	Montreal	63	9	17	26	-4	10
2007-08	Rockford (AHL)	2	1	0	1	-1	0
2007-08	Chicago/Carolina	61	14	22	36	-1	16
2008-09	Carolina	81	16	32	48	-8	28
2009-10	Carolina	72	14	15	29	-15	32
2010-11	Carolina/Florida	78	13	27	40	-2	14

Totals	RHL Reg. Season	67	24	19	43		26
Totals	RHL Playoffs	8	2	3	5		4
Totals	NHL Reg. Season	888	235	336	571	+11	209
Totals	NHL Playoffs	76	18	29	47	+7	20

National Team Stats:

Year	Tournament	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
1995	European U18	5	2	4	6	0
1996	European U18	5	3	2	5	4
1996	World U20	7	4	2	6	0
1997	World U20	6	6	1	7	0
2002	Olympic Games	6	1	2	3	4
2004	World Cup	4	1	2	3	0

Totals	U18 Level	10	5	6	11	4
Totals	U20 Level	13	10	3	13	0
Totals	Senior Level	10	2	4	6	4