Archive for the 'NHL' Category

29
Apr
13

Sergei Bobrovsky

By russkiyhockey Leave a Comment
Categories: NHL and Player Profiles

Full name: Sergei Andreevich Bobrovsky
Team: Columbus Blue Jackets
Number: 72
Position: Goaltender
Height: 6’2”/189 cm
Weight: 190 lbs/86 kg
Catches: Left
Born: September 20, 1988 in Novokuznetsk, RUS
Drafted: Not drafted in NHL

Strengths: Bobrovsky is a naturally athletic butterfly-style goaltender and is quickly becoming one of the NHL’s most competitive and elite netminders. He is a hard worker whose confidence can inspire his team to go on long winning streaks.

Weaknesses: Bobrovsky is still establishing himself as a long-term no. 1 goalie and has yet to find success in the playoffs. He has no playoff wins in six starts.

Biography: Sergei Bobrovsky was born in and began playing hockey in the Siberian city of Novokuznetsk. He developed as a goaltender with the Metallurg club. In 2006, he made his professional debut playing for Metallurg in the Russian Superleague. From the next season onwards, he was the team’s starting goalie. Bobrovsky played well and was even invited to the league’s all-star game in 2008, but his team was a perennial playoff outsider. At the 2008 World Junior Championship, Bobrovsky was Russia’s main goaltender and the team finished with bronze medals. Sergei’s big break came in 2010, when his contract with Metallurg Novokuznetsk expired. He was never drafted in the NHL, so he was signed a contract with the Philadelphia Flyers as a free agent. Despite making the Stanley Cup final in the previous season, the Flyers’ goaltending was a major question mark during the 2010 training camp. An injury to the team’s main goalie gave Bobrovsky the chance to show he could be the no. 1. One month into the season, Bobrovsky was leading all NHL goalies in wins (11 in 14 games) and was named the rookie of the month. By the end of the season, he accumulated 28 wins in 54 games. Despite his regular season success, Bobrovsky faltered in his first playoff game and was relegated to backup. For the next season, the Flyers signed fellow Russian Ilya Bryzgalov to share goalkeeping duties with Bobrovsky. Sergei was the backup for most of the season and his statistics were not as good as in the previous season. In the summer of 2012, he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets. During the 2012-13 NHL lockout, Bobrovsky played for SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL. He had an excellent rebound season and rgained confidence, posting 18 wins in 24 games for SKA before the NHL resumed. Bobrovsky continued his brilliant play for Columbus. He was the team’s MVP in the short season and almost led the Blue Jackets to the playoffs. Although the team did not make the post-season, Sergei was nominated for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goalie.

Club Stats:

Season Team GP W L T OL GAA Save % SO
2006-07 Metallurg Novokuznetsk 8 2.78 0
2007-08 Metallurg Novokuznetsk 24 2.97 1
2008-09 Metallurg Novokuznetsk 32 7 20 2 2.49 92.7 1
2009-10 Metallurg Novokuznetsk 35 9 22 3 2.72 91.9 1
2010-11 Philadelphia 54 28 13 8 2.59 91.5 0
2011-12 Philadelphia 29 14 10 2 3.02 89.9 0
2012-13 SKA St. Petersburg 24 18 3 2 1.94 93.2 4
2012-13 Columbus 38  21  11  6  2.00  93.2  4 
Totals RHL/KHL Reg. Season 123 2.56 7
Totals RHL Playoffs 1 0 1 4.02 0
Totals NHL Reg. Season 121 63  34    16  2.49  91.7  4 
Totals NHL Playoffs 7 0 2 4.04 84.8 0

National Team Stats:

Year Tournament GP W L T GAA SO
2008 World U20 6 4 2 0 2.46 0
Totals U20 Level 6 4 2 0 2.46 0

Photo Gallery:

11
Dec
11

Semyon Varlamov

By russkiyhockey 1 Comment
Categories: NHL and Player Profiles

Full name: Semyon Aleksandrovich Varlamov
Team: Colorado Avalanche
Number: 1
Position: Goaltender
Height: 6’2”/189 cm
Weight: 209 lbs/95 kg
Catches: Left
Born: April 27, 1988 in Samara, RUS
Drafted: Selected by the Washington Capitals in the 1st round (23rd overall) of the 2006 Entry Draft

Strengths: Varlamov is a prototypical butterfly-style goaltender with excellent reflexes, flexibility, and size. Varlamov has a very good save percentage early into his NHL career and is developing into a long-term no. 1 goaltender.

Weaknesses: Injuries and inconsistency had prevented Varlamov from playing a full NHL season until his fourth season. Varlamov’s puckhandling skills are his main weakness.

Biography:  Semyon Varlamov was born in Samara (then still known as Kuybyshev) – an industrial city on the Volga. After moving to Yaroslavl, a city further up the Volga, Varlamov developed into the best goalie prospect in his age group with the Lokomotiv hockey organization. Playing his way through the farm league, Varlamov debuted in the Superleague at the age of 18 and quickly became Lokomotiv’s number one goaltender. In 2007, Varlamov was Russia’s goaltender at the World Junior Championship and helped the team to a silver medal finish. Even before then, he was already drafted by the Washington Capitals and had good NHL potential. After two successful seasons in the Superleague, Semyon came to North America to play for Washington’s farm club. Throughout the regular season of 2008-09, he was called up to the big club a few times and proved to be effective, winning 4 of 6 games. The average play of Capitals starting goalie Jose Theodore prompted the club to entrust Varlamov with the goaltending duties for the playoffs. Varlamov was excellent, registering two shutouts in the first round against the Rangers. The Capitals were ultimately eliminated by the Penguins in game 7 of the second round, but Varlamov had left his mark as the team’s prospective no. 1 starter. Semyon continued collecting victories in the next season, but an injury two months in forced him to undergo a conditioning stint with the farm club. Varlamov regained his position towards the end of the season, but the Capitals only lasted one playoff round. In 2010, Varlamov was named to Russia’s Olympic team, but did not see any ice time. Semyon’s chance to shine for the national team came at the 2010 World Championship, where he went undefeated until Russia’s tight loss to the Czechs in the final. Semyon spent his third NHL season mostly as the backup to fellow young goalie Michal Neuvirth. However, Varlamov was selected to start in the 2011 Winter Classic outdoor game against the Penguins. In Washington, Varlamov was one of three Russians, along with Alexander Ovechkin and Alexander Semin, to have a strong fan following. He even starred in a humorous ad with Ovechkin. In the 2011 off-season, the Capitals decided to go in a different direction with their goaltending and traded Varlamov to the Colorado Avalanche. In Colorado, Varlamov is starting in a lot more games than he did in Washington, but also has a more fragile and younger team in front of him. In 2012, Varlamov once again was the main goaltender for Russia at the World Championship. This time, Varlamov won all 8 games that he started, including the gold-medal final. For the duration of the 2012-13 NHL lockout, Varlamov returned to play for the club that developed him, Lokomotiv, and put up outstanding numbers.

Club Stats:

Season Team

GP

W

L

T

OL

GAA

Save %

SO
2004-05 Lokomotiv-2 Yaroslavl (RHL-3)

8

2.43

1
2005-06 Lokomotiv-2 Yaroslavl (RHL-3)

33

2.02

8
2006-07 Lokomotiv-2 Yaroslavl (RHL-3)

2

1.50

0
2006-07 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl

33

2.17

3
2007-08 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl

44

2.45

3
2008-09 Hershey (AHL)

27

19

7

1

2.40

92.0

2
2008-09 Washington

6

4

0

1

2.37

91.8

0
2009-10 Hershey (AHL)

3

3

0

0

1.95

93.3

0
2009-10 Washington

26

15

4

6

2.55

90.9

2
2010-11 Hershey (AHL)

3

2

1

0

3.36

85.5

0
2010-11 Washington

27

11

9

5

2.23

92.4

2
2011-12 Colorado

53

26

24

3

2.59

91.3

4
2012-13 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl

16

8

4

3

1.74

94.6

3
2012-13 Colorado

35

11

21

3

3.02

90.3

3
Totals RHL/KHL Reg. Season

77

2.23

6
Totals RHL Playoffs

22

2.00

5
Totals NHL Reg. Season

147

67

58

18

2.61

91.2

11
Totals NHL Playoffs

19

10

9

2.49

91.5

2

National Team Stats:

Year Tournament

GP

W

L

T

GAA

SO
2005 World U18

2

2

0

0

3.52

0
2005 World U18

2

2

0

0

2.50

0
2006 World U20

1

1

0

0

1.00

0
2007 World U20

6

5

1

0

1.51

2
2010 Olympic Games

0

0

0

0

0

0
2010 World Championship

5

4

1

0

1.41

1
2012 World Championship

8

8

0

0

1.77

1
2013 World Championship

4

2

1

0

3.59

0
Totals U18 Level

4

4

0

0

 3.01

0
Totals U20 Level

7

6

1

0

1.44

2
Totals Senior Level

17

14

2

0

 2.09

2

Photo Gallery:

13
Nov
11

Nikolai Kulemin

By russkiyhockey 1 Comment
Categories: NHL and Player Profiles

Full name: Nikolai Vladimirovich Kulemin
Team: Toronto Maple Leafs
Number: 41
Position: Left Wing
Height: 6’1”/186 cm
Weight: 220 lbs/100 kg
Shoots: Left
Born: July 14, 1986 in Magnitogorsk, RUS
Drafted: Selected by Toronto Maple Leafs in 2nd round (44th overall) of the 2006 Entry Draft

Strengths: Kulemin is an effective defensively-responsible forward with plenty of speed, grit, and a heavy shot. He rarely gives up fighting for the puck, fits in well on any line he is assigned to, and is reliable in any situation in the game.

Weaknesses: While Kulemin has proved that he is a 30-goal scorer, he sometimes falls into long dry spells throughout the season. He doesn’t seem to take as many shots on net as he is capable of.

Biography: Like his friend and fellow NHL star Evgeni Malkin, Nikolai Kulemin was born and raised in the steelmaking city of Magnitogorsk in the southern Ural Mountains. As a teenager, Kulemin developed with the local Metallurg hockey school and made it to the professional league at the age of 17. In 2004, Kulemin was a member of Russia’s team that won gold at the under-18 championship. In his third professional season, Kulemin was transferred to Magnitogorsk’s main club, which played in the Russian Superleague. The 2006-07 season was a breakthrough year for Nikolai. Not only did his Metallurg win the Superleague championship, but he was also named the league MVP after tallying 27 goals in 54 games. After one more productive season in Russia, Kulemin moved on to play in the NHL for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team that had drafted him in 2006. Nikolai became one of the few players in Leafs history to score in his first NHL game – it was the gamewinning goal against the Detroit Red Wings. Nikolai’s adjustment to North American hockey and life was eased by the presence of three other Russian speakers on the Maple Leafs – Nikolai Antropov, Alexei Ponikarovsky, and Mikhail Grabovski. Towards the end of the 2009-10 season, Kulemin was promoted to his team’s first line with sniper Phil Kessel and centre Tyler Bozak. In 2010-11, Kulemin emerged as the Leafs’ hardest working player and one of the league’s best two-way forwards. His line with Grabovski and Clarke MacArthur was the team’s most consistent and also arguably the NHL’s most productive second line. Nikolai also broke the 30-goal mark for the first time in his career. In just his fourth NHL season, Nikolai is already the longest-tenured player in Toronto. Kulemin has also played for Russia in five world championship tournaments and has won silver and bronze medals, as well as the gold medal in 2012. During the 2012-13 NHL lockout, Nikolai returned to his hometown to play for Metallurg. Playing on a line with Evgeni Malkin and Sergei Mozyakin, Kulemin scored at more than a point-per-game rate. He returned rejuvenated to Toronto and helped the Leafs make the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons.

Club Stats:

Season Team

GP

G

A

PTS

+/-

PIM
2003-04 Metallurg-2 Magnitogorsk (RHL-3)

43

8

18

26

91
2004-05 Metallurg-2 Magnitogorsk (RHL-3)

43

9

13

22

44
2005-06 Metallurg-2 Magnitogorsk (RHL-3)

4

3

1

3

6
2005-06 Metallurg Magnitogorsk

31

5

7

12

8
2006-07 Metallurg Magnitogorsk

54

27

12

39

42
2007-08 Metallurg Magnitogorsk

57

21

12

33

63
2008-09 Toronto (AHL)

5

0

0

0

0
2008-09 Toronto

73

15

16

31

-8

18
2009-10 Toronto

78

16

20

36

0

16
2010-11 Toronto

82

30

27

57

+7

26
2011-12 Toronto

70

7

21

28

+2

6
2012-13 Metallurg Magnitogorsk

36

14

24

38

+25

26
2012-13 Toronto

48

7

16

23

-5

22
Totals RHL/KHL Reg. Season

178

67

55

122

139
Totals RHL Playoffs

37

14

7

21

45
Totals NHL Reg. Season

351

75

100

175

-4

88
Totals NHL Playoffs

7

0

1

1

-9

0

National Team Stats:

Year Tournament

GP

G

A

PTS

PIM
2004 World U18

6

0

2

2

2
2006 World U20

4

4

2

6

25
2006 World Championship

7

1

3

4

2
2007 World Championship

9

2

1

3

0
2010 World Championship

9

3

2

5

25
2011 World Championship

9

1

0

1

2
2012 World Championship 10 1 3 4 0
Totals U18 Level

6

0

2

2

2
Totals U20 Level

4

4

2

6

25
Totals Senior Level

44

8

9

17

29

Photo Gallery:

10
Mar
11

Sergei Samsonov

By russkiyhockey Leave a Comment
Categories: NHL and Player Profiles

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

Photo Gallery:

23
Nov
10

Alexander Semin

By russkiyhockey Leave a Comment
Categories: NHL and Player Profiles

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:

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Welcome to Russkiy Hockey! This website is dedicated to the most talented Russian hockey players who bring a different game to the NHL - a game of speed, creativity, and discipline. On this site you can find out about the careers and accomplishments of these athletes, as well as about the history of Russian hockey, the latest stats of Russian hockey players, and the national team's successes at international tournaments. Enjoy your visit!

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