How Many Russian Players Are In The NHL?

NHL fans are always curious about how many Russian players are in the league. While the number fluctuates from year to year, there are always a few standouts. In this blog post, we take a look at the top Russian players in the NHL today.

Introduction

Since the 2017-2018 NHL season, there have been a total of 60 Russian players in the NHL. However, that number has been steadily decreasing in recent years. In the 2013-2014 season, there were 85 Russian players in the NHL. So far this season, there are only 42 Russian players in the NHL. Of those 42 players, only 15 are considered to be full-time NHLers.

History of Russian Players in the NHL

The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America, currently comprising 31 teams: 24 in the United States and seven in Canada. Russian players have been playing in the NHL since the league’s inaugural season in 1917–18. As of the 2019–20 NHL season, there are 32 Russian players in the NHL.

Pre-1990s

In the NHL pre-1990s, there were only a handful of Russian players. The first was Alexander Maltsev, who played for the Montreal Canadiens in the early 1950s. He was followed by other stars like Vladislav Tretiak, Valeri Kharlamov and Sergei Makarov, who all played for the Soviet national team. In the 1980s, Igor Larionov and Vladimir Krutov joined the Canucks, while Sergei Fedorov signed with the Detroit Red Wings in 1990.

1990s

In the 1990s, Russians began to establish themselves as some of the NHL’s most talented players. Notable Russian players of this era include Sergei Fedorov, Alexander Mogilny, Vladimir Konstantinov, Igor Larionov, Slava Fetisov, Pavel Bure, and Sergei Zubov. These players helped lead the Detroit Red Wings to two Stanley Cup championships in 1997 and 1998.

2000s

During the 2000s, the number of Russian players in the NHL grew exponentially. In 2001-02, there were 97 Russians in the league, and by 2003-04, that number had more than tripled to 315. The following season was even more successful for Russians in the NHL, as a total of 326 skaters and goalies from Russia suited up for at least one game. That remained the highest total ever until 2015-16, when 338 Russians played in the NHL.

The increase in Russian players during the early 2000s was due in part to the NHL’s expansion into European markets. In 1998-99, the Nashville Predators and Atlanta Thrashers became the first NHL teams based in southern U.S. states, and two years later, the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets joined them. These newly minted franchises helped spread both knowledge and interest about hockey across North America, which led to a greater influx of Europeans (including Russians) into the NHL over the next several years.

2010s

By the 2010s, the number of Russian players in the NHL began to dwindle as fewer and fewer were drafted. In 2010, only 11 Russians were drafted into the NHL, and that number fell to just seven in 2011. In 2012, there was a slight uptick with 14 Russians drafted, but that number would fall again in 2013 with only 11 players selected. The 2014 NHL Draft saw a significant drop with just four Russians being taken, the lowest total since 2000.

Notable Russian Players in the NHL

The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America, currently comprising 31 teams: 24 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The Stanley Cup, the oldest professional sports trophy in North America, is awarded annually to the league playoff champion at the end of each season.

Alexander Ovechkin

Alexander Mikhailovich “Alex” Ovechkin is a Russian professional ice hockey winger and captain of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is considered one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time. A highly touted prospect, Ovechkin was selected by the Capitals first overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. With 1,180 career points, he is the eighth-highest scoring Russian-born player in NHL history.

Ovechkin has led the NHL in goal scoring eight times and has won the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the league’s goal-scoring leader six times. He first did so in 2007–08, when he scored 65 goals and 112 points to capture his first Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s leading point scorer, becoming only the third player to reach 50 goals in fewer than 50 games played since 1983–84. He repeated as Richard Trophy winner in 2008–09 with 56 goals and 110 points to edge out Sidney Crosby for his second consecutive scoring title. In 2012–13, Ovechkin again led the league with 32 goals en route to capturing his third consecutive Richard Trophy – marking just the fourth time any player has done so – while also finishing tied for seventh overall with 87 points as he shared that season’s Art Ross Trophy with Martin St. Louis of Tampa Bay Lightning.

Evgeni Malkin

Evgeni Malkin is a Russian professional ice hockey player for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Malkin was drafted second overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the Penguins, with whom he has played his entire NHL career to date. During his rookie year, Malkin led all rookies with 85 points to capture the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie. He has since won each of the Art Ross, Hart Memorial and Ted Lindsay Awards once, making him one of only four active players to have won all three (along with Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane and Connor McDavid), and one of only nine in NHL history.

Pavel Datsyuk

Pavel Datsyuk is a Russian former professional ice hockey player. He played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Detroit Red Wings, with whom he won the Stanley Cup twice. He is considered one of the greatest players of his generation and has been compared to Wayne Gretzky. He was nicknamed “The Magic Man” by Red Wings’ fans and former teammates due to his remarkable skill with the puck.

Datsyuk was born in Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia, but grew up in Yekaterinburg. His professional career began with HC Dynamo Yekaterinburg of the Soviet Championship League in 1998. The following year, he transferred to the NHL, playing for the Red Wings. In his rookie season, he helped Detroit win the Stanley Cup for the first time in 42 years. He continued to play a major role on the team throughout his career and was one of its most popular players. In 2016, he announced his retirement from professional hockey after 19 seasons, 13 of them with Detroit.

In 2017, Datsyuk was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

Conclusion

As of the 2017-18 season, there are a total of 33 Russian players in the NHL.