Sergei Samsonov

Sergei Viktorovich Samsonov (Russian: Серге́й Ви́кторович Самсо́нов; born October 27, 1978) is a Russian former professional ice hockey forward who is now a scout for the Carolina Hurricanes. He played in the NHL with six teams from 1997 to 2011. Internationally Samsonov played for the Russian national team in several tournaments, including the 2002 Winter Olympics, where he won a bronze medal.

Sergei Samsonov
Samsonov with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2008
Born (1978-10-27) October 27, 1978
Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Height 5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight 188 lb (85 kg; 13 st 6 lb)
Position Left Wing
Shot Right
Played for Boston Bruins
Edmonton Oilers
Montreal Canadiens
Chicago Blackhawks
Carolina Hurricanes
Florida Panthers
CSKA Moscow
Dynamo Moscow
National team  Russia
NHL draft 8th overall, 1997
Boston Bruins
Playing career 19942011

Playing career

As a youth, Samsonov played in the 1992 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a team from Moscow.[1]

Samsonov was drafted by the Boston Bruins eighth overall in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. Boston drafted Joe Thornton first overall in the same draft. In his rookie year, Samsonov won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's best rookie after scoring 22 goals and a total of 47 points. In the 2000–01 season, he played in his only NHL All-Star Game in Denver.

Before playing in the NHL, Samsonov represented Russia in 1996 and 1997 at the World Junior Hockey Championships. He led the 1997 Russian team to a bronze medal and was named the tournament's most outstanding forward after scoring six goals in six games. He later played for Russia in 2002 at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, earning a bronze medal.

In his early career, Samsonov was a highly touted prospect as the next future star of international hockey as he wowed fans and scouts alike with his shifty turns and scoring prowess. Samsonov scored 110 goals in 50 games with the Red Army junior team in 1994–95. That was prior to moving up to the Elite team later that season. He had 23 goals, 19 assists for a total of 42 points with 26 PIM in 64 career games with the Red Army elite team. In 1996–97, he played for the Detroit Vipers of the International Hockey League, and won the Garry F. Longman Memorial Trophy as the league's Rookie of the Year. He also won the league championship, the Turner Cup, with the Vipers. Samsonov is the only player in history to ever win the rookie of the year award for the IHL and the NHL in back-to-back seasons.

Samsonov scored his first NHL goal on October 25, 1997. It occurred in Boston's 5-4 loss to the Florida Panthers.

On March 9, 2006, Samsonov was traded from Boston to the Edmonton Oilers for Marty Reasoner, Yan Stastny, and a second-round pick in the 2006 NHL entry draft (Milan Lucic).[2] He was part of the Oilers team that made it to the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals.

On July 12, 2006, Samsonov signed with the Montreal Canadiens for a two-year contract worth $7.05 million. Through a lackluster season, the Canadiens placed Samsonov on waivers in February 2007,[3] and traded him to the Chicago Blackhawks for Jassen Cullimore and Tony Salmelainen in June 2007.

On January 3, 2008, the Blackhawks assigned Samsonov to the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League (AHL) after he cleared waivers.

On January 8, 2008, the Carolina Hurricanes claimed Samsonov off re-entry waivers. He recorded his first point as a Hurricane on January 12, 2008, against the Colorado Avalanche and scored his first goal three days later in a three-point game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

On April 16, 2008, the Hurricanes announced that they had reached an agreement with Samsonov for a three-year contract worth $7.6 million. The deal paid Samsonov $2.3 million in 2008–09, $2.5 million in 2009–10 and $2.8 million in 2010–11.[4]

At the 2011 trade deadline, Samsonov was traded to the Florida Panthers, where he played 20 games.[5]

In 2014 Samsonov became a scout for the Carolina Hurricanes,[6] and in 2017 they hired him to train their forwards.[7] In July 2023, Samsonov announced that he was leaving Carolina.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GPGAPtsPIM GPGAPtsPIM
1994–95 CSKA–2 Moscow RUS-2 5011072182
1994–95 CSKA Moscow RUS 1322414 20000
1995–96 CSKA Moscow RUS 5121173812 31124
1996–97 Detroit Vipers IHL 7329356418 19841212
1997–98 Boston Bruins NHL 812225478 62570
1998–99 Boston Bruins NHL 7925265118 113140
1999–00 Boston Bruins NHL 771926454
2000–01 Boston Bruins NHL 8229467518
2001–02 Boston Bruins NHL 7429417027 62240
2002–03 Boston Bruins NHL 856112 50220
2003–04 Boston Bruins NHL 581723404 72570
2004–05 Dynamo Moscow RSL 31010 31230
2005–06 Boston Bruins NHL 5518193722
2005–06 Edmonton Oilers NHL 19511166 244111514
2006–07 Montreal Canadiens NHL 639172610
2007–08 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 230446
2007–08 Carolina Hurricanes NHL3814183210
2007–08 Rockford IceHogs AHL 21010
2008–09 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 8116324828 175386
2009–10 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 7214152932
2010–11 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 5810162612
2010–11 Florida Panthers NHL 20311142
NHL totals 888235336571209 7618294720

International

Medal record
Ice hockey
Representing  Russia
Winter Olympics
Bronze medal – third place2002 Salt Lake City
World Junior Championship
Bronze medal – third place 1996 United States
Bronze medal – third place 1997 Switzerland
European Junior Championship
Gold medal – first place 1996 Russia

International

Year Team Event GPGAPtsPIM
1995 Russia EJC 52460
1996 Russia EJC 53254
1996 Russia WJC 74260
1997 Russia WJC 66170
2002 Russia OLY 61234
2004 Russia WCH 41230
Junior totals 23159244
Senior totals 102464

References

  1. "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2019-02-03.
  2. "Oilers acquire Sergei Samsonov from Boston". NHL.com. March 9, 2006. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  3. "Canadiens Place Samsonov On Waiver". Thehockeynews.com. 2007-02-06. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-02-06.
  4. "Hurricanes Agree to Terms with Sergei Samsonov". Carolinahurricanes.com. 2007-04-01. Archived from the original on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2007-04-16.
  5. "HURRICANES SEND SERGEI SAMSONOV TO PANTHERS IN EXCHANGE FOR BRYAN ALLEN". thehockeynews.com. February 28, 2011. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  6. "Hurricanes add Samsonov to scouting department". NHL.com. September 16, 2014.
  7. "Forgotten Carolina Hurricanes - Sergei Samsonov". 30 December 2021.
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