Alexei Ponikarovsky

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Alexei Ponikarovsky

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Alexei Ponikarovsky
Олексій Понікаровський
Born (1980-04-09) April 9, 1980 (age 32)
Kiev, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Height 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight 220 lb (100 kg; 15 st 10 lb)
Position Left Wing
Shoots Left
NHL team
Former teams
New Jersey Devils
Krylya Sovetov (RHL)
Dynamo Moscow (RSL)
Toronto Maple Leafs
Khimik Moscow Oblast (RSL)
Pittsburgh Penguins
Los Angeles Kings
Carolina Hurricanes
National team  Ukraine
NHL Draft 87th overall, 1998
Toronto Maple Leafs
Playing career 1998–present

Oleksiy Volodymyrovych "Alexei" Ponikarovsky (Ukrainian: Олексій Володимирович Понікаровський; born April 9, 1980) is a Ukrainian Canadian[1] professional ice hockey player currently playing for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Contents

Playing career

RSL

Ponikarovsky played for Dynamo 2 and Dynamo Jr., farm teams during 1995–99 campaigns, seeing a little action with the main club during the 1998–99 season and finally becoming a fixture on the team during the 1999–00 season when Dynamo won the Russian Superleague Championship.

In 1997–98, Ponikarovsky played 24 games for Dynamo Moscow in the First Division of the Russian Hockey League collecting three points with 30 penalty minutes. He then played 13 games for Krylya Sovetov of the Russian Elite League in 1998–99 and played three playoff games for Moscow Dynamo.

In 1999–00, Ponikarovsky played 19 games for Dynamo Moscow of the Russian Elite League and played 29 games for THK Tver in the First Division of the Russian Hockey League collecting 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) with 26 penalty minutes.

NHL

Ponikarovsky with the Penguins

In the 2005–06 NHL season, Ponikarovsky put up career highs in goals, assists. points, and penalty minutes. He saw added responsibility and was given more ice-time, often with former Dynamo Moscow teammate Nik Antropov or Mats Sundin, and became one of the team's regular penalty-killers. Ponikarovsky finished the season with four shorthanded goals and 1 assist. His four shorthanded goals tied ten players, including teammate Matt Stajan, for eighth in the league.[2]

On December 16, 2006, Ponikarovsky notched a career high five points in Toronto's 9-2 victory of the New York Rangers, scoring two goals and assisting on three others. He is commonly referred to by his teammates as "The Poni Express", "The Ukraine Train" or simply "Poni". On May 10, 2007, the Maple Leafs re-signed Ponikarovsky to a $6.315 million, 3-year contract.[3]

On March 2, 2010, Ponikarovsky was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Luca Caputi and Martin Skoula.[4] Following the trade, he remained optimistic he would resume contract talks with Toronto in the off-season.[5] In his debut game with the Penguins on March 6, 2010 against the Dallas Stars, he scored his first goal with his new team.

On July 27, 2010, Ponikarovsky signed with the Los Angeles Kings, receiving a signing bonus of $200,000 and a one-year contract for $3M.

On July 1, 2011, Ponikarovsky signed a one-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes reportedly worth $1.5 million.[6]

On January 20, 2012, Ponikarovsky was traded to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for defenseman Joe Sova and a 4th round pick in the 2012 entry draft.

Off the ice

On June 7, 2007 Ponikarovsky became a Canadian citizen during a ceremony in Etobicoke, Ontario. Ponikarovsky lives in Toronto with his wife Inna, daughter Jessica, and sons Alex and Maxim.[7] He has favored wearing the number 23 as two of his grandparents were born on the 23rd, along with his wife.

Career statistics

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1998–99 Krylya Sovetov RHL 13 2 1 3 2
1998–99 Dynamo Moscow RSL 3 0 0 0 2
1999–00 Dynamo Moscow RSL 19 1 0 1 8 1 0 0 0 0
2000–01 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 22 1 3 4 14
2000–01 St. John's Maple Leafs AHL 49 12 24 36 44 4 0 0 0 4
2001–02 St. John's Maple Leafs AHL 72 21 27 48 19 5 2 1 3 8
2001–02 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 8 2 0 2 0
2002–03 St. John's Maple Leafs AHL 63 24 22 46 68
2002–03 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 13 0 3 3 11
2003–04 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 73 9 19 28 44 13 1 3 4 8
2004–05 Khimik Moscow Oblast RSL 19 1 5 6 16
2005–06 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 81 21 17 38 68
2006–07 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 71 21 24 45 63
2007–08 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 66 18 17 35 36
2008–09 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 82 23 38 61 38
2009–10 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 61 19 22 41 44
2009–10 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 16 2 7 9 17 11 1 4 5 4
2010–11 Los Angeles Kings NHL 61 5 10 15 36 4 1 0 1 0
2011-12 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 49 7 8 15 26
2011-12 New Jersey Devils NHL 33 7 11 18 8
NHL totals 636 135 179 314 405 38 3 7 10 16

International statistics

Year Team Event Result   GP G A Pts PIM
2002 Ukraine Oly 10th 4 1 1 2 6
Senior int'l totals 4 1 1 2 6

References

External links


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