Nikolay Kulemin

Nikolay Kulemin
Kulemin with the New York Islanders in March 2015.
Born	(1986-07-14) July 14, 1986 Magnitogorsk, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	212 lb (96 kg; 15 st 2 lb)
Position	Left Wing
Shoots	Left
NHL team Former teams	New York Islanders Metallurg Magnitogorsk Toronto Maple Leafs
National team	Russia
NHL Draft	44th overall, 2006 Toronto Maple Leafs
Playing career	2003–present

Nikolay Vladimirovich Kulemin (Russian: Николай Владимирович Кулёмин; born July 14, 1986) is a Russian professional ice hockey player. He currently plays with the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL). Kulemin was selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft as the 44th overall pick.

Playing career

On May 25, 2007, Kulemin signed a three-year contract with the Maple Leafs,^[1] but stayed in Russia for the 2007–08 season on a handshake agreement between the Maple Leafs and Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL. During the early stages of the 2008–09 NHL season, his first in the NHL, Kulemin found chemistry on a line with teammates Niklas Hagman and Mikhail Grabovski. Near the end of the season, after the trade of Leafs forward Nik Antropov, Kulemin was used mainly on a line with Grabovski and Alexei Ponikarovsky.^[2] In a game against the Montreal Canadiens on March 21, 2009, soon after the line was created, Kulemin posted a career-high three points (one goal and two assists) in a 5–2 Toronto win.^[3] It has been noted that Ponikarovsky, a Ukrainian, has helped Kulemin become more comfortable in North America by translating and serving as a mentor on and off the ice.^[2]

Kulemin with the Maple Leafs in 2012

Kulemin's first NHL goal occurred in his first NHL game, against the Detroit Red Wings, on goaltender Chris Osgood, in Toronto's 2008–09 season opener on October 9, 2008. The goal ended up as the game winner in a 3–2 Leafs win.^[4] He was selected as a reserve by Team Russia for the 2010 Winter Olympics should an injury occur during the tournament.^[5] On July 2, 2010, Kulemin signed a 2 year-year contract worth $2.35M per year.

On April 5, 2011, Kulemin became the first Russian-born Toronto Maple Leaf to score 30 goals in a season since Alexander Mogilny scored 33 in 2002–2003. Kulemin, along with Mats Sundin, Phil Kessel, James van Riemsdyk and Mogilny, are the only Leafs to score 30 or more since the 1999–2000 NHL season. Following this season, which was a personal best, Kulemin dropped to 7 goals over 70 games in the 2011–12 NHL season. Kulemin was re-signed by Toronto on July 20, 2012, to another two-year contract, worth $2.8M per year.^[6] During the NHL lockout in the 2012–13 NHL season, he returned to the Metallurg Magnitogorsk, where he scored 38 points in 36 games. Upon the lockout ending he returned to Toronto. He was selected to play in the 2014 Winter Olympics for the Russian National team on home soil.

On July 2, 2014, Kulemin left the Leafs after six seasons to sign a four-year free agent contract with the New York Islanders.^[7]

On April 25, 2015, Kulemin scored the final NHL game-winning goal at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.^[8]

Personal

Kulemin is married and has two children; his son, Aleks, was born on March 20, 2009,^[9] and his daughter was born on February 10, 2012.

Nikolay is currently married to Natasha Kulemin and they live on Long Island, New York.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

			Regular season					Playoffs
Season	Team	League	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2003–04	Metallurg-2 Magnitogorsk	RUS-3	43	8	18	26	91	—	—	—	—	—
2004–05	Metallurg-2 Magnitogorsk	RUS-2	43	9	13	22	44	—	—	—	—	—
2005–06	Metallurg Magnitogorsk	RSL	31	5	8	13	8	11	2	4	6	6
2005–06	Metallurg-2 Magnitogorsk	RUS-2	4	3	1	4	6	—	—	—	—	—
2006–07	Metallurg Magnitogorsk	RSL	54	27	12	39	42	15	10	1	11	10
2007–08	Metallurg Magnitogorsk	RSL	57	21	12	33	63	11	2	2	4	29
2008–09	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL	73	15	16	31	18	—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	Toronto Marlies	AHL	5	0	0	0	0	—	—	—	—	—
2009–10	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL	78	16	20	36	16	—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL	82	30	27	57	26	—	—	—	—	—
2011–12	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL	70	7	21	28	6	—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Metallurg Magnitogorsk	KHL	36	14	24	38	26	—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL	48	7	16	23	22	7	0	1	1	0
2013–14	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL	70	9	11	20	24	—	—	—	—	—
2014–15	New York Islanders	NHL	82	15	16	31	21	7	1	1	2	2
2015–16	New York Islanders	NHL	81	9	13	22	22	11	1	3	4	2

NHL totals			584	108	140	248	155	25	2	5	7	4
RSL totals			142	53	32	85	113	37	14	7	21	45


Medal record

Representing Russia
Ice hockey
World Championships
	2007 Russia
	2010 Germany
	2012 Finland
	2014 Belarus
	2015 Czech Republic
World Junior Championships
	2006 Canada
IIHF World U18 Championships
	2004 Belarus

International

Year	Team	Event	Result	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2004	Russia	WJC18	01 !	6	0	2	2	2
2006	Russia	WJC	02 !	4	4	2	6	25
2006	Russia	WC	5th	7	1	3	4	2
2007	Russia	WC	03 !	9	2	1	3	0
2010	Russia	Oly	QF	–	–	–	–	–
2010	Russia	WC	02 !	9	3	2	5	25
2011	Russia	WC	4th	9	1	0	1	2
2012	Russia	WC	01 !	10	1	3	4	0
2014	Russia	Oly	QF	5	0	0	0	2
2014	Russia	WC	01 !	10	3	4	7	2
Junior totals				10	4	4	8	27
Senior totals				59	11	13	24	33

Honours and awards

Individual awards

Russian Super League MVP: 2007

Team awards

Tampere Cup: 2006
Česká Pojišťovna Cup: 2006
Karjala Cup: 2006
Channel One Cup: 2006
Russian Super League championship: 2007

References

↑ http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=208781&hubname=nhl
1 2 http://www.nationalpost.com/scripts/story.html?id=1420309
↑ Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Montreal Canadiens – Recap – March 21, 2009 – ESPN
↑ Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Detroit Red Wings – Recap – October 9, 2008 – ESPN
↑ Kovalev, Frolov, Zubov and Kulemin added to Olympics squad – Russian National Hockey Team Archived January 25, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.
↑ "Leafs sign Kulemin to two-year contract extension". Toronto Sun. 2012-07-20. Retrieved 2012-07-20.
↑ "Islanders agree to terms with Kulemin". New York Islanders. 2014-07-02. Retrieved 2014-07-02.
↑ http://www.lighthousehockey.com/2015/4/25/8497303/new-york-islanders-washington-capitals-game. Missing or empty |title= (help)
↑ "Kulemin first time father". Toronto Sun. 2009-03-21. Retrieved 2010-02-03.

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