Scoring 12 playoff goals in 22 postseason games, he tied Conn Smythe-winning teammate Brad Richards for the team lead. General Manager of the Buffalo Beauts (NWHL). Factoring in an offensive touch, Fedotenko scored double digits in goals through his first 10 NHL seasons. Where Fedotenko made the biggest name for himself though was in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Nationality: Canadian. He would debut with the team during the 2000-01 season, appearing in 22 regular season games. All-time Canadian KHL players scoring leaders | KHL statistics for all Canadian players. In 2020, hockey's racial reckoning came to a head. With the pool for our list narrowed down to where it needs to be, we present to you the best of the NHL’s best Ukrainians: The Hartford Whalers of the mid-1990s were not hesitant to seek out talent from various Eastern bloc countries. Perhaps starting off slowly in the earlier parts of the postseason, he would be at his finest in the semi and final rounds. NAHL (North American Hockey League) CCHL (Central Canada Hockey League) MHL (Russian Junior Hockey League) U18 Alberta Elite Hockey League; U15 Alberta Elite Hockey League; Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League; Winnipeg AAA U17 Hockey League; Winnipeg AAA U15 Hockey League; Winnipeg AAA U14 Hockey League; U20 Nationell (Swedish U20 League - Tier 1) Hints: To search for a nickname, enter the nickname in the Team Name field; If the team is not located in the US or Canada, State represents the country. Sign up for our regular 'Hockey History Newsletter' for all the best and most significant pieces from the THW Archives. While there have not been all that many to have played in the league, the ones that have done so have certainly made a difference. One such player was speedy Ukrainian forward Igor Chibirev. Lifelong hockey fan for over 40 years. See more of Ukrainian - Canadian Hockey on Facebook He would finally play his first full NHL season in 2003-04, appearing in 73 games and scoring nine goals and 19 assists in the process. He is the all-time leader for goals, assists and points from a Ukrainian born and trained NHLer. While he may not have been the prolific scorer that Khristich was in the league, Fedotenko found the most success of any Ukrainian in NHL history. He would finish out his career with five seasons in the KHL. He became one of those players who had average to above-average success during the regular season, but became a difference maker when the Cup was on the line. The NHL would add the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the Florida Panthers for the 1993-94 season. Hockey Canada has released its 23-player roster for the team that would have competed at the cancelled world women's hockey championship. 1. Canadian Hockey Players, Canada. was speedy Ukrainian forward Igor Chibirev, jump to North America for the 1992-93 season, drafted him in the eleventh round of the 1993 NHL Draft, also selected the teenage Chris Pronger in the opening round, Alexander Godynyuk in the sixth round of the 1990 NHL Draft, in exchange for Hockey Hall of Famer Doug Gilmour, Godynyuk to the Hartford Whalers on Dec. 16, 1993, At 6-foot-4 and just shy of 230 pounds, the Maple Leafs, Ponikarovsky from Toronto near the 2010 trade deadline, they would ultimately lose to the Kings in six games, and points from a Ukrainian born and trained NHLer, the Washington Capitals drafted Khristich with the 120th overall pick, Flyers signed Fedotenko as a free agent on Aug. 3, 1999, both career highs – in 80 games for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Fedotenko’s seven even strength goals and whopping, Blackhawks Improving Under Leadership of Colliton & Kane, NHL Should Market the Game Differently on ESPN, A Goal Horn Story: Ranking the NHL’s Horns 1-32, Prospects News & Rumors: Geekie, Borgström & Damiani, 4 Forwards the Hurricanes Could Target as Trade Deadline Nears, 3 Takeaways From Jets’ Entertaining Series Against the Maple Leafs, 3 Takeaways From the Golden Knights Series Against the Blues, Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Nylander, Muzzin, Andersen & Sabourin, NHL Rumors: Sharks, Lightning, Stars, Rangers, More, Then and Now: The Maple Leafs All-Time Centres, Blue Jackets’ Max Domi Making Important Strides. Sports Team. Khristich would up those numbers exponentially in his first full NHL season. Exposed in the expansion draft, the Panthers would claim Godynyuk. At 6-foot-4 and just shy of 230 pounds, the Maple Leafs came calling for his services when they drafted him in the fourth round of the 1998 NHL Draft. … He proceeded to score 13 goals and 14 assists in 40 regular season games for Washington.Alumni Profile | Learn more about Dmitri Khristich, the man who wore #8 before Ovi #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/sXTTohtUY2— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) January 25, 2019, Alumni Profile | Learn more about Dmitri Khristich, the man who wore #8 before Ovi #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/sXTTohtUY2. Ed Werenich (Canadian Curling Champion) Hockey Players *The following Canadians have a mother, father, or both who is of Ukrainian heritage. Fedotenko finished his NHL career with 173 goals, 193 assists, and 366 points in 863 regular season games – the most games for any Ukrainian. Ultimately, it is his two Stanley Cup championships that place him at number-one on our list. Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. He had two 30-goal seasons and four 20-goal seasons. His finest season offensively came in 2005-06 when he tallied 26 goals and 41 points – both career highs – in 80 games for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ukrainian sportspeople by sport. The Panthers traded Godynyuk to the Hartford Whalers on Dec. 16, 1993 in exchange for tough guy Jim McKenzie. HELPING HOCKEY IN UKRAINE After meeting with teams and individuals involved in hockey in Ukraine, we| had the opportunity to discuss some of their needs. With the collapse of the Soviet Union earlier in the decade and the sudden availability of talent from that neck of the woods, the Whalers enlisted players who were lesser known than their North American counterparts but could potentially be diamonds in the rough. Khristich played in the Russian Superleague – the predecessor of the KHL – for his hometown club of Sokil Kiev from 1985-86 into 1990-91. Hartford took notice and decided to take a chance when they drafted him in the eleventh round of the 1993 NHL Draft. Here, 10 Black hockey players share their experiences with racism on the ice. Few Canadian hockey teams have won gold at the Olympic Games. In 2013, Subban was adjudged the NHL's top defenceman and was honored with the Norris Trophy. All-time Ukrainian NHL players scoring leaders | NHL statistics for all Ukrainian … Johnny Bower 8. 1994 saw the first Russian-born players win the Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers, and they have won Cups ever since. Scoring seven goals and seven assists in 24 playoff games, Fedotenko tied with Bill Guerin for fourth in Penguins postseason goals behind Sidney Crosby (15), Evgeni Malkin (14) and Maxime Talbot (8). Sadly, Frank Thorsteinson and George Cumbers lost their lives, and by coincidence, they both are buried in the Barlin War Cemetery in France. Just as he was getting accustomed to NHL play, the Leafs traded Godynyuk with Craig Berube, Gary Leeman, Michel Petit and goaltender Jeff Reese to Calgary in exchange for Hockey Hall of Famer Doug Gilmour, defenseman Jamie Macoun, Kent Manderville, Ric Nattress and Rick Wamsley. Ilya Kovalchuk 10. Artjom Vaszjunyin. Credentialed media for the NHL Combine and 2018 IIHF World Junior Championships in Buffalo, NY, USA. Splitting the 1993-94 season between lighting up the IHL nets and being a periphery player for the Whalers, Chibirev would make his NHL debut for Hartford on Nov. 1, 1993 against the St. Louis Blues. There are 35 players from Ontario, 35 … The Soviets would win the silver medal at that year’s tournament.eval(ez_write_tag([[580,400],'thehockeywriters_com-box-4','ezslot_3',804,'0','0'])); Having played five straight seasons in Russia for CSKA Moscow, he made the jump to North America for the 1992-93 season. The 811 games are the second most by a Ukrainian in NHL history. Updated hourly with news and features from over 150 writers worldwide. All-time active Canadian NHL players scoring leaders | NHL statistics for all active Canadian players. Though he would spend a considerable amount of time in the minors during the the final three seasons of his NHL career, Godynyuk would play for Hartford from 1993-94 through 1996-97. Terry Sawchuk 4. Chibirev first garnered notice at the 1988 World Junior Championship when he suited up for the Soviet Union alongside Sergei Fedorov and Alexander Mogilny. 5, 1995 against the Pittsburgh Penguins – as he scored a hat-trick. Viktor Andrushenko. An odd path to take at the time though not uncommon among former Soviets, Chibirev signed with the IHL’s Fort Wayne Komets. Mike Bossy 5. He remained a productive player throughout his entire career as Khristich scored double digits in goals for 11 of his 12 NHL seasons. For the Winnipeg Falcons, this accomplishment was even more special due to the fact that seven of its players served during the First World War. There was of course a brief period of time that both he and Chibirev were teammates with the Whalers. Ice hockey in Ukraine. Khristich would have a 3-game stop with AHL’s Baltimore Skipjacks but spent most of his time with the parent club. Ice hockey in Ukraine is the winter sport number one loved my millions of people all over the country. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy Controls. At 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, he was built like a tank and very responsible in his own zone. Godynyuk would appear with the Maple Leafs for the first time during the 1990-91 season shortly after being drafted. Hidden categories: Commons category link is on Wikidata. 1978. Fedotenko won his first Stanley Cup in the 2003-04 season with the Lightning. Khristich played in the postseason on nine separate occasions, but never made it beyond the second round. For the sake of this discussion, we are going to keep our list as strictly players who were born and raised in Ukraine, and have kept their international playing status aligned with their homeland. Fedotenko’s final season with the Penguins would be 2009-10. Daniel Vladimir Lewicki was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. The NCAA hockey tournament, which begins Friday and includes 109 Canadian players, is one opportunity for exposure. Having considered their successes, THW is now going to present for you the top-5 Ukrainians in the history of the NHL. Playing in only eight games, Chiberev scored three goals and an assist. In total, Ponikarovsky played 678 NHL games and scored 139 goals, 184 assists and 323 points in the regular season. There is one country though that we North Americans have at times wrongfully attributed or grouped its players as being Russian, when they are not. He would score a lone goal and eight assists while playing in all 24 of the Devils’ playoff games. Fedotenko’s seven even strength goals and whopping 27.9% for shooting-percentage were the best of the 2004 playoffs for any team. Over 3 million monthly readers now come to THW for their hockey fix. In the final three seasons that he played in North America, he would have stops with the Los Angeles Kings, Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils and Winnipeg Jets. He would follow that up with three goals and six assists 31 games the next season. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Category:Ukrainian_ice_hockey_players&oldid=757662933 ". Wayne Gretzky 2. Ponikarovsky would play only parts of the next two seasons in Toronto, while playing primarily for their AHL affiliate the St. John’s Maple Leafs. One such player was speedy Ukrainian forward Igor Chibirev. Ukrainian clubs starred in the Soviet league. Unfortunately for him the Penguins would not repeat as champions, and would be eliminated in the second round of the 2009-10 postseason. Looking to win back-to-back Stanley Cups, the Pittsburgh Penguins acquired Ponikarovsky from Toronto near the 2010 trade deadline. Ruslan Fedotenko is at the very top of our list. After the lockout cancelled the 2004-05 NHL season was when Ponikarovsky demonstrated his skill at being a power forward that could convert. Hockey history writer “The Hockey Writers”. To some extent Godynyuk became more a victim of circumstance, as he never fully settled with one particular team. Since the fall of the Iron Curtain, the NHL has found player representation from many countries that were once part of the Soviet Union. Having gone undrafted, the Philadelphia Flyers signed Fedotenko as a free agent on Aug. 3, 1999. Therefore, players such as Peter Bondra who was born in Lutsk, Ukraine but who long identified with and played internationally for Slovakia, or Alexei Zhitnik who is from Kiev but who represented Russia at two different Winter Olympics, are excluded. Ruslan Fedotenko is the fifth all-time leading scorer from Ukraine. Vladislav Tretiak 3. Playing in 60 regular season games, he scored 33 goals and 36 assists for 69 points to go with only two penalty minutes. There he became a two-time Stanley Cup champion for the 2008-09 season. He would score his first NHL goal in only his second NHL game on Dec. 7 against the Washington Capitals. As serfs in Austria-Hungary until 1848 and in the Russian Empire until 1861, Ukrainians suffered from economic and national oppression. V. Vadym Shakhraychuk. Pavlo Taran (D) 2018-2019 : Ukraine … Retrieved from " https://icehockey.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Ukrainian_hockey_players?oldid=3674 ". After New Jersey acquired him from Carolina partway through the 2011-12 campaign, he helped the Devils all the way to the Stanley Cup Final where they would ultimately lose to the Kings in six games. Ponikarovsky left the NHL following the 2012-13 season. Playing in 80 games during the 1991-92 season, he set what would be career highs of 36 goals and 73 points. His time as a Whaler would be his most time spent with any one NHL team. The Toronto Maple Leafs selected defenseman Alexander Godynyuk in the sixth round of the 1990 NHL Draft. Hockey Players (N.H.L) Gene Achtymichuk (Montreal & Detroit) Dave Andreycuk (Buffalo, Toronto, New Jersey, & Tampa Bay) Dave Babych (Winnipeg, Hartford, Vancouver, Philadelphia, Los Angeles) Do you want to change something or what is your list ??? Following two more seasons with Tampa and a lone season with the New York Islanders, Fedotenko moved onto the Pittsburgh Penguins. He played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Black Hawks and New York Rangers of the National Hockey League in the 1950s and early 1960s. Johnny Bucyk 9. Find out more about how we use your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. As the Lightning would defeat the Calgary Flames in Game Seven by a score of 2-1, the Ukrainian winger scored both of his team’s goals. Godynyuk would play an IHL season for the Chicago Wolves in 1997-98, but then wrapped up the last three seasons of his career playing in Switzerland and Germany. Burnaby Joe won a world championship in 1994, Stanley Cups in … While the Whalers also selected the teenage Chris Pronger in the opening round, Chibirev was already 25 years old and older than the vast majority of his draft class. Synopsis. Dale Hawerchuk 7. Birthdate: May 13, 1989. We are talking about the Ukrainians of the NHL. Subban is a Canadian ice hockey player who currently plays as a defenceman for the NHL's New Jersey Devils. Proponent of the women’s game. In the 19th century, the Russian Empire ruled 80 per cent of Ukraine; the rest lay in the Austro-Hungarian provinces of Galicia, Bukovina and Transcarpathia. Kirill Frolenko (D) 2018-2019 : Ukraine : 28 : 5 : 6 : 11 : 0.39 : 146 : 4. 2,637 likes. Information about your device and internet connection, including your IP address, Browsing and search activity while using Verizon Media websites and apps. This page shows the history of the Men’s, Women & Ju… After his success throughout high school and … The Women national team made their debuts in 1992. Chibirev would be Fort Wayne’s leading scorer in that season’s playoffs – seven goals, 13 assists and 20 points in 12 games – as the Komets won the Turner Cup. eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'thehockeywriters_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_7',824,'0','0']));The country with a population of close to 42.5 million people has generated NHL players since the early-1990s. Additionally, Latvians, Lithuanians, and Belorussians have found names for themselves in North American rinks over the seasons. Go Premium for Elite Prospects Support. Ukraine has been a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation since 1992. Khristich would play 10 more seasons in the NHL after that, including stops with the Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs and a second stint for the Capitals. All three goals came in the same game – Apr. In 18 games that season he recorded a mere three assists. D. Boris Dorozhenko. To be a member, you have to have won a world championship, an Olympic gold medal and also the Stanley Cup. After getting a fresh start and generating a career high assist total – 10 helpers in just 26 games for Florida – he would surprisingly be moved again. Follo… Michael Foltýn (D) 2020-2021 : Ukraine : 25 : 1 : 2 : 3 : 0.12 : 148 : 3. As a member of the Devils, Ponikarovsky came as close as he would ever come to winning a Stanley Cup. He was a member of the Bruins in 1999 and ended setting a career high of 42 assists that season.eval(ez_write_tag([[580,400],'thehockeywriters_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_2',830,'0','0'])); Opting to finish his career in Russia with Metallurg Magnitogorsk, Khristich’s final NHL season was 2001-02 with Washington. Dmitri Kristich is certainly the most talented player on our list, and came really close to being at the very top. Finishing out the season with the Whalers, Godynyuk would have a career year of three goals, 19 assists and 22 points in 69 games. 1996-97 would be the last of his NHL time. He would set career highs of 23 goals, 38 assists and 61 points in 82 games for the Leafs during the 2008-09 season. Dave Andreychuk 6. That being the case, he is arguably best remembered as being involved in one of the largest trades in NHL history. Z. Nikolai Zherdev. As of 2010, Lewicki is the only player to have won the Allan Cup, Memorial Cup and … Alexei Zhitnik. Alexei Ponikarovsky was a big winger who possessed a scoring touch and sound penalty-killing capabilities. Pavlo Taran (D) 2019-2020 : Ukraine : 37 : 2 : 18 : 20 : 0.54 : 125 : 5. Ice Hockey in Ukraine is governed by the Ukraine Ice Hockey Federation. Leaving shortly there after, he played eight more seasons in Europe while suiting up for teams in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. Categories: Ice hockey players in Europe by nationality. 49 likes. NHL Draft Ukrainian Canadians picked 3rd and 4th . Round one Edit Pick # Player Position Nationality NHL team College/junior/club team 1 Bobby Smith Centre Canada Minnesota North Stars Ottawa 67's (OHL)... 2 Ryan Walter Centre Canada Washington Capitals Seattle Breakers (WCHL) Ukraine Men’s and Junior national team made their International debut in 1962 & 1982 at the Winter Spartakiad Games. 2014 NHL Draft Top 10: Where Are They Now. Godynyuk would only suit up for 33 games across the season-and-a-half that he played for the Flames. Ukraine : 37 : 14 : 16 : 30 : 0.81 : 160 : 2. He was touted enough that within seven NHL seasons he would suit up for four different teams. Before becoming a professional, Lewicki was at the center of a dispute over professional hockey signing practices. Of his 223 career regular season games, Godynyuk played 115 of them with Hartford. The Canadian Ukrainian Athletic Club (CUAC; 1925), and the Institute Prosvita Athletic Club (IPAC; 1932), sponsored men's and women's baseball, softball, basketball, hockey and soccer teams in various age categories until the 1990s. Khristich would be elected to the NHL All-Star Game in both 1997 and 1999. For the 1997 selection he was a member of the Kings and finished the season with 19 goals, 37 assists and 56 points in 75 games. Best in the game. Chibirev first garnered notice at the 1988 World Junior Championship when he suited up for the Soviet Union alongside Sergei … The Ukrainian national ice hockey team (Ukrainian: Збірна України з хокею з шайбою) is the national men's ice hockey team of Ukraine, and is controlled by the Ice Hockey Federation of Ukraine, and a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). The top hockey players to come out of Ukraine. Player birth country and age distributions, draft rounds of players in the 1981 tournament. eval(ez_write_tag([[300,600],'thehockeywriters_com-box-1','ezslot_6',105,'0','0']));report this ad. It would be an end to nearly a decade of the big Ukrainian being a member of the Maple Leafs organization. Starting the 1990-91 season with Sokil, he would join the Capitals organization in December 1990. He won two Stanley Cups in a career that lasted 12 seasons, and is one of the very few players to score a Cup-winning goal in the seventh game of the Final. To enable Verizon Media and our partners to process your personal data select 'I agree', or select 'Manage settings' for more information and to manage your choices. Ice hockey is a contact team sport played on ice, usually in an indoor or outdoor rink, in which two teams of skaters use their sticks to shoot a vulcanized rubber puck into their opponent's net to score goals. We and our partners will store and/or access information on your device through the use of cookies and similar technologies, to display personalised ads and content, for ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Chibirev would wrap up his first NHL season having scored four goals and 11 assists for 15 points in 37 games.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'thehockeywriters_com-banner-1','ezslot_4',805,'0','0'])); He would have one last hurrah with the Whalers during the lockout shortened 1994-95 season. In 811 NHL regular season games, he scored 259 goals, 337 assists and 596 points. Ukraine returned to international play in 1992. Not overly large at 6-foot and 200 pounds, Godynyuk was nonetheless solidly built. The trade to Pittsburgh would lead to Ponikarovsky bouncing around the NHL for the remainder of his career. Yahoo is part of Verizon Media. Having won a silver medal for the Soviet Union at the 1988 World Junior Championship, the Washington Capitals drafted Khristich with the 120th overall pick of the 1988 NHL Entry. He would played two seasons after that with the New York Rangers, before playing his final NHL season in 2012-13 with a second stint as a Flyer. Picking up two goals after arriving in Pittsburgh, Ponikarovsky would hit the 20-goal mark for the final time in his career. Canada, the United States, and Czechia were the three countries with the highest number of registered ice hockey players in 2019/20. Born and raised in Buffalo, NY. P.K. Sun Sign: Taurus. Vitaly Vishnevski. Team Canada stats, scoring leaders and demographics breakdown at U20 World Championships in 1981. Professional ice hockey player Sidney Crosby was born on August 7, 1987, in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, Canada. When attempts to establish an independent Ukrainian state from 1917 to 1921 collapsed, the greater portion of Ukraine became a republic in the USSR, while Poland, Romania and Czechoslovakia divided the remainder. Ukrainian - Canadian Hockey. From 2005-06 through 2009-10, he scored double digits in goals each season and had four seasons of at least 20 goals. Ukrainians have won Stanley Cups, played in NHL All-Star Games, and have been 30-goal scorers.