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 (age 46)
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 1994–2011

Playing career

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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.[citation needed]

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.[citation needed]

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.[citation needed]

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.[citation needed]

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

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.[citation needed]

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

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1994–95 CSKA–2 Moscow RUS-2 50 110 72 182
1994–95 CSKA Moscow RUS 13 2 2 4 14 2 0 0 0 0
1995–96 CSKA Moscow RUS 51 21 17 38 12 3 1 1 2 4
1996–97 Detroit Vipers IHL 73 29 35 64 18 19 8 4 12 12
1997–98 Boston Bruins NHL 81 22 25 47 8 6 2 5 7 0
1998–99 Boston Bruins NHL 79 25 26 51 18 11 3 1 4 0
1999–00 Boston Bruins NHL 77 19 26 45 4
2000–01 Boston Bruins NHL 82 29 46 75 18
2001–02 Boston Bruins NHL 74 29 41 70 27 6 2 2 4 0
2002–03 Boston Bruins NHL 8 5 6 11 2 5 0 2 2 0
2003–04 Boston Bruins NHL 58 17 23 40 4 7 2 5 7 0
2004–05 Dynamo Moscow RSL 3 1 0 1 0 3 1 2 3 0
2005–06 Boston Bruins NHL 55 18 19 37 22
2005–06 Edmonton Oilers NHL 19 5 11 16 6 24 4 11 15 14
2006–07 Montreal Canadiens NHL 63 9 17 26 10
2007–08 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 23 0 4 4 6
2007–08 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 38 14 18 32 10
2007–08 Rockford IceHogs AHL 2 1 0 1 0
2008–09 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 81 16 32 48 28 17 5 3 8 6
2009–10 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 72 14 15 29 32
2010–11 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 58 10 16 26 12
2010–11 Florida Panthers NHL 20 3 11 14 2
NHL totals 888 235 336 571 209 76 18 29 47 20

International

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Medal record
Ice hockey
Representing   Russia
Winter Olympics
  2002 Salt Lake City
World Junior Championship
  1996 United States
  1997 Switzerland
European Junior Championship
  1996 Russia

International

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Year Team Event GP G A Pts PIM
1995 Russia EJC 5 2 4 6 0
1996 Russia EJC 5 3 2 5 4
1996 Russia WJC 7 4 2 6 0
1997 Russia WJC 6 6 1 7 0
2002 Russia OLY 6 1 2 3 4
2004 Russia WCH 4 1 2 3 0
Junior totals 23 15 9 24 4
Senior totals 10 2 4 6 4

References

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  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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Awards and achievements
Preceded by Boston Bruins first round draft pick
1997
Succeeded by
Preceded by Winner of the Calder Memorial Trophy
1998
Succeeded by