Alexei Mikhnov

Infobox Ice Hockey Player


image_size= 180px
team = Edmonton Oilers
league = NHL
prospect_league =
prospect_team =
position = Left wing
shoots = Left
height_ft = 6
height_in = 5
weight_lb = 218
nickname = Traktor Boy
nationality = UKR
nationality_2 = RUS
birth_date = Birth date and age|1982|8|31|mf=y
birth_place = Kiev, Ukrainian SSR
draft = 17th overall
draft_year = 2000
draft_team = Edmonton Oilers
career_start = 2000

Alexei Mikhnov is a Russian professional ice hockey left wing. He was selected in the first round of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, 17th overall, by the Edmonton Oilers, and has only played one NHL game in a 5–2 win versus Phoenix. He was scoreless and even in 4:21 of ice time. His brother Andrei Mikhnov was at one time also a National Hockey League prospect and played in the Ontario Hockey League.

Mikhnov has spent four seasons in the Russian Super League, and is considered a power forward. Despite being born in what is now Ukraine, Mikhnov (unlike his brother) plays internationally for Russia.

After being drafted in 2000, Mikhnov has been something of a mystery to Oilers fans. Even when he was drafted, he was considered an enigma [ [http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/draft00/mikhnov.htm "USA Today"] (accessed September 4, 2006)] , and when he first hit Edmonton in 2004, the Oilers front office discovered that Mikhnov had poor eyesight, leading to the team buying him a pair of glasses [ [http://hockeysfuture.com/article.php?sid=6923&mode=threaded&order=0 "Oilers top 20 ranking"] (accessed September 4, 2006)] .

Mikhnov was one of the more famous players impacted by the inability of the National Hockey League and the Russian ice hockey federation to come to an agreement on a transfer arrangement, a situation which more famously affected Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Evgeny Malkin. On June 20, 2006, according to his agent, Mikhnov gave his two-weeks notice which theoretically could get him out of his contract with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, and by early September Mikhnov was skating in Edmonton, taking a spin on September 3 at the University of Alberta [ [http://www.edmontonsun.com/Sports/Hockey/2006/09/04/1800655-sun.html "Mikhnov arrives, set for rookie camp"] (accessed September 4, 2006)] . To date, any legal action by Lokomotiv Yaroslavl to retain Mikhnov like that being used to try and keep Malkin has not reached the press, and on September 5, Mikhnov signed a one-year deal with the Oilers.

His nickname among diehard fans is "Traktor Boy".

Career statistics

International play

Played for Russia in:
*2006 World Championships

International statistics

References

External links

* [http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospect/alexei_mikhnov Bio from Hockey's Future]
*hockeydb|51224