- Maxim Afinogenov
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Maxim Afinogenov 
Born September 4, 1979
Moscow, Russian SFSR, URSHeight 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Weight 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb) Position Right wing Shoots Left KHL team
Former teamsSKA St. Petersburg
Dynamo Moscow
Buffalo Sabres
Atlanta ThrashersNational team 
RussiaNHL Draft 69th overall, 1997
Buffalo SabresPlaying career 1995–present Maxim Sergeyevich Afinogenov (Russian: Макси́м Серге́евич Афиноге́нов, IPA: [mɐˈksʲim ɐfʲɪnɐˈɡʲenəf]; born September 4, 1979) is a Russian professional ice hockey player who is a member of the SKA St. Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Known for his blistering skating speed,[1] he was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres 69th overall in 1997 and played nine seasons with the club. He played one season with the Atlanta Thrashers before signing with St. Petersburg in 2010.
Contents
Personal life
He was first introduced to hockey by his dad when he was 5 years old.[2] He married Elena Dementieva on July 16, 2011.[3] His sister Katia Afinogenova married Max Pacioretty one week later[4].
Playing career
Buffalo Sabres
Maxim Afinogenov was a forward for Dynamo Moscow of the Russian Superleague (RSL) for four seasons. He was drafted 69th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft and played his rookie NHL season in 1999–2000, scoring 34 points in 65 games, while also playing in 15 games with the Sabres' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rochester Americans. Following his third season with the Sabres, a 21-goal, 40-point campaign in 2001–02, Afinogenov re-signed with a two-year, $2.4 million contract on September 4, 2002.[1] However, that same day, while playing a pickup game in in Moscow, he took a puck to the head, suffering a concussion.[1] He was limited to just 35 games in the subsequent season, managing just 11 points. The next season, in 2003–04, he recorded his first career hat trick on December 31, 2003, at the HSBC Arena in a 7–1 win against the Washington Capitals.[5] He finished the season bouncing back from his previous concussion-riddled season with 17 goals and 31 points.
Afinogenov during a game in 2006.
After spending the 2004–05 season back in Russia with Dynamo Moscow due to the NHL lockout, Afinogenov recorded his best season to date when NHL play resumed in 2005–06 with personal bests of 51 assists and 73 points. As the Sabres embarked on a playoff run to the semi-finals, where they were defeated in seven games by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes, Afinogenov added eight points in 18 post-season games. He continued his scoring pace the following season in 2006–07 and, despite missing 26 games, scored 61 points and a career-high 23 goals. During the season, Sabres backup goalie Martin Biron was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers at the trade deadline in February 2007, making Afinogenov the longest-serving Sabre on the roster. His production tailed off in 2007–08, however, managing just 28 points in the same number of games as the previous season.
Atlanta Thrashers
Following the 2008–09 season, in which he was sidelined once more with a groin injury,[6] Afinogenov became an unrestricted free agent and was not re-signed by the Sabres. He left the club as the longest-serving Sabre on the previous season's roster, having played for the club since his rookie season in 1999–2000. On September 17, 2009, the Atlanta Thrashers invited Afinogenov to their 2009–10 training camp on a tryout.[6] and on September 29, 2009, he signed a one-year contract with the team worth $800,000. He scored his first goal as a Thrasher on October 17, 2009 against the Buffalo Sabres.
SKA St. Petersburg
Afinogenov signed a 5 year deal with SKA St. Petersburg.
Career statistics
Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1995–96 Dynamo Moscow RSL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 1996–97 Dynamo Moscow RSL 29 6 5 11 10 — — — — — 1997–98 Dynamo Moscow RSL 35 10 5 15 53 — — — — — 1998–99 Dynamo Moscow RSL 38 8 13 21 24 16 10 6 16 14 1999–00 Rochester Americans AHL 15 6 12 18 8 8 3 1 4 4 1999–00 Buffalo Sabres NHL 65 16 18 34 41 5 0 1 1 2 2000–01 Buffalo Sabres NHL 78 14 22 36 40 11 2 3 5 4 2001–02 Buffalo Sabres NHL 81 21 19 40 69 — — — — — 2002–03 Buffalo Sabres NHL 35 5 6 11 21 — — — — — 2003–04 Buffalo Sabres NHL 73 17 14 31 57 — — — — — 2004–05 Dynamo Moscow RSL 36 13 14 27 91 10 4 4 8 8 2005–06 Buffalo Sabres NHL 77 22 51 73 84 18 3 5 8 10 2006–07 Buffalo Sabres NHL 56 23 38 61 66 15 5 4 9 6 2007–08 Buffalo Sabres NHL 56 10 18 28 42 — — — — — 2008–09 Buffalo Sabres NHL 48 6 14 20 20 — — — — — 2009–10 Atlanta Thrashers NHL 82 24 37 61 46 — — — — — 2010–11 SKA St. Petersburg KHL 51 13 20 33 50 11 4 1 5 10 RSL totals 139 37 37 74 178 30 14 12 26 22 NHL totals 651 158 237 395 486 49 10 13 23 22 International play
Medal record 
Maxim AfinogenovCompetitor for RussiaIce hockey World Championships Gold 2008 Canada Silver 2002 Sweden Silver 2010 Germany Bronze 2005 Austria Winter Olympics Bronze 2002 Salt Lake City World Junior Championships Gold 1999 Canada Silver 1998 Helsinki Played for Russia in:
- 1998 World Junior Championships (silver medal)
- 1999 World Junior Championships (gold medal)
- 2000 World Championships
- 2002 Winter Olympics (bronze medal)
- 2004 World Cup of Hockey
- 2006 Winter Olympics
- 2008 World Championships (gold medal)
- 2010 Winter Olympics
International statistics
Year Team Event Place GP G A Pts PIM 1998 Russia WJC 
7 3 2 5 4 1999 Russia WJC 
7 3 5 8 0 1999 Russia WC 9th 6 2 1 3 2 2000 Russia WC 11th 6 1 0 1 4 2002 Russia Oly 
6 2 2 4 4 2002 Russia WC 9 3 0 3 6 2004 Russia WC 10th 5 1 1 2 4 2004 Russia WCH 5th 4 0 1 1 2 2005 Russia WC 9 3 2 5 6 2006 Russia Oly 4th 8 1 0 1 10 2008 Russia WC 8 5 1 6 2 2010 Russia Oly 6th 4 1 1 2 0 2010 Russia WC 9 3 4 7 18 2011 Russia WC 4th 9 1 2 3 6 Senior international totals 83 23 15 38 64 References
- ^ a b c "25 - Buffalo Sabres". Sports Illustrated. 2005-10-03. http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1105768/index.htm. Retrieved 2009-04-01.
- ^ "Afinogenov Q&A". NHL.com. http://thrashers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=509006.
- ^ Андрей Дедов. (17 июля 2011). "Чемпион мира и героиня Олимпиады женились на крыше". Life News Online. http://www.lifenews.ru/news/63921. Retrieved 2011-07-17.
- ^ http://yourcanadiens.blogspot.com/2011/07/max-pacioretty-wedding-photos.html Max Pacioretty Wedding Photos
- ^ "Rare double hat trick pace Sabres". CBC. 2004-01-01. http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2003/12/31/031231sabrescaps.html. Retrieved 2009-04-01.
- ^ a b "Free agent Maxim Afinogenov could find new home with Atlanta Thrashers". ESPN. 2009-09-18. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=4484902&name=lebrun_pierre. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
External links
Categories:- 1979 births
- Living people
- Atlanta Thrashers players
- Buffalo Sabres draft picks
- Buffalo Sabres players
- HC Dynamo Moscow players
- Ice hockey players at the 2002 Winter Olympics
- Ice hockey players at the 2006 Winter Olympics
- Ice hockey players at the 2010 Winter Olympics
- Olympic bronze medalists for Russia
- Olympic ice hockey players of Russia
- Rochester Americans players
- Russian expatriate ice hockey people
- Russian expatriates in the United States
- Russian ice hockey right wingers
- Sportspeople from Moscow
- SKA Saint Petersburg players
- Olympic medalists in ice hockey
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