Alexander Mogilny

Alexander Mogilny
Born	February 18, 1969 (1969-02-18) (age 42) Khabarovsk, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight	210 lb (95 kg; 15 st 0 lb)
Position	Right wing
Shot	Left
Played for	USSR CSKA Moscow (1986–1989) NHL Buffalo Sabres (1989–1995) Vancouver Canucks (1995–2000) New Jersey Devils (2000–2001) Toronto Maple Leafs (2001–2004) New Jersey Devils (2005–2006)
National team	Russia   Soviet Union
NHL Draft	89th overall, 1988 Buffalo Sabres
Playing career	1986–2006

Alexander Gennadevitch Mogilny (Russian: Александр Геннадиевич Могильный'; born February 18, 1969) is a former Russian professional ice hockey player, currently the team consultant of the KHL team Amur Khabarovsk. Mogilny was best known for his lightning quick speed and lethal wrist shot in his early years, which led to his career year of 76 goals in the 1992–93 NHL season. As his career progressed, he grew to become a selfless player and was not only known for his speed and shooting but also his vision, passing, and skilled stick-handling ability.

Mogilny's most common nickname was Alexander the Great (coined by Sabres broadcaster Rick Jeanneret), but he has since passed that down to Russian phenom Alexander Ovechkin. Ovechkin later said in an interview how he was honored to be receiving the nickname of one of his boyhood heroes. Mogilny's contract with the New Jersey Devils expired at the end of the 2006–07 season, with Mogilny not playing in a single game all season due to injury.

Playing career

In the Soviet Union, he played on a line with center Sergei Fedorov and winger Pavel Bure, a lethal combination that is best remembered as one of the most productive lines in hockey history, as all three posted spectacular numbers with their combination of speed and puck-handling skills. He represented the Soviet Union in 1988 and 1989 at the World Junior Championships, winning the Best Forward award in 1988. Mogilny was also part of the 1987 junior squad that competed in the World Championships known as the "Punch Up at Piestany" after both the Canadian and Russian juniors were disqualified after a bench clearing brawl in the gold medal match. Mogilny played for the senior Soviet Team that won a gold medal at the 1988 Winter Olympics. After the medal ceremony of the 1989 World Junior Championships, he left the Soviet team and defected to North America with the help of representatives of the Buffalo Sabres, the NHL club that had drafted him, 89th overall, a year earlier in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft. Mogilny chose the number 89 in recognition of both the year he defected and his place in the draft, wearing #89 for his entire playing career.

Mogilny tied Teemu Selänne for the most goals scored in the 1992–93 NHL season, scoring 76 goals in 77 games. In that same season he scored his 50th goal in his 46th game; however, it does not count as an official 50 goals in 50 games because his 50th goal came in his team's 53rd game.

In the National Hockey League, he played for the Buffalo Sabres, Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and the New Jersey Devils, winning the Stanley Cup in 2000 with New Jersey.

Toronto Maple Leafs

During the 2001 offseason, Mogilny signed a 4 year, $22 million contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 3, 2001, and quickly became one of their top players. Despite nursing a knee injury and missing 16 games of the season, Mogilny was able to score 24 goals and 57 points to place him 2nd in team scoring. He would elevate his play during the post-season of the same year. During the 2002 Stanley Cup playoffs, with former team captain Mats Sundin injured for much of the playoffs, Mogilny stepped up his game and was instrumental in the team's run to the conference finals, scoring 8 goals, including 2 goals in each of the game 7s versus the New York Islanders and Ottawa Senators. The Leafs however, would fall in 6 games in the conference finals against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Mogilny emerged as the Leafs best player in the 2002-2003 NHL season. He became the only person to dethrone Leafs captain Mats Sundin as the team's leading scorer since his Leafs debut, beating him by 7 points in 2002–03 and finishing in the top-15 in league scoring with 79 points. In game 1 of the 2003 Stanley Cup playoffs, Mogilny recorded his first career playoff hat trick against the Philadelphia Flyers. He finished the year winning the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct. In the 2003–04 season, he injured his hip and had to have major surgery and missed most of the season, but returned late to helped the Leafs finish with their best record in franchise history. On March 15, 2004, versus the Buffalo Sabres, Mogilny became the second Russian player in NHL history to ever to score 1000 career points in the NHL when he assisted on the game-tying goal by Gary Roberts. The Leafs would complete the comeback, after trailing 5-2 in the third period, and win 6-5 in overtime when Mogilny set up Tomas Kaberle for the game winning goal.

After Toronto

After recovering over the lockout cancelled 2004–05 season, he re-signed with New Jersey in August 2005, agreeing to US$7 million for two years. Mogilny was placed on waivers by the New Jersey Devils, and was assigned to the Albany River Rats, the Devils minor league affiliate at the time, in order to make salary cap room for Patrik Eliáš' return. His 473 career NHL goals at the time were the most ever for a player entering the AHL.

Alexander Mogilny was the first Russian player to defect from the Soviet Union in May 1989, first Non-North American to lead the league in goals scored (along with Teemu Selänne from Finland), first Russian to be named to the NHL All-Star Team, first Russian to be named captain of an NHL team, and is (as of the end of the 2008–09 season) the second all-time Russian scorer in the NHL. Mogilny was the second Russian player to score 1000 points in the NHL, reaching the milestone just a few days after former linemate Sergei Fedorov.

Awards

• World Junior Ice Hockey Championships best forward – 1988
• Lady Byng Memorial Trophy – 2003
• Played in World Cup of Hockey – 1996
• NHL Second All-Star Team – 1993, 1996
• Stanley Cup – 2000
• Olympic gold medal – 1988
• NHL All-Star Game(s) – 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 2001, 2003 [injured]
• Member of the Triple Gold Club in 2000
• Buffalo Sabres Hall of Fame (Inducted on January 1, 2011)

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1986–87	CSKA Moscow	USSR		28	15	1	16	4		—	—	—	—	—
1987–88	CSKA Moscow	USSR		39	12	8	20	14		—	—	—	—	—
1988–89	CSKA Moscow	USSR		31	11	11	22	24		—	—	—	—	—
1989–90	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		65	15	28	43	16		4	0	1	1	2
1990–91	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		62	30	34	64	16		6	0	6	6	2
1991–92	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		67	39	45	84	73		2	0	2	2	0
1992–93	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		77	76	51	127	40		7	7	3	10	6
1993–94	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		66	32	47	79	22		7	4	2	6	6
1994–95	Spartak Moscow	IHL		1	0	1	1	0		—	—	—	—	—
1994–95	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		44	19	28	47	36		5	3	2	5	2
1995–96	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		79	55	52	107	16		6	1	8	9	8
1996–97	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		76	31	42	73	18		—	—	—	—	—
1997–98	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		51	18	27	45	36		—	—	—	—	—
1998–99	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		59	14	31	45	58		—	—	—	—	—
1999–00	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		47	21	17	38	16		—	—	—	—	—
1999–00	New Jersey Devils	NHL		12	3	3	6	4		23	4	3	7	4
2000–01	New Jersey Devils	NHL		75	43	40	83	43		25	5	11	16	8
2001–02	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		66	24	33	57	8		20	8	3	11	8
2002–03	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		73	33	46	79	12		6	5	2	7	4
2003–04	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		37	8	22	30	12		13	2	4	6	8
2005–06	New Jersey Devils	NHL		34	12	13	25	6		—	—	—	—	—
2005–06	Albany River Rats	AHL		19	4	10	14	17		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				990	473	559	1032	432		124	39	47	86	58

International play

Medal record
Men's ice hockey
Competitor for Soviet Union
Olympic Games
Gold	1988 Calgary	Ice hockey
World Championship
Gold	1989 Sweden	Ice hockey
World Junior Championship
Silver	1988 Soviet Union	Ice hockey
Gold	1989 USA	Ice hockey

Played for the Soviet Union in:

• 1988 Winter Olympics (gold medal)
• 1988 World Junior Championships (silver medal)
• 1989 World Junior Championships (gold medal)
• 1989 World Championships (gold medal)

Played for Russia in:

• 1996 World Cup of Hockey

International statistics

Year	Team	Event	Place		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1987	Soviet Union	WJC	DSQ		6	3	2	5	4
1988	Soviet Union	WJC	2 !		7	9	9	18	2
1988	Soviet Union	Oly	1 !		6	3	2	5	2
1989	Soviet Union	WJC	1 !		7	7	5	12	4
1989	Soviet Union	WC	1 !		10	0	3	3	2
1996	Russia	WCH	SF		5	2	4	6	0
Junior Int'l Totals					20	19	16	35	10
Senior Int'l Totals					21	5	9	14	4

See also

• List of NHL players with 1000 points
• List of NHL players with 100 point seasons
• List of Eastern Bloc defectors

External links

• Alexander Mogilny's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database
• Alexander Mogilny's NHL player profile
• Alexander Mogilny – player profile and career stats at European Hockey.Net

Preceded by Pat LaFontaine

Buffalo Sabres captain 1993–94

Succeeded by Pat LaFontaine

note: Mogilny served as captain, during most of the 1993–94 season, while Pat LaFontaine was injured & out of the line-up

Preceded by Brett Hull	NHL Goal Leader 1993 (tied with Teemu Selanne)	Succeeded by Pavel Bure
Preceded by Ron Francis	Winner of the Lady Byng Trophy 2003	Succeeded by Brad Richards

Persondata
Name	Mogilny, Alexander
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	February 18, 1969
Place of birth	Khabarovsk, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Date of death
Place of death