Evgeni Nabokov

Infobox Ice Hockey Player

---

image_size = 180px
position = Goaltender
catches = Left
height_ft = 6
height_in = 0
weight_lb = 200
league = NHL
team = San Jose Sharks
nationality = Russia
nationality_2 = Kazakhstan
birth_date = Birth date and age|1975|7|25|mf=y
birth_place = Ust-Kamenogorsk, U.S.S.R.
career_start = 1995
draft = 219th overall
draft_year = 1994
draft_team = San Jose Sharks

Evgeni Viktorovich Nabokov ( _ru. Евге́ний Ви́кторович Набо́ков) (born July 25, 1975 in Ust-Kamenogorsk, U.S.S.R., now Kazakhstan), is a professional ice hockey goaltender for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League.

Nabokov was selected by San Jose in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft (9th round, 219th overall). When he started playing in North America, he went by John, rather than Evgeni, [ [http://www.hockeynut.com/0304/santrans19972003.html San Jose Sharks transactions 1997-2003 ] ] fearing that English speakers would have a hard time pronouncing his name. However, this change did not last.

Over six seasons in the NHL, all with San Jose, Nabokov has become the Sharks leader in nearly every goaltending category, including games played, wins, and shutouts. [2007-08 San Jose Sharks Organization Guide, pgs. 151-53]

Playing career

Russia and minor league

San Jose Head Scout Tim Burke saw Nabokov on an advertisement during his trip to Russia while Burke went to scout another player.Cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=338372|title=Nabokov embraces a clean sheet of ice|accessdate=2008-01-09|publisher=NHL.com|year=2007|author=McKeon, Ross] Taken late in the ninth round, the Sharks had never seen him play; rather, they were more interested in the skill of Nabokov's father, a professional goaltender who played 18 years in Kazakhstan.Cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=349039|title=Ironman Nabokov overcomes adversity to succeed|accessdate=2008-01-09|publisher=NHL.com|year=2008|author=Wigge, Larry]

an Jose Sharks

After a few years in the AHL, Nabokov played his first NHL game on the first day of the new millennium, stopping his first four shots, all breakaways,Fact|date=April 2007 when he replaced Steve Shields in a game against the Nashville Predators.

On January 19th, 2000, Nabokov started in his first NHL game, playing against the Colorado Avalanche and famed goalie Patrick Roy. Impressively, Nabokov stopped all 39 shots he faced in a 0-0 tie. In his first four appearances, Nabokov stopped all but one of his first 104 shots, and the one goal he allowed was when Stephane Matteau put the puck into an empty net while Nabokov was skating to the bench on a delayed penalty.

In the second game of the 2001 season, Shields hurt his ankle, leaving San Jose without a number #1 goalie. Instead of giving the job to the very well known Miikka Kiprusoff, whom the Sharks brass considered the "goalie of the future," they left Kiprusoff in the AHL so he could get more experience, and gave the starting position to Nabokov, and he ran away with it, winning the Calder Memorial Trophy as the rookie of the year. Also, he played in the 2001 All-star game and took San Jose to the playoffs.

On March 10, 2002 he became the first netminder in NHL history to score a powerplay goal, doing so against the Vancouver Canucks. He was also the first European goaltender to score a goal.

Nabokov was considered one of the elite goaltenders in the NHL, and is often ranked as one of the top ten, if not top five goaltenders in the NHL by magazines like ESPN The Magazine and The Hockey News. However, the 2005-2006 season was an off year for Nabokov. His save percentage of under .900 was a big concern to the team. More notably, he was relegated to the role of backup goaltender, in deference to a red-hot Vesa Toskala.

Nabokov is known for his excellent positioning and his ability to challenge shooters, but has recently been hampered by a groin injury. During the 2006-07 NHL season, Nabokov split the starting goaltending duties with Toskala. As of March 18, 2007, the Sharks have played 78 games, with Nabokov starting 45 [http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/players/1884] . Nabokov played all 5 games in the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2007 NHL playoffs, helping the Sharks defeat the Nashville Predators in 5 games.

During the first half of the 2007-08 NHL season, Nabokov started the first 43 games for the San Jose Sharks, however on January 13, 2008 in Anaheim he received his first day off when Thomas Greiss started his first NHL game.

Nabokov was recognized as one of the 'Three Stars' for the NHL in the last week of December 2007, along with Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals and Jaromir Jagr of the New York Rangers. [sharks.nhl.com (December 31, 2007). [http://sharks.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=348257&page=NewsPage&service=page Nabokov, Ovechkin and Jagr Named NHL 'Three Stars' of the Week] . Retrieved on January 27, 2008.] In addition to that honor, Nabokov was named the “Sharks Player of the Month” by Seagate Technology in December. Since the 1996-97 season, Seagate Technology has recognized Sharks players who made contributions to further the team’s accomplishments and makes a donation of $2,500 to The Sharks Foundation on the players’ behalf. Nabokov holds the franchise-record for having won this award nine times. [sharks.nhl.com (January 4, 2008). [http://sharks.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=348741&page=NewsPage&service=page Nabokov Named Seagate Player Of The Month] . Retrieved on January 27, 2008.]

Nabokov played in his second NHL All-Star Game on January 27, 2008. He stopped all eight shots that came at him in the second period, making it the first time since 2002 that a goalie has played a period where no goals were scored. Nabokov secured the scoreless period when he blocked both of Ilya Kovalchuk’s shots in the last minute of the second period. [John Kreiser (January 27, 2008). [http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=351476 Nabokov just perfect in All-Star outing] . Retrieved on January 27, 2008.] During the 2008 NHL Playoffs on May 4 Nabokov made what has been called one of the best glove save in decades, when he robbed Brad Richards of a goal by sliding over from the other side of the post and gloved it. The save was reviewed for several minutes before making it clear Nabokov saved it before it went over the goal line. The game went to 4th overtime, which is now the 8th longest game in NHL history. Unfortunately for Nabokov and the Sharks, Brendan Morrow of the Dallas Stars scored on Nabokov by taking a pass from Stephane Robidas and deflected it past the goal line, sending the Stars to the Western Conference Finals, only to be beat by the Detroit Red Wings in six games.

Nabokov was named a Vezina Trophy finalist in the 2007-2008 season, but the award was given to Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils, leading many to speculate that the trophy was given to him more for the sake of adding additional prestige to his career rather than because he deserved it.

Contracts

During the 2003 season, Nabokov held out, refusing to sign San Jose's proposed contract. After making only US$1 million for two years of stellar play, he wanted much more. He only missed five games before the Sharks met his demands, signing him to a two-year contract.Cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2002/10/22/nabokov021022.html|title=Sharks ink holdout Evgeni Nabokov|accessdate=2008-01-09|publisher=CBC.ca|year=2002|author=CBC.ca] When he finally signed a contract, he struggled to regain his form, as he had taken too long of a break. Later, he remarked that holding out was extremely unsportsmanlike, and that he would never do it again. He held to his word when he avoided arbitration by signing a two-year deal worth US$4.425 million per year in 2004, even when players comparable to him were getting more than US$6 million per year.

Despite his less-than-stellar play during the 2006 season, Nabokov was signed to a four-year contract extension worth roughly US$21.5 million. The contract has a no-trade clause that will be activated, since San Jose made the playoffs.

International career

While he is a Russian citizen, he was previously denied permission by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to play for Russia, because he had played one game for Kazakhstan as a 19-year-old in the 1994 World Championships. In 2005, Nabokov was granted permission to play for Russia in the IIHF World Championships, but declined. Nabokov had tried to gain the IIHF's permission to play for Russia at the 2002 Winter Olympics, but failed as there were regulations in place forbidding players from representing two different countries.Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/winterolympics2002/hi/english/ice_hockey/newsid_1795000/1795570.stm|title=Nabokov dream crushed|accessdate=2008-01-09|publisher=BBC.com|year=2002|author=BBC.com] He was finally allowed to play for Russia in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, after being given an exemption by the IIHF,Cite web|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11421405/|title=Forsberg missing ingredient for Sweden|accessdate=2008-01-09|publisher=MSNBC.com|year=2002|author=Associated Press] and was named to the Russian team for the 2008 World Championships Cite web|url=http://stats.iihf.com/Hydra/132/IHM1320RUS_33_5_0.pdf|title=Team Roster — Russia|accessdate=2008-05-12|publisher=International Ice Hockey Federation] . During the 2008 World Championships he posted back-to-back shut-outs before defeating Canada 5-4 in the Gold Medal game. Team Russia won the 2008 IIHF World Championships, earning Nabokov his first gold medal.

Played for Kazakhstan in:
*1994 World Championships

Played for Russia in:
*2006 Winter Olympics
*2008 World Championships (gold medal)

Awards and Achievements

* Calder Memorial Trophy - 2001
* NHL All-Rookie Team - 2001
* NHL All-Star Appearances - 2001 & 2008
* Best Goalkeeper - 2008 IIHF World Championship
* Vezina Trophy Finalist - 2008

Career statistics

Regular season

International statistics

References

External links

*hockeydb|28489