Evgeny Namestnikov

Evgeny Namestnikov
Born	(1971-10-09) October 9, 1971 Arzamas, Soviet Union
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight	190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb)
Position	Defence
Shot	Right
Played for	Vancouver Canucks New York Islanders Nashville Predators
National team	Soviet Union
NHL draft	117th overall, 1991 Vancouver Canucks
Playing career	1988–2005

Yevgeni "John" Yurievich Namestnikov (Russian: Евгений Юрьевич Наместников; born October 9, 1971) is a Russian former professional ice hockey defenceman who spent parts of six seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) and is currently an NHL amateur scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Namestnikov is the father of current NHL player Vladislav Namestnikov and brother-in-law of former NHL player Slava Kozlov.

Playing career

Namestnikov was drafted 117th overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft. After spending two more seasons in Russia with CSKA Moscow he came to North America for the 1993–94 season.

Undersized for an NHL defender, Namestnikov compensated for his size by playing a hard-nosed physical game and was an excellent open-ice hitter. Called up midway through the 1993–94 season, he made an instant impact with his strong play through his first ten or so games, but faded and was returned to the American Hockey League. This pattern would continue throughout his four seasons in the Canuck organization - when called up, he would make a quick impact with his physical play, but his lack of size and sometimes questionable decision-making would catch up with him, and he'd find himself back in the AHL.

Namestnikov signed as a free agent with the New York Islanders for the 1997–98 season, but again found himself primarily in the minors, appearing in just two games for the Islanders in two seasons with the organization. After a brief stint in the system of the New York Rangers, Namestnikov was dealt to the Nashville Predators, where he played his final two NHL games in the 1999–2000 season. Following his release from Nashville in 2001, he returned to Russia where he played for five more seasons before retiring in 2006.

Namestnikov appeared in 43 NHL games, recording 9 assists and 24 penalty minutes. He also appeared in two playoff games for the Canucks without recording a point.

Scouting career

Namestnikov works as a scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Notable players he has scouted include Nikita Soshnikov and Yegor Korshkov.

Personal life

Namestnikov moved from Russia to Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1993 with his wife and eight-month-old son, Vladislav. Vladislav himself became a professional hockey player, playing for the New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, Tampa Bay Lightning and currently the Winnipeg Jets.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1988–89	Torpedo Gorky	USSR		2	0	0	0	2		8	1	0	1	8
1988–89	Kvarts Bor	USSR-3		6	1	0	1	6		—	—	—	—	—
1989–90	Torpedo Gorky	USSR		23	0	0	0	25		—	—	—	—	—
1989–90	Kvarts Bor	USSR-3		17	0	0	0	20		—	—	—	—	—
1990–91	Torpedo Gorky	USSR		45	3	0	3	20		—	—	—	—	—
1991–92	CSKA Moscow	USSR		34	1	0	1	37		8	0	2	2	10
1991–92	CSKA Moscow-2	USSR-3		2	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
1992–93	CSKA Moscow	IHL		42	5	5	10	68		—	—	—	—	—
1993–94	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		17	0	5	5	10		—	—	—	—	—
1993–94	Hamilton Canucks	AHL		59	7	27	34	97		4	0	2	2	19
1994–95	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		16	0	3	3	4		1	0	0	0	2
1994–95	Syracuse Crunch	AHL		59	11	22	33	59		—	—	—	—	—
1995–96	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		—	—	—	—	—		1	0	0	0	0
1995–96	Syracuse Crunch	AHL		59	13	34	47	85		15	1	8	9	16
1996–97	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		2	0	0	0	4		—	—	—	—	—
1996–97	Syracuse Crunch	AHL		55	9	37	46	73		3	2	0	2	0
1997–98	New York Islanders	NHL		6	0	1	1	4		—	—	—	—	—
1997–98	Utah Grizzlies	IHL		62	6	19	25	48		4	1	0	1	2
1998–99	Lowell Lock Monsters	AHL		42	12	14	26	42		—	—	—	—	—
1999–00	Nashville Predators	NHL		2	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
1999–00	Hartford Wolf Pack	AHL		33	1	9	10	14		—	—	—	—	—
1999–00	Milwaukee Admirals	IHL		12	2	3	5	17		3	0	0	0	0
2000–01	Milwaukee Admirals	IHL		56	7	22	29	36		3	0	1	1	0
2001–02	Lada Togliatti	RUS		50	6	7	13	56		4	0	1	1	2
2002–03	Ak Bars Kazan	RUS		34	2	8	10	20		5	1	0	1	4
2003–04	CSKA Moscow	RUS		38	3	3	6	18		—	—	—	—	—
2004–05	CSKA Moscow	RUS		36	0	1	1	26		—	—	—	—	—
2005–06	Mytishchi Khimik	RUS		18	1	2	3	16		—	—	—	—	—
2005–06	HC MVD	RUS		25	0	2	2	28		—	—	—	—	—
AHL totals				307	53	143	196	370		22	3	10	13	35
USSR/RUS totals				347	21	28	49	316		25	2	3	5	24
NHL totals				43	0	9	9	24		2	0	0	0	2

International

Year	Team	Event		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1989	Soviet Union	EJC		6	0	1	1	6
1990	Soviet Union	WJC		7	0	1	1	6
1991	Soviet Union	WJC		7	1	0	1	10
Junior totals				20	1	2	3	22

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database