Sergei Alexandrovich Zubov (
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
: Сергей Александрович Зубов; born 22 July 1970) is a Russian professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
coach and former
defenceman
Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from Goal (ice hockey), scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the la ...
. He is the former head coach for the
Dinamo Riga
Dinamo Riga ( lv, Rīgas Dinamo) is a professional ice hockey team based in Riga, Latvia. It is a member of the Latvian Hockey Higher League. The club is affiliated with HK Zemgale/LLU.
The club was re-founded on 7 April 2008 as a successor of ...
of the
Kontinental Hockey League
The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL; russian: Континентальная хоккейная лига (КХЛ), Kontinental'naya khokkeynaya liga) is an international professional ice hockey league founded in 2008. It comprises member clubs ba ...
(KHL).
Zubov played for the
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and were founde ...
,
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
and
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...
of the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
as well as
SKA Saint Petersburg
The Hockey Club SKA (russian: Спортивный клуб СКА), often referred to as SKA Saint Petersburg and literally as the Sports Club of the Army, is a Russian professional ice hockey club based in Saint Petersburg. They are members o ...
of the KHL. One of the best offensive defensemen in NHL history, he won the
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
twice: with the Rangers in
1994
File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...
and the Stars in
1999
File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...
. He was inducted into the
Hockey Hall of Fame
, logo = Hockey Hall of Fame Logo.svg
, logo_upright = 0.5
, image = Hockey Hall of Fame, Toronto.jpg
, caption = The Hall's present location on Yonge Street since 1992
, map_type =
, former_name =
, established = 1943
, location = 30 Y ...
as part of the class of 2019.
Playing career
CSKA Moscow, New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins
Zubov was drafted in the fifth round of the
1990 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Rangers. Prior to this, he played for the
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...
's hockey team,
HC CSKA Moscow
HC CSKA Moscow (1946–present, russian: ЦСКА Москва, Центральный Спортивный Клуб Армии, ''Central Sports Club of the Army, Moscow'') is a Russian professional ice hockey club based in Moscow. The club i ...
, in Russia. He continued to play for the Red Army until 1992, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Although Sergei spent some of his rookie season with New York's
AHL affiliate, the
Binghamton Rangers
The Binghamton Rangers were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Binghamton, New York, USA at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.
History
The market was previously served by:
: Broome Dusters of the NAHL (1973 ...
, he played forty-nine games as a rookie for the Rangers, scoring 31 points, considered then to be above-average for a defenseman. Zubov's high-scoring ways continued, as he scored 12 goals and earned 77 assists during the
1993–94 season, which led the team in regular season scoring. He contributed 19 points to the Rangers' playoff campaign, as he, along with
Alexander Karpovtsev
Alexander Georgievich Karpovtsev (russian: Александр Георгиевич Карповцев; April 7, 1970 – September 7, 2011) was a Russian ice hockey player and an assistant coach for Ak Bars Kazan and Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the ...
,
Sergei Nemchinov
Sergei Lvovich Nemchinov (russian: link=no, Серге́й Львович Немчинов; born 14 January 1964) is a Russian former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Rangers, Van ...
, and
Alexei Kovalev
Alexei Vyacheslavovich Kovalev ( rus, Алексей Вячеславович Ковалёв, , ɐlʲɪkˈsʲej vʲɪtɕɪˈslavəvʲɪtɕ kəvɐˈlʲɵf; born February 24, 1973) is a Russian professional ice hockey coach, executive and former pr ...
became the first Russians to have their names engraved on the Stanley Cup.
Zubov continued to play well for the Rangers, but on 31 August 1995, he was traded to the
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...
with
Petr Nedvěd
Petr Nedvěd (born December 9, 1971) is a Czech-born Canadian former professional ice hockey player who spent 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1990 and 2007.
Early career
Nedvěd was born in Liberec, Czechoslovakia to Jaro ...
for
Ulf Samuelsson
Ulf Bo Samuelsson (born March 26, 1964) is a Swedish-American former professional ice hockey defenceman who formerly served as assistant coach of the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League. He played several seasons in the NHL with the Har ...
and
Luc Robitaille
Luc Jean-Marie Robitaille (born February 17, 1966) is a Canadian–American professional ice hockey executive and former player. He currently serves as president of the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL).
During his 19-season N ...
. Zubov only spent one season in Pittsburgh, it was rumored because he and team captain
Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux (; ; born October 5, 1965) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played parts of 17 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Pittsburgh Penguins between 1984 and 2006, and he assumed ownership of the f ...
didn't get along, especially on the powerplay where both men wanted to be in control. Ultimately, he was traded to the Dallas Stars on 22 June 1996 for
Kevin Hatcher
Kevin John Hatcher (born September 9, 1966) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played in the NHL for 17 seasons between 1984 and 2001 for the Washington Capitals, Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers and ...
.
Dallas Stars
Although Zubov never again reached the scoring height of his 1993–94 season with the Rangers, due to a combination of Dallas's more defensive system and decreased scoring in general, he has earned all three of his trips to the All-Star game with the Stars. He never again reached an 80+ point total, but had 11 consecutive years of 40+ point seasons and 30+ assists.
He was also excellent defensively and while he had a well-sized body, he was known more for his positioning and puck-dislodging abilities out of corners rather than his checking abilities. He had been a mainstay on the penalty killing squad for several years and had only recorded a negative plus/minus four times in his career, with two of them within his first three years in the league.
Zubov always played a solid game, but for years went under the radar and did not garner any nominations for the NHL awards or the NHL First/Second All-Star teams. However, in the 2005–06 season, Zubov posted 71 points for his highest outing in over a decade – and also received his first
Norris Trophy
The James Norris Memorial Trophy, or simply the Norris Trophy, is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's top " defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position". It is named after Ja ...
nomination.
Zubov missed nearly half of the
2007–08 NHL season
The 2007–08 NHL season was the 91st season of operation (90th season of play) of the National Hockey League (NHL). It began on September 29, 2007, and the regular season ended April 6, 2008. The Stanley Cup playoffs ended on June 4, with the D ...
with a
sports hernia
Athletic pubalgia, also called sports hernia,
core injury, hockey hernia, hockey groin, Gilmore's groin, or groin disruption is a medical condition of the pubic joint affecting athletes.
It is a syndrome characterized by chronic groin pain in a ...
injury and most of the
2008–09 NHL season
The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation (91st season of play) of the National Hockey League (NHL). It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the sea ...
with a hip injury.
SKA Saint Petersburg
On 30 July 2009, he decided to leave the NHL as he signed a contract with SKA Saint Petersburg of the
Kontinental Hockey League
The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL; russian: Континентальная хоккейная лига (КХЛ), Kontinental'naya khokkeynaya liga) is an international professional ice hockey league founded in 2008. It comprises member clubs ba ...
(KHL). He was also selected as a reserve by Team Russia for the
2010 Winter Olympics
)''
, nations = 82
, athletes = 2,626
, events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, opening = February 12, 2010
, closing = February 28, 2010
, opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean
, cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gretz ...
should an injury occur during the tournament.
On 18 April 2011, it was reported that Zubov would officially retire due to hip-related injury problems.
Coaching career
On 20 July 2015, Zubov was named to the coaching staff of the Russian national team as a defensive assistant.
Zubov served as the head coach of
HC Sochi
Hockey Club Sochi (russian: Хоккейный клуб Сочи) is a professional ice hockey team based in Sochi, Russia. The team joined the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in 2014–15 season.
History
On May 23, 2014, it was reported that ...
starting from the
2017–18 season. He was dismissed as head coach 16 games into the
2019–20 season following a 5–11 start.
He currently serves as Senior Consultant to Hockey Operations for the
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and were founde ...
.
International play
Zubov represented the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
where he won the gold and silver medals in 1989 and 1990 in the Junior Division.
Zubov won a gold medal at the
1992 Winter Olympics
)
, nations = 64
, athletes = 1,801 (1313 men, 488 women)
, events = 57 in 6 sports (12 disciplines)
, opening = 8 February 1992
, closing = 23 February 1992
, opened_by = President François Mitterrand
, cauldron ...
, playing for the
Unified Team.
Legacy
* In the 2009 book ''100 Ranger Greats'', Zubov was ranked No. 72 all-time of the
901 New York Rangers who had played during the team's first
82 seasons
* Zubov left the NHL as the league's all-time scoring leader for Russian-born defensemen. He is now 2nd behind
Sergei Gonchar
Sergei Viktorovich Gonchar ( rus, Серге́й Ви́кторович Гонча́р, p=sʲɪrˈɡʲej ˈvʲiktərəvʲɪdʑ ɡɐnʲˈtɕar; born 13 April 1974) is a Russian former professional ice hockey player and a former assistant coach f ...
.
* On 28 January 2022, the Dallas Stars retired Zubov's number 56.
Personal life
Zubov and his wife, Irina, have two children.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
* Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
Champion.
International
Awards and honors
Records
NHL
*Points by a Russian-born defenseman, single season, 89 (1993–94)
Dallas Stars
*Points by a defenseman, regular season (553)
*Points by a defenseman, playoff (72)
See also
*
List of NHL players with 1000 games played
The National Hockey League (NHL) is a major professional ice hockey league which operates in Canada and the United States. Since its inception in , 357 players have played at least 1,000 regular season games, varying in amounts between Patrick ...
*
List of NHL statistical leaders by country
This is a list of National Hockey League statistical leaders by country of birth, sorted by total points. The top ten players from each country are included. Statistics are current through the end of the 2021–22 NHL season and players currently p ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zubov, Sergei
1970 births
Living people
Binghamton Rangers players
Dallas Stars players
HC CSKA Moscow players
Hockey Hall of Fame inductees
Ice hockey players at the 1992 Winter Olympics
Medalists at the 1992 Winter Olympics
National Hockey League All-Stars
New York Rangers draft picks
New York Rangers players
Olympic gold medalists for the Unified Team
Olympic ice hockey players of the Unified Team
Olympic medalists in ice hockey
Pittsburgh Penguins players
Russian ice hockey defencemen
SKA Saint Petersburg players
Soviet ice hockey defencemen
Ice hockey people from Moscow
St. Louis Blues personnel
Stanley Cup champions