Victor Nechayev
Victor Nechayev (born January 28, 1955) is a Russian former professional ice hockey player who played three games for the Los Angeles Kings in the National Hockey League.[1] He was the first player from the Soviet Union to play in the NHL, as well as the first to score a goal.
| Victor Nechayev | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
January 28, 1955 Kuybyshevka-Vostochnaya, Amur Oblast, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 183 lb (83 kg; 13 st 1 lb) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Los Angeles Kings | ||
| NHL Draft |
132nd overall, 1982 Los Angeles Kings | ||
| Playing career | 1972–1984 | ||
A native of Siberia, Nechayev met Cheryl Haigler, an American citizen, in Switzerland in 1976, while he was playing for the Red Army team. They married in 1980 in Leningrad.[2] In April 1982, Nechayev was granted permission to join his wife in the United States.[3]
In the 1982 NHL Entry Draft, Nechayev was picked 132nd overall by the Kings. Unlike other Soviet players, Nechayev was able to join the team immediately, since he was already living in North America at the time he was drafted.[4] He scored his only NHL goal against the New York Rangers on October 17, 1982.[3]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1972–73 | Sibir Novosibirsk | USSR-2 | 34 | 10 | 4 | 14 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1973–74 | Sibir Novosibirsk | USSR-2 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974–75 | Sibir Novosibirsk | USSR-2 | 47 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1975–76 | SKA Leningrad | USSR | 12 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1976–77 | Sudostroitel Leningrad | USSR-3 | 28 | 11 | 2 | 13 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977–78 | SKA Leningrad | USSR | 22 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1978–79 | SKA Leningrad | USSR | 24 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979–80 | Severstal Cherepovets | USSR-3 | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979–80 | Binokor Tashkent | USSR-2 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1980–81 | Izhorets Leningrad | USSR-3 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1982–83 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1982–83 | New Haven Nighthawks | AHL | 28 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1982–83 | Saginaw Gears | IHL | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983–84 | Düsseldorfer EG | GER | 38 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| USSR totals | 58 | 11 | 5 | 16 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| NHL totals | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
References
- Maughan, TJ (14 May 2012). "The Shifts that Changed the Game: The Defection". Arctic Ice Hockey. Vox Media. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- Elderkin, Phil (27 October 1982). "Ex-Red Army player breaks the NHL ice (briefly) as league's first Soviet skater". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- Peng, Sheng (22 October 2016). "Spies, System & Victor Netchaev". NHL. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- "1982 NHL Draft Pick - Victor Nechaev". Retrieved 21 April 2020.
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