Evgeny Namestnikov

Evgeny Namestnikov
Born	(1971-10-09) October 9, 1971 Arzamas, URS
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
NHL draft	117th overall, 1991 Vancouver Canucks
Playing career	1988–2005

Yevgeni "John" Namestnikov (born October 9, 1971) is a former professional ice hockey player 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 was born in Arzamas, Soviet Union (now Russia), and 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 10 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 5 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.

International statistics

Year	Team	Event	Place		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1990	Soviet Union	WJC			7	0	1	1	6
1991	Soviet Union	WJC			7	1	0	1	10
Junior Int'l Totals					14	1	1	2	16

External links

• Evgeny Namestnikov biography at Legends of Hockey (archived)
• Evgeny Namestnikov career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
• Evgeny Namestnikov profile at Eurohockey.com
• Evgeny Namestnikov player profile at NHL.com