Hockey player Dmitry Nabokov: biography, statistics and interesting facts

The Russian hockey school is rightfully considered one of the strongest in the world. This reputation was won back in the days of the Soviet Union, when a powerful "Red Machine" smashed the ancestors of hockey, professional hockey players from the NHL. But the political situation that existed in the world did not allow our hockey players to play for foreign clubs. A kind of self-isolation collapsed in the late 80's, when the first hockey players from the Soviet Union began to sign contracts with foreign clubs. And already in the nineties a weak streamlet of departing people acquired a mass character, a difficult situation inside the country encouraged young hockey players to look for opportunities to continue their careers in foreign clubs. A similar fate awaited our hero, Siberian hockey player Dmitriy Nabokov, who managed to play during his hockey career both in his homeland, overseas, and European clubs.

Childhood

Nabokov Dmitry Viktorovich was born on January 4, 1977 in the large Siberian city of Novosibirsk. An ordinary working family, the usual childhood of a Soviet teenager. Studying enough at school, Dmitry spent all his free time for sports. And initially the priority was given to football. For a while Dmitry Nabokov attended the school football section. In the winter the teenager together with friends disappeared on a hockey box. Fortunately, the Novosibirsk hockey school "Siberia" announced a set of boys born in 1977, and Dmitry successfully passed the entrance tests, fell into the general group involved. These were the first hockey steps that Nabokov Dmitry did. Hockey has since become a part of life for him. And not in vain ...

First successes

In the 80s, Novosibirsk hockey was considered one of the strongest in the eastern part of our country. In regional competitions hockey players of the Novosibirsk team invariably were among the winners, and almost all promising juniors from the Novosibirsk club were on the pencil from the breeders of the leading Russian clubs. Dmitry Nabokov is a hockey player, who, speaking on the position of the striker, showed high results at his age level. Even then it was clear that a talented young man would not stay in his native Novosibirsk for a long time. There were several invitations from the clubs of the higher league, and now, in 1992, Dmitry moved to the capital of our homeland, the city of Moscow.

Wings of Soviets

After moving to Moscow, Dmitry first lived in a sports boarding school "Krylia Sovetov." The first season in the Moscow club turned out to be crumpled, the adaptation to the capital's life, new partners, distance from parents affected. After spending 17 games in the season 1993-94 for his new club, Dmitry scored two goals and twice assisted his teammates.

Next season, Dmitry Nabokov began in the farm club "Wings of the Soviets", the team "Soviet Wings." But already during the season he was returned to the main team, for which he finished this season. After the adaptation period, Dmitry at the age of 17 became the main player of one of the leading teams of the country. In that season, "Wings of the Soviets" finished fifth in the regular season, and Nabokov scored 53 goals for 53 games and gave 12 assists.

Draft

As mentioned above, the middle of the 90's is the time of mass exodus of talented youth abroad. The successful season at the adult level did not go unnoticed by hockey experts from the NHL. And in the summer of 1995 he was drafted under the high 19 number Dmitry Nabokov. Hockey club "Chicago Black Hawks" chose this talented junior. But before leaving for a foreign club, Dmitry spent another full season for Moscow's "Wings of the Soviets." In the last season before the departure of Nabokov scored 26 points, having thrown 12 goals and 14 assisting the partners.

North American Hockey

Dmitry Viktorovich Nabokov in the first season to make his debut in the strongest hockey league of the world could not. Immediately upon arrival, he was sent to the subsidiary club "Regina Pats", speaking in the WHL. The season turned out to be successful. Dmitry Nabokov immediately became a player of the basic line-up, having spent 55 games in his debut season for his new club. In these matches on the account of the Russian hockey player was collected exactly one hundred points. Dmitry scored 41 goals and gave 59 assists. As a result of the first season it was clear that the level of Nabokov is much higher, and the debut in the NHL is just around the corner.

Nabokov Dmitry Viktorovich: statistics in the NHL

Pre-season charges in the summer of 1997, Nabokov already conducted with the main line-up of the "Chicago Black Hawks". During the control games, Nabokov managed to convince his coaching staff of Chicago in his solvency. And by September 1997, Dmitry was already considered the main player of the NHL club.

How did the championship go for the young man? Dmitry Nabokov - hockey player, for whom the beginning of the season has developed brilliantly. He regularly went to the site, scored himself and assisted the club partners. At some point, he was seriously considered as a contender for the title of best season newcomer. In the first part of the regular NHL championship Dmitry 25 times appeared in the starting lineup of the "Chicago", having thrown at the same time 7 goals and 4 times assisting the partners. Excellent result for the 20-year-old debutant of the strongest hockey league in the world. But, as time showed, not everything was so smooth. At some point, the coaching staff of the Chicago club began to show discontent towards Dmitry Nabokov. According to the trainers, Dmitry reduced his requirements, became more cool to the training process. All this led to the fact that the club management decided to exchange the Russian forward for a player from another team.

"New York Islanders"

The next club of Dmitry Nabokov were the islanders from New York. Hockey experts were expecting a qualitative leap in Nabokov's game. The islanders were not among the leading teams of the league, so the competition for the place in the composition was much lower than in the "Chicago". However, the reality turned out to be completely different. Dmitry could not show his best playing qualities, alternating good games with frankly failed. After playing for 26 New York games, Nabokov was once again sent to a farm club. Having played in the lower division of the rest of the season 1999-2000, Dmitry Nabokov decides not to renew the contract on the terms offered by the club. This overseas career Nabokov was over.

Return to Russia

November 6, 2000 striker unexpectedly for many signs a contract with the Russian club. Remembering the brilliant game of Dmitry at the youthful level, many clubs offered contracts. As a result, Dmitry Nabokov stops his choice on one of the strongest hockey teams of Russia of that time, the Togliatti "Lade". The fans had the right to expect a restart of the career of the prospective player. But the first season in Russia did not bring the hockey player special dividends. So without gaining a foothold in the main part of Togliatti club, Dmitry appeared on the hockey court from time to time. As a result, during the season Dmitry spent only 29 games, in which he scored 13 points. Not the best indicator for once one of the most promising hitters of our hockey.

To native penates

Having spent a season in Togliatti, Dmitry frightened off many potential employers. Strongest Russian clubs did not invite forward, and Nabokov had to sign a contract with Novokuznetsk "Metallurg", a typical average Russian hockey. One and a half season, Dmitry played for the Novokuznetsk club, becoming one of the leaders of the team. Forward began to gradually gain form, reminding the specialists of that Nabokov, who predicted world fame. This wave was followed by an invitation from his native team, the Novosibirsk "Siberia". To refuse the club, which opened for him the way in a big hockey, the hockey player simply could not. And in the 2002/03 season, Nabokov became a player of Siberia. Season was not particularly successful for the hockey player, and after he finished, Nabokov again had to change the club.

The next team was the Nizhnekamsk Neftekhimik. And again, Dmitry spends only one season in the team, gaining 17 points, which is quite low for the attacker. In search of a better life, a new club change follows, followed by one more and one more. New season - a new team, under this motto was the Russian part of the career of Dmitry Nabokov.

Lada, Metallurg Novokuznetsk, Sibir, Neftekhimik, Molot-Prikamye, HC MVD, Dynamo Moscow, Siberia again, and finally Chelyabinsk Tractor. Here is the list of clubs for which Dmitry Nabokov had to play after returning from North America. Eight clubs in eight years, this is the track record of a hockey player at the Russian stage of his career.

At the end of his sports career, Nabokov once again tried his luck at a foreign club. He played one season for the Finnish club "Saipa", where he became the best assistant team for the season. But already traditionally for himself the next season, Nabokov begins in the new club, the Austrian "Dornbirn". It was in this club that Nabokov completed his career as an acting player.

This is the sporting fate of one of the most prominent representatives of hockey in the mid-90's. Throughout his career, Nabokov was in demand as a hockey player, but he could not fully realize his enormous potential.