Anton Volchenkov
Encyclopedia
Anton Alekseyevich Volchenkov (Russian
: Антон Алексеевич Волченков; born February 25, 1982), also known as the A-Train and the Russian Bear, is a Russia
n professional ice hockey
defenceman
currently playing for the New Jersey Devils
in the National Hockey League
(NHL).
, Ukraine
and he began attending the Sokil Kyiv hockey school, as his uncle became the director of that school. After a year in Kiev, Volchenkov returned to the CSKA program in Moscow.
Volchenkov was drafted by the Ottawa Senators
in the first round as the 21st overall selection in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft
. In the 2002–03 NHL season, he came to North America
and played the entire season with the Senators. He is known for his fearless attitude towards other players and the puck, and is generally considered to be amongst the toughest players in the league. In his early days playing in Europe, he played goaltender
. However, his coach instructed him to play defence, which may help explain why he led the NHL in blocked shots in 2006–07 by a large margin. He is consistently amongst the top shot blockers and hitters.
and was considered to be among Ottawa's top two defenders, along with Chris Phillips
.
On April 9, 2007, Volchenkov announced he would be staying with the Senators, signing a three-year deal. Ottawa's General Manager
John Muckler
said, "Anton has been one of our top defencemen all season."
He was usually paired with fellow stay-at-home defenceman Chris Phillips. Volchenkov was voted as the fifth-best defensive defenceman by The Hockey News
in June 2007. With the defensive help of Volchenkov and Phillips, the Senators made their 2007 Stanley Cup run to the finals
, where they were defeated by the Anaheim Ducks
in another five-game series. Volchenkov also led the league in shots blocked during the 2007 playoffs.
On July 1, 2010, Volchenkov signed a 6 year, $25.5 million dollar contract with the New Jersey Devils.
World Junior Hockey team to a championship in which he scored the winning goal against Team Canada, catching the attention of many pro scouts. Throughout 2001-2003, he was mentored by James "JP" Kunda.
Volchenkov has also played for team Russia in the 2006 Winter Olympics
, the 2010 Winter Olympics, and in the 2009 IIHF World Championship
.
, on December 8, 2003, he suffered a shoulder injury and took the majority of the 2003–04 season to recover.
In a regular season game against the Nashville Predators
, on November 29, 2007, he suffered a broken finger in an attempt to block a shot. He would come back after missing 15 games.
In the 2008 playoffs
against the Pittsburgh Penguins
, Volchenkov fell in front of the net and was struck in the face by a puck, suffering a laceration. He returned the following game, and finished the series with one assist, one penalty, and one shot in four games.
Volchenkov has been married
for five years. He and his wife have a son, Anton Jr. and on February 20, 2011 he and his wife welcomed twins, a boy and a girl.
Volchenkov's father Alexei was a defenceman on the Red Army hockey team during the 1975 Super Series
.
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
: Антон Алексеевич Волченков; born February 25, 1982), also known as the A-Train and the Russian Bear, is a Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
defenceman
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
currently playing for the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL).
Playing career
Volchenkov grew up in Moscow and began attending the CSKA hockey school at the age of six. Around time when he was in fourth grade, his family moved to KievKiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
and he began attending the Sokil Kyiv hockey school, as his uncle became the director of that school. After a year in Kiev, Volchenkov returned to the CSKA program in Moscow.
Volchenkov was drafted by the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in the first round as the 21st overall selection in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft
2000 NHL Entry Draft
The 2000 NHL Entry Draft was held from June 24 to 25 at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, following the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft on June 23 for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild...
. In the 2002–03 NHL season, he came to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and played the entire season with the Senators. He is known for his fearless attitude towards other players and the puck, and is generally considered to be amongst the toughest players in the league. In his early days playing in Europe, he played goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
. However, his coach instructed him to play defence, which may help explain why he led the NHL in blocked shots in 2006–07 by a large margin. He is consistently amongst the top shot blockers and hitters.
NHL career
After his first stint in Ottawa, he became a regular in the Senators' starting line-up. As a "stay-at-home" defenceman, he is known primarily for his blocked shots and massive hits. He also played in the 2006 Olympic Games for the Russian national ice hockey teamRussian national ice hockey team
The Russian men's national ice hockey team is the national ice hockey team of Russia and are controlled by the Ice Hockey Federation of Russia. They are currently rated number one in the IIHF World Ranking; with 3980 points...
and was considered to be among Ottawa's top two defenders, along with Chris Phillips
Chris Phillips
Chris Phillips is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League . He has been a member of the Ottawa Senators for his entire career, which began with the 1997–98 season. He also serves as their alternate captain and is regarded...
.
On April 9, 2007, Volchenkov announced he would be staying with the Senators, signing a three-year deal. Ottawa's General Manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
John Muckler
John Muckler
John Muckler is a professional hockey coach and executive, most recently serving as the general manager of the Ottawa Senators of the NHL. Muckler has over 50 years of professional hockey experience as a part owner, general manager, director of player personnel, director of hockey operations, head...
said, "Anton has been one of our top defencemen all season."
He was usually paired with fellow stay-at-home defenceman Chris Phillips. Volchenkov was voted as the fifth-best defensive defenceman by The Hockey News
The Hockey News
The Hockey News, commonly abbreviated to THN, is a North American ice hockey magazine published by Transcontinental. The Hockey News was founded in 1947 by Ken McKenzie and Bill Côté, and has since been the most recognized hockey publication in North America...
in June 2007. With the defensive help of Volchenkov and Phillips, the Senators made their 2007 Stanley Cup run to the finals
2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 11, 2007. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the conference champions played a best-of-7 series for the...
, where they were defeated by the Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
in another five-game series. Volchenkov also led the league in shots blocked during the 2007 playoffs.
On July 1, 2010, Volchenkov signed a 6 year, $25.5 million dollar contract with the New Jersey Devils.
International play
In the early days of his hockey career, he captained the 2001 RussianRussia men's national junior ice hockey team
The Russian men's national under 20 ice hockey team is the national under-20 ice hockey team in Russia. The team represents Russia at the International Ice Hockey Federation's World Junior Hockey Championship, held annually every December and January.-History of Team Russia:Russia competed as a...
World Junior Hockey team to a championship in which he scored the winning goal against Team Canada, catching the attention of many pro scouts. Throughout 2001-2003, he was mentored by James "JP" Kunda.
Volchenkov has also played for team Russia in the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
, the 2010 Winter Olympics, and in the 2009 IIHF World Championship
2009 IIHF World Championship
The 2009 IIHF World Championship took place in Switzerland from 24 April to 10 May. The games were played in the PostFinance Arena in Bern and Schluefweg in Kloten....
.
Injuries
In a game against the Boston BruinsBoston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
, on December 8, 2003, he suffered a shoulder injury and took the majority of the 2003–04 season to recover.
In a regular season game against the Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, on November 29, 2007, he suffered a broken finger in an attempt to block a shot. He would come back after missing 15 games.
In the 2008 playoffs
2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 9, 2008, after the 2007–08 regular season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the conference champions...
against the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
, Volchenkov fell in front of the net and was struck in the face by a puck, suffering a laceration. He returned the following game, and finished the series with one assist, one penalty, and one shot in four games.
Personal life
After playing as a goaltender when he began playing hockey as a child, Volchenkov was switched to defence by his coach. He has been among the NHL league leaders in blocked shots since the 2005–06 season.Volchenkov has been married
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
for five years. He and his wife have a son, Anton Jr. and on February 20, 2011 he and his wife welcomed twins, a boy and a girl.
Volchenkov's father Alexei was a defenceman on the Red Army hockey team during the 1975 Super Series
Super Series
The Super Series were exhibition games between Soviet teams and NHL teams that took place on each NHL opponents' home ice in North America from 1976 to 1991. The Soviet teams were usually club teams from the Soviet hockey league. The exception was in 1983, when the Soviet National Team represented...
.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1999–00 | CSKA Moscow HC CSKA Moscow HC CSKA Moscow is a Russian ice hockey club that plays in the Kontinental Hockey League. It is referred to in the West as "Central Red Army" or the "Red Army Team" for its past affiliation with the Soviet Army, popularly known as the Red Army... |
RUS-2 | 31 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Krylya Sovetov Moscow PHC Krylya Sovetov PHC Krylya Sovetov or PHC Krylya Sovietov are a professional ice hockey team based in Moscow, Russia. They played in the Russian Major League in the 2009–10 season... |
RUS-2 | 34 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 56 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 2001–02 | Krylya Sovetov Moscow | RSL Russian Superleague The Russian Superleague , commonly abbreviated as RSL, was the highest division of the main professional ice hockey league in Russia. It was considered the second best league in the world, after the National Hockey League of North America... |
47 | 4 | 15 | 19 | 48 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | ||
| 2002–03 | Ottawa Senators Ottawa Senators The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
57 | 3 | 13 | 16 | 40 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 2003–04 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 19 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 2004–05 2004–05 AHL season The 2004–05 AHL season was the 69th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-eight teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Rochester Americans finished first overall in the regular season... |
Binghamton Senators Binghamton Senators The Binghamton Senators are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League . Nicknamed the B-Sens, they play in Binghamton, New York at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena. Along with the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL, the B-Sens are minor league affiliates of the Ottawa Senators... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
81 | 10 | 35 | 45 | 62 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2005–06 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 75 | 4 | 13 | 17 | 53 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 8 | ||
| 2006–07 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 78 | 1 | 18 | 19 | 67 | 20 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 24 | ||
| 2007–08 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 67 | 1 | 14 | 15 | 55 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
Ottawa Senators | NHL | 68 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
Ottawa Senators | NHL | 64 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 38 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 2010–11 2010–11 NHL season The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech... |
New Jersey Devils New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 57 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 485 | 16 | 86 | 102 | 333 | 61 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 48 | ||||
International statistics
| Year | Team | Event | Place | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 2000 IIHF World U18 Championships -Quarterfinals:-Semifinals:-Fifth place game:-Bronze medal game:-Gold medal game:-Final standings: is relegated to Division I for the 2001 IIHF World U18 Championships.-Scoring leaders:-Goaltending leaders:... |
Russia | WJC18 IIHF World U18 Championships The IIHF World U18 Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-18 ice hockey teams from around the world. The tournament is usually played in April and is organized according to a system similar to Ice Hockey World Championships and World... |
6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 2001 2001 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships -Group B:All times local .-Relegation round: was relegated to Division I for the 2002 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.-Final round:† Overtime victory.-Quarterfinals:January 2-Consolation round:... |
Russia | WJC | 7th | 7 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 6 | |
| 2002 2002 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The 2002 IIHF World U20 Championship, commonly referred as the 2002 World Junior Hockey Championships , was the 26th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships... |
Russia | WJC | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | ||
| Junior int'l totals | 20 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 18 | ||||
| 2002 2002 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships The 2002 Men's Ice Hockey Championships were held between April 26 and May 11, 2002 in Gothenburg, Karlstad and Jönköping, Sweden.It was the 66th annual event, and was run by the International Ice Hockey Federation .- Championship :... |
Russia | WC | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2004 2004 World Cup of Hockey The 2004 World Cup of Hockey was an international ice hockey tournament. It was the second installment of the National Hockey League -sanctioned competition eight years after the inaugural 1996 World Cup of Hockey. It was held from August 30 to September 14, 2004, and took place in various venues... |
Russia | WCH 2004 World Cup of Hockey The 2004 World Cup of Hockey was an international ice hockey tournament. It was the second installment of the National Hockey League -sanctioned competition eight years after the inaugural 1996 World Cup of Hockey. It was held from August 30 to September 14, 2004, and took place in various venues... |
QF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2006 Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics -Leading scorers:-Leading goaltenders:Goalkeepers with 40% or more of their team's total minutes.-Awards:Antero Niittymäki was named the most valuable player and received the Directorate Award for best goaltender of the tournament. Directorate Awards also went to Teemu Selänne for best forward, and... |
Russia | Oly Ice hockey at the Olympic Games Ice hockey tournaments have been staged at the Olympic Games since 1920. The men's tournament was introduced at the 1920 Summer Olympics and was transferred permanently to the Winter Olympic Games programme in 1924. The women's tournament was first held at the 1998 Winter Olympics... |
4th | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2009 2009 IIHF World Championship The 2009 IIHF World Championship took place in Switzerland from 24 April to 10 May. The games were played in the PostFinance Arena in Bern and Schluefweg in Kloten.... |
Russia | WC | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2010 Ice hockey at the 2010 Winter Olympics Ice hockey at the 2010 Winter Olympics was held at Canada Hockey Place, home of the National Hockey League's Vancouver Canucks, and at UBC Winter Sports Centre, home of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport's UBC Thunderbirds. Twelve teams competed in the men's event and eight teams competed in the... |
Russia | Oly | 6th | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Senior int'l totals | 23 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||||