Team He Shoots.......He Scoooores!!!! is proud to call this
defenceman to the podium,
Sergei Zubov (or if you prefer, Сергей Иванович Зубов).
He is considered one of the better offensive defensemen in NHL history. He played in the
NHL All-Star Game in 1998, 1999, and 2000. He has also won two
Stanley Cups, one with the
New York Rangers in
1994, and the other with Dallas in
1999. In 1992, Zubov won a gold medal at the
Olympic Games, playing for the
CIS. He is also the NHL's all-time leading scorer among Russian defensemen.
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's hockey team,
CSKA Moscow, in Russia. He continued to play for the Red Army until 1992, after the fall of the USSR. Although Sergei spent some of his rookie season with New York's
AHL affiliate, the
Binghamton Rangers, he played forty-nine games as a rookie for the Rangers, scoring 31 points, considered then to be above-average for a defenceman. Zubov's high-scoring ways continued, as he scored 12 goals and earned 77 assists during the
1993–94 season, and contributed 19 points to the Rangers' playoff campaign.
Zubov continued to play well for the Rangers, but on
August 31,
1995, he was traded to the
Pittsburgh Penguins with
Petr Nedved for
Ulf Samuelsson and
Luc Robitaille. Zubov only spent one season in Pittsburgh, because he was traded to the Dallas Stars on
June 22,
1996 for
Kevin Hatcher.
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 he is currently the only active defenceman to have 10 consecutive years of 40+ point seasons.
As with many offensive defensemen, Zubov's attempts to score sometimes cause a scoring chance for the opposition. However, his offensive gifts - which include his tremendous vision and passing abilities as well as his smooth, deceptively fast skating - has led him to consistently put up points. Also, in the "New NHL" rules instituted as of the 2005–06 season, Zubov's offensive style has prospered. Not only can he dance with the puck around forwards, but he also has a powerful shot that he uses from the point that often leads to goals and he is also known for his ability to freeze up the goalie in breakaways and shootouts.
He is also excellent defensively and while he has a well-sized body, he is known more for his positioning and puck-dislodging abilities out of corners rather than powerfully hitting opponents. He has been a mainstay on the penalty killing squad for several years now and has only recorded a negative plus/minus four times in his career, with two of them within his first three years in the leagues.
Zubov has always played a solid game, but for years went under the radar and did not garner any nominations for the NHL awards. However, in the 2005–06 regular season, Zubov posted 71 points for his highest outing in over a decade - and also received his first
Norris Trophy nomination.
Awards:
- NHL All-Star in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2006
- 2006 Norris Trophy finalist
-
Stanley Cup winner in
1994 and
1999
- Gold medal 1992 Winter Olympics (Albertville)
Stats:
NHL Regular Season:
1,058GP 152G 615A 767Pts +152 337PIMs
NHL Playoffs:
164GP 24G 93A 117Pts +28 62PIMs