Evgeny Igorevich Svechnikov (Russian: Евгений Игоревич Свечников; born 31 October 1996) is a Russian professional ice hockey forward for Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He has previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Detroit Red Wings, Winnipeg Jets and San Jose Sharks. He was drafted 19th overall by the Red Wings in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

Evgeny Svechnikov
Svechnikov with the Grand Rapids Griffins in 2017, holding the Calder Cup over his head
Born (1996-10-31) 31 October 1996 (age 28)
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia
Height 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight 208 lb (94 kg; 14 st 12 lb)
Position Left wing / Right wing
Shoots Left
KHL team
Former teams
Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod
Detroit Red Wings
Winnipeg Jets
San Jose Sharks
Ak Bars Kazan
NHL draft 19th overall, 2015
Detroit Red Wings
Playing career 2013–present

Playing career

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In 2012, soon after his move to Kazan in 2010, Svechnikov began his junior career playing for Bars and Irbis, junior teams of the Ak Bars Kazan club system. He made his pro debut with Ak Bars before reaching the age of 17, during the 2013–14 season.[1]

Svechnikov was drafted in the second round, 63rd overall, in the 2013 CHL Import Draft by the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles and committed to the organization for the 2014–15 season.[2] In his rookie season, he finished third in club scoring, and ranked second among QMJHL rookies with 32 goals and 46 assists in 55 games. He led his team in points-per-game at 1.42. Following an outstanding rookie season, he was named to the QMJHL All-Rookie Team and featured in the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.[3]

On 26 June 2015, Svechinkov was drafted 19th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.[4][5] On 2 October 2015 the Red Wings signed Svechinkov to a three-year, entry-level contract.[6]

During the 2015–16 season, Svechnikov recorded 32 goals and 47 assists in 50 games. His 79 points ranked second on the team and tied for 18th in the QMJHL, while his 47 assists placed 17th and his 13 power play goals tied for eighth.

 
Svechnikov in 2016.

On 24 April 2016, Svechnikov was assigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League (AHL).[7] On 3 April 2017, Svechnikov was recalled by the Red Wings. Prior to being recalled he recorded 18 goals and 26 assists in 68 games for the Griffins. He led all Griffins rookies in points and ranked among the top AHL rookies in goals (T10th), points (T6th), game-winning goals (T1st) and shots (2nd).[8] He made his NHL debut for the Red Wings later that night in a game against the Ottawa Senators.[9] In his debut, he scored the game-winning goal in a seven-round shootout.[10] He was assigned to the Griffins on 5 April. He played two games with the Red Wings, recording four shots in 13:08 average time on ice.[11] During the 2016–17 season, he ranked third on the Griffins with 20 goals and 31 assists in 74 regular-season games and added five goals and seven assists in 19 playoff games, to help lead the Griffins to the Calder Cup.

On 8 March 2018, Svechnikov was recalled by the Red Wings. After producing just five points over the Griffins's first 26 games this season, Svechnikov has recorded five goals and 12 assists in 25 games since 30 December 2017, including eight points in his last 11 games.[12] On 20 March, Svechnikov scored his first career NHL goal against Petr Mrázek of the Philadelphia Flyers.[13] On 4 April, Svechnikov was assigned to the Griffins. He appeared in 14 games for the Red Wings, posting two goals, two assists, eight penalty minutes, 15 shots on goal, 15 hits and six blocked shots.[14]

On 16 October 2018, Svechnikov underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery on his right knee due to an injury he sustained in the Red Wings final preseason game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on 29 September 2018. He missed the entire 2018–19 season.[15]

On 6 August 2020, Svechnikov accepted his qualifying offer and re-signed a one-year contract with the Red Wings.[16] On 12 January 2021, the Red Wings assigned Svechnikov to the Grand Rapids Griffins.[17] In the 2020–21 season, on 16 February 2021, Svechnikov was reassigned to the Red Wings. Prior to being recalled by the Red Wings, he recorded one goal and one assist in three games for the Griffins.[18]

Following his sixth season within the Red Wings organization, after which he was still struggling to make a name for himself in the NHL, Svechnikov was not tendered a qualifying offer by the Red Wings, making him an unrestricted free agent. Unable to secure an NHL contract, Svechnikov on 20 August 2021 was signed to a one-year AHL contract with the Manitoba Moose, the primary affiliate to the Winnipeg Jets.[19] After a successful training camp with the Jets, Svechnikov then signed a one-year NHL contract.[20]

After the Jets didn't send a qualifying offer to Svechnikov, Svechnikov as a free agent agreed to terms on a one-year, two-way, $750,000 contract with the San Jose Sharks on 4 September 2022.[21]

In August 2023, Svechnikov returned to his native Russia and signed a contract with his original development club, Ak Bars Kazan.[22] In the 2023–24 season, Svechnikov was unable to produce offensivly to the level expected with Ak Bars, notching 8 goals and 13 points through 31 regular season games.

On 30 July 2024, Svechnikov left Ak Bars Kazan to sign a one-year contract with fellow KHL club, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod.[23]

International play

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Medal record
Representing   Russia
Ice hockey
World U-17 Hockey Challenge
  2013 Canada
IIHF World U20 Championship
  2016 Finland

Svechnikov represented Russia at the 2013 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, where he recorded seven goals and one assist in six games, and won a silver medal. Svechnikov represented Russia at the 2016 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, where he won a silver medal.

Personal

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Svechnikov was born in Neftegorsk, Sakhalin Oblast, Russia, but following the 1995 Neftegorsk earthquake his family moved to Barnaul.[24] Evgeny's younger brother Andrei was drafted in the first round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes.[25]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2012–13 Bars Kazan MHL 34 9 9 18 34 4 1 1 2 2
2013–14 Bars Kazan MHL 29 14 13 27 68 6 4 1 5 14
2013–14 Ak Bars Kazan KHL 3 0 0 0 0
2014–15 Cape Breton Screaming Eagles QMJHL 55 32 46 78 70 7 1 6 7 14
2015–16 Cape Breton Screaming Eagles QMJHL 50 32 47 79 97 13 4 11 15 8
2015–16 Grand Rapids Griffins AHL 2 0 1 1 0
2016–17 Grand Rapids Griffins AHL 74 20 31 51 62 19 5 7 12 20
2016–17 Detroit Red Wings NHL 2 0 0 0 0
2017–18 Grand Rapids Griffins AHL 57 7 16 23 58 5 1 0 1 4
2017–18 Detroit Red Wings NHL 14 2 2 4 8
2019–20 Grand Rapids Griffins AHL 51 11 14 25 61
2019–20 Detroit Red Wings NHL 4 0 0 0 2
2020–21 Grand Rapids Griffins AHL 4 1 1 2 2
2020–21 Detroit Red Wings NHL 21 3 5 8 10
2021–22 Winnipeg Jets NHL 72 7 12 19 38
2022–23 San Jose Sharks NHL 59 8 6 14 26
2023–24 Ak Bars Kazan KHL 31 8 5 13 26 2 1 0 1 0
KHL totals 34 8 5 13 26 2 1 0 1 0
NHL totals 172 20 25 45 84

International

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Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2013 Russia WHC17   6 7 1 8 8
2013 Russia WJC18 4th 7 0 1 1 4
2013 Russia IH18 4th 4 0 0 0 8
2014 Russia WJC18 5th 5 3 4 7 4
2016 Russia WJC   7 0 0 0 6
Junior totals 29 10 6 16 30

Awards and honours

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Award Year
QMJHL
All-Rookie Team 2015 [26]
AHL
Calder Cup champion 2017 [27]

References

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  1. ^ Evgeny Svechnikov profile and statistics at KHL.ru.
  2. ^ "Svechnikov commits to Cape Breton". Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. 29 May 2014. Retrieved 29 May 2014.
  3. ^ "Screaming Eagles Svechnikov named CHL player-of-the-week". Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. 13 January 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
  4. ^ Roose, Bill (26 June 2015). "Wings land big Russian in first round". Detroit Red Wings. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  5. ^ "Screaming Eagles' Svechnikov picked in first round of NHL entry draft". Cape Breton Post. 26 June 2015. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
  6. ^ Kujawa, Kyle (2 October 2015). "Red Wings agree to terms with Svechnikov". Detroit Red Wings. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
  7. ^ Pearson, Jason (24 April 2016). "Svechnikov, Hicketts go to Grand Rapids". Detroit Red Wings. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  8. ^ Kujawa, Kyle (3 April 2017). "Red Wings recall Evgeny Svechnikov". Detroit Red Wings. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  9. ^ Wakiji, Dana (3 April 2017). "Notes: Svechnikov to make NHL debut against Ottawa". Detroit Red Wings. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  10. ^ Wakiji, Dana (3 April 2017). "Trending: Svechnikov gets shootout winner in debut". Detroit Red Wings. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  11. ^ Kujawa, Kyle (5 April 2017). "Svechnikov assigned to Griffins". Detroit Red Wings. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  12. ^ Kujawa, Kyle (8 March 2018). "Detroit recalls Svechnikov from Grand Rapids". Detroit Red Wings. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  13. ^ St. James, Helene (20 March 2018). "Two key pieces of Detroit Red Wings' rebuild shine in win over Flyers". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  14. ^ Kujawa, Kyle (4 April 2018). "Three assigned to Grand Rapids". National Hockey League. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  15. ^ Beam, Todd (16 October 2018). "Evgeny Svechnikov undergoes successful knee surgery". Detroit Red Wings. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  16. ^ "Red Wings sign winger Evgeny Svechnikov to one-year extenstion [sic]". Sportsnet. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  17. ^ "Detroit Assigns 11 to Grand Rapids". griffinshockey.com. 12 January 2021. Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  18. ^ Kujawa, Kyle (16 February 2021). "Detroit adds Svechnikov to taxi squad". National Hockey League. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  19. ^ "Moose sign forward Svechnikov". Manitoba Moose. 20 August 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  20. ^ "Jets sign forward Evgeny Svechnikov to a one-year, two-way contract". Winnipeg Jets. 13 October 2021.
  21. ^ "Agent: Evgeny Svechnikov signs one-year deal with Sharks". Sportsnet.ca. 3 September 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
  22. ^ "Евгений Свечников – в «Ак Барсе»". ak-bars.ru. 11 August 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  23. ^ "Evgeny Svechnikov has joined Torpedo attack line" (in Russian). Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. 30 July 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  24. ^ "Svechnikov interviewed by Kazan". Ak Bars Kazan. 5 May 2013. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  25. ^ Benjamin, Cody (22 June 2018). "NHL Draft 2018: Carolina Hurricanes take Andrei Svechnikov with second overall pick". CBS Sports. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  26. ^ "The 411 on Evgeny Svechnikov". Sportsnet.ca. 30 May 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  27. ^ Wakiji, Dana (13 June 2017). "Grand Rapids Griffins win Calder Cup at home". Detroit Red Wings. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
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Awards and achievements
Preceded by Detroit Red Wings first round draft pick
2015
Succeeded by