Nikolai Kulemin
| Nikolay Kulemin | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Kulemin with the New York Islanders in March 2015.
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| Born |
14 July 1986 Magnitogorsk, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
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| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 212 lb (96 kg; 15 st 2 lb) | ||
| Position | Left Wing | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
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NHL team Former teams |
New York Islanders Metallurg Magnitogorsk Toronto Maple Leafs |
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| National team |
 Russia
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| NHL Draft | 44th overall, 2006 Toronto Maple Leafs |
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| Playing career | 2003–present | ||
Nikolay Vladimirovich Kulemin (Russian: Николай Владимирович Кулёмин; born 14 July 1986) is a Russian professional ice hockey player. He currently plays with the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL). Kulemin was selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft as the 44th overall pick.
On 25 May 2007, Kulemin signed a three-year contract with the Maple Leafs, but stayed in Russia for the 2007–08 season on a handshake agreement between the Maple Leafs and Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL. During the early stages of the 2008–09 NHL season, his first in the NHL, Kulemin found chemistry on a line with teammates Niklas Hagman and Mikhail Grabovski. Near the end of the season, after the trade of Leafs forward Nik Antropov, Kulemin was used mainly on a line with Grabovski and Alexei Ponikarovsky. In a game against the Montreal Canadiens on 21 March 2009, soon after the line was created, Kulemin posted a career-high three points (one goal and two assists) in a 5–2 Toronto win. It has been noted that Ponikarovsky, a Ukrainian, has helped Kulemin become more comfortable in North America by translating and serving as a mentor on and off the ice.
Kulemin's first NHL goal occurred in his first NHL game, against the Detroit Red Wings, on goaltender Chris Osgood, in Toronto's 2008–09 season opener on 9 October 2008. The goal ended up as the game winner in a 3–2 Leafs win. He was selected as a reserve by Team Russia for the 2010 Winter Olympics should an injury occur during the tournament. On 2 July 2010, Kulemin signed a 2 year-year contract worth $2.35M per year.
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