Alexei Ponikarovsky

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Alexei Ponikarovsky
Born (1980-04-09) 9 April 1980 (age 43)
Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR,
Soviet Union
Height 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight 220 lb (100 kg; 15 st 10 lb)
Position Left Wing
Played for Krylya Sovetov
Dynamo Moscow
Toronto Maple Leafs
Khimik Moscow Oblast
Pittsburgh Penguins
Los Angeles Kings
Carolina Hurricanes
New Jersey Devils
Donbass Donetsk
Winnipeg Jets
SKA Saint Petersburg
Kunlun Red Star
National team  Ukraine
NHL Draft 87th overall, 1998
Toronto Maple Leafs
Playing career 1998–2018

Oleksiy Volodymyrovych "Alexei" Ponikarovsky (born 9 April 1980 in Kiev, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union) is a Ukrainian-Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger. He played parts of 15 season in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Los Angeles Kings, Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils, and Winnipeg Jets. He also played in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) for Donbass Donetsk, SKA Saint Petersburg, and Kunlun Red Star.

He was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs with the 87th overall pick in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. He also played in the NHL for the Toronto Maple Leafs for 9 seasons, the Pittsburgh Penguins for 1 season, the Los Angeles Kings for 1 season, the Carolina Hurricanes for 1 season, the New Jersey Devils for 1 season and the Winnipeg Jets for 1 season. He was traded back to the Devils on February 13, 2013 in exchange for a 4th round pick and a 7th round pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.[1]

He is nicknamed "The Poni Express", "The Ukraine Train" and "Poni". He currently lives in Toronto with his wife Inna, daughter Jessica, and sons Alex and Maxim. He also became a Canadian citizen on June 7, 2007.

Career[change | change source]

In the 1998 NHL Draft, he was selected in round 4 under a total of 87 by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Has Canadian and Russian citizenship.[2]

In 2010 he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. In the summer of 2010, as a free agent, he signed a contract with the Los Angeles Kings for a period of 1 year.

In the summer of 2011, he changed Los Angeles to Carolina Hurricanes, signing a one-year agreement worth $ 1.5 million.

In January 2012, before the expiration of his contract, he was traded to the New Jersey Devils.

In the offseason 2012, signed a one-year contract with the Winnipeg Jets for $ 1.5 million

Due to the NHL lockout in 2012, he signed a contract with the newcomer of the KHL, the Donbass club. After the end of the lockout he returned to the Winnipeg Jets, but after 12 games on 14 February 2013 he returned to the New Jersey Devils.

In August 2016, he signed a contract with the Kunlun Red Star Kontinental Hockey League debut.

In November 2017, he joined the Putin Team movement

Family[change | change source]

Married. He has three children.

References[change | change source]

  1. "Ponikarovsky reacquired from Winnipeg". New Jersey Devils. 2013-02-13. Retrieved 2013-02-13.
  2. "Главные спортивные новости на сегодня | Последние новости спорта в России и мире". sport-express.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 2020-11-06.

Other websites[change | change source]