Namestnikov Yevgeny Yuryevich (born October 9, 1971, Nizhny Novgorod) is a Russian ice hockey player (defenseman) and coach. A product of Nizhny Novgorod hockey, he played in the USSR and Russian championships as well as within the NHL club system; he later became a coach of the youth and senior teams of HC CSKA.[1]
Playing career
He made his debut in the national championships in the 1988–1989 season with Gorky's Torpedo. In his youth, Namestnikov was regularly called up to the USSR junior and youth national teams.[1] In 1991 he moved to CSKA Moscow, which by then had lost most of its invincible roster but still had a strong crop of young players. Over two seasons (1991–1993), Namestnikov played 84 games for the Army team, scoring 6+6 points, and won a silver medal at the 1992 championship.[1]
At the 1991 NHL Draft, Namestnikov was selected by the Vancouver Canucks in the 6th round, 117th overall. In 1993 he left for Canada, and from 1993 to 1997 he played mainly for Vancouver's farm club, often being called up to the main roster. In the 1997–1998 season he moved to the New York Islanders, where he played 6 NHL games, after which he ended up in the Nashville Predators system. At the farm-club level, Namestnikov was consistently regarded as a leading defenseman who combined reliability in defense with contributions on offense; on the teams where he played, Zdeno Chara and Adrian Aucoin, at different times, strove to match his level.[1]
In 2001 Namestnikov returned to Russia and played for Lada (Togliatti), then for Ak Bars (Kazan). In 2003 he returned to CSKA, where he spent two seasons as the most experienced defender on the team. His last season as a professional was 2005–2006: Namestnikov played for Khimik of Voskresensk and HC MVD of Tver.[1]
Coaching career
In May 2007, Namestnikov joined CSKA for the third time, this time as coach of the youth team. In December 2010 he took over the "Red Army" team (MHL) when the previous head coach, Vyacheslav Butsayev, was moved up to the senior club. In April 2011, the team under Namestnikov's leadership won the Kharlamov Cup. Beginning with the 2011–2012 season, Yevgeny Namestnikov has been part of the coaching staff of CSKA's senior team.[1]
Connection to Nizhny Novgorod
Namestnikov was born in Nizhny Novgorod and is a product of Nizhny Novgorod hockey. He took his first steps in professional hockey with Gorky's Torpedo, making his debut in the country's top division in the 1988–1989 season.[1]
Sources
- cska-hockey.ru — Namestnikov Yevgeny Yuryevich — HC CSKA