Andrei Mezin

Template: Infobox ice hockey player / file type

Andrei Mezin (White Russian Андрэй Анатольевіч Мезін, Russian Андрей Анатольевич Мезин / Andrei Mezin, English transcription Andrei Mezin, . Born July 8, 1974 in Chelyabinsk, Russian SFSR ) is a Belarusian- Russian professional ice hockey goaltender, who since October 2013 when HK Avangard Omsk consists of the Kontinental Hockey League contract.

• 2.1 International

Career

Andrej Mesin began his career as a hockey player in North America at Roanoke Express, for which he made ​​his debut in professional hockey in the East Coast Hockey League in the 1993/94 season. In his only season use he allowed a goal in three shots in 18 minutes. From 1995 to 1998 the goalkeeper stood at the Flint Generals in the Colonial Hockey League, and after the name change to the 1997/98 season in the United Hockey League between the posts. In parallel, he came in this period isolated on inserts for the Fort Wayne Komets, Las Vegas Thunder and Detroit Vipers of the International Hockey League, and the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League. Following the Olympic Games 1998, he was also first elected to Belarus player of the year.

For the 1998/99 season Mesin moved to the Nuremberg Ice Tigers of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. There he was able to convince as goalkeeper and led his team in the playoff final, where they narrowly defeated 2:3 wins the Adler Mannheim in the best- of-five series at once. Subsequently, he was elected for the second time for Belarusian player of the year. In the following three seasons, he stood for Nuremberg League rivals Berlin Capitals on the ice. Once these have been excluded from the DEL due to financial problems, he moved to Ak Bars Kazan in the Russian Superleague. There, however, he could not prevail and played in the 2002/03 season only one game. For the following season the Belarusian signed with a Russian passport a contract with HC České Budějovice in the Czech Extraliga. With his team he suffered at the end of the season descent into second-rate first league.

For the season 2004 /05 Mesin was committed by the SKA Saint Petersburg. There he could be the second attempt in the Super League to enforce and pointed at his 42 inserts a Gegentorschnitt of 2.58 per game. He was subsequently re-elected Player of the Year from Belarus. From 2005 to 2007 he played for the League Salavat Yulaev Ufa rivals, with whom he regularly had an average of less than two goals per game and was rewarded in 2006 with its fourth award for the Belarusian player of the year. He subsequently received a contract with the top club and Russian champions Metallurg Magnitogorsk. In this he was mainly in the 2007/ 08 season set the scene and pointed in the main round in 35 games an average of 1.84 goals against per game, and a catch rate of 93.2 percent. In the following season, he took part with Metallurg at the Kontinental Hockey League newly established. At the European level, he finished 2009 with Metallurg second place in the inaugural Champions Hockey League, in their final he the Swiss club ZSC Lions defeated with Metallurg.

For the 2009/10 season changed Mesin within the KHL to HK Dinamo Minsk. There he was able to convince at first as goalkeeper and participated in the KHL All-Star Game on the part of the Russian selection of Team Yashin part. In the following season, he led Dinamo Minsk for the first time in the playoffs for the Gagarin Cup. In these Minsk was defeated in the first round Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in the best- of-seven series with almost 3:4 victories.

After three seasons at Dinamo Minsk Mesin left the club in June 2012 and was initially without a club. In September 2012, he received a contract with HC Traktor Chelyabinsk from his birthplace. After the end of the 2012/13 season, he was first out of contract before he was obliged by HK Avangard Omsk in October 2013.

Internationally

For Belarus Mesin adopted the B World Championships in 2002 and 2004, as well as the A World Championships in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010 in part. In addition, he was in the squad of Belarus at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, 2002 Salt Lake City and Vancouver 2010.

In international tournaments Mesin was not only regularly among the best players of his team, but also at the tournaments total. At the World Championship Division I in 2002, he had the highest catch rate and the lowest Gegentorschnitt all Torwärte Group A decisive role in the direct promotion back to the top division. In the 2005 A- World Cup, he was able to prevail against the best Torwärte the world in these two categories. At the World Championships in 2006, 2009 and 2010 respectively, he was one of the top three players of Belarus. Especially at the 2009 World Cup, he was able to convince, and was elected to the All-Star team in the world championship, as well as the best goalkeeper.

Awards and achievements

• 2008 IIHF European Champions Cup win with the HK Metallurg Magnitogorsk
• 2009 Spengler Cup earnings with the HK Dinamo Minsk
• 2009 All- Star team of the Spengler Cup
• 2010 KHL All-Star Game

Internationally

• 2004 promotion to the top division at the World Championship Division I
• 2006 All- Star Team of the World Cup
• 2009 Best Goalkeeper of World Cup
• 2009 All- Star Team of the World Cup