Ilya Nikulin
Ilya Vladimirovich Nikulin (Russian Илья Владимирович Никулин; born March 12, 1982 in Moscow, Russian SFSR ) is a Russian ice hockey player who stands since 2005 Ak Bars Kazan of the Kontinental Hockey League contract.
- 2.1 International
Career
Ilya Nikulin began his career as a hockey player in his hometown in the junior department of the HK Dynamo Moscow. For the second team, he participated in the 1998/99 season at once discharged from the Russian Ice Hockey Federation second league, which was due to differences with the actual second Russian professional league in ice hockey, the Wysschaja League, initiated in part. The following season began the defender when THK Tver in the Wysschaja League, for whom he scored three goals in 39 games and six assists gave before he even graduated from the end of season four games for the second team his home club Dynamo Moscow in the third-class Perwaja league. He was then in the second round selected in the NHL Entry Draft in 2000 when a total of 31 players from the Atlanta Thrashers for which, however, he never played. Instead, he remained with Dynamo Moscow. In this he has developed over the following years, a top performer in its professional team from the Super League. In the 2004/05 season he was with Dynamo first time Champion of Russia.
For the 2005/06 season signed Nikulin a contract with Ak Bars Kazan, with whom he immediately also won the Russian championship title at the end of the season. In the following season he reached Kazan again the playoff finals, had in this but the HK Metallurg Magnitogorsk beaten. In the same season he was able to convince with Ak Bars also at European level. As last year's champion, he had qualified with Ak Bars for the IIHF European Champions Cup, in the finals to the Finnish participants HPK Hämeenlinna clearly defeated 6-0. He was elected to the All-Star Team of the tournament. In 2008, Nikulin was successful with Ak Bars in Europe and won with his team the IIHF Continental Cup. During this tournament, he was named best defender.
Since the 2008/ 09 season Nikulin plays with Ak Bars Kazan in the Kontinental Hockey League newly established. In the premiere season of the KHL he improved to 43 points scorer, of which nine goals in 70 games, which meant a personal best for him. His services were rewarded with the appointment to the KHL Defender of the months of October and March. He also took part in the first edition of the KHL All-Star Game. In the playoffs the links Sagittarius won with his team against Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, the first edition of the Gagarin Cup. At this success, he played a key role and pointed with 13 in the playoffs the best plus / minus balance of all players. At the end of the season he was also elected to the All-Star team of the KHL. The following season he won the Gagarin Cup with Ak Bars after a final victory against the HK MVD Balaschicha again. As MVP of the playoffs, he played a major role in this success. Previously, he also took part in the second edition of the KHL All- Star Games and was named Defender of the month of April.
In the season 2010/11, Nikulin was able to increase one more time and achieved in the main round in 49 games 40 scorer points, including six goals. For this reason the Olympians of 2010 was invited back to the All- Star Game. In the Gagarin Cup playoffs, he failed in the second round with Ak Bars in the best- of-seven series with 1:4 victories at Salavat Yulaev Ufa In his nine playoff missions he scored a goal and three assists in nine games.
Internationally
For Russia Nikulin took part in the U18 World Junior Championships in 1999 and 2000 at junior level. For the latter, he won the silver medal with his team. In the senior level, he joined the Russian national team in the years 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 at the Euro Hockey Tour to. In addition, he was in his country's squad at the World Championships in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010, and at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. Especially at the World Championships Nikulin was successful with Russia and won in four of the five tournaments in which he participated, a medal - at the World Cup 2007 bronze medal and at the 2010 World Cup after a final defeat by the Czech Republic, silver medal, and at the World Championships 2008 and 2009 even the gold medal. At the Olympic Games in 2010, he left with his team in the quarter- final against the hosts and eventual Olympic champion from Canada.
Awards and achievements
- 2005 Champion of Russia with the HK Dynamo Moscow
- 2006 Russian champion Ak Bars Kazan with
- 2007 Russian runner with Ak Bars Kazan
- 2007 IIHF European Champions Cup win with Ak Bars Kazan
- 2007 All -Star team of the IIHF European Champions Cup
- 2008 IIHF Continental Cup win with Ak Bars Kazan
- 2008 Best Defender of the IIHF Continental Cup
- 2008 KHL Defender of the Month October
- 2009 KHL All-Star Game
- 2009 KHL Defender of the Month March
- 2009 Gagarin Cup win with Ak Bars Kazan
- 2009 KHL All-Star team
- 2009 best plus / minus balance of the KHL playoffs
- 2010 KHL All-Star Game
- 2010 KHL Defender of the Month April
- 2010 Gagarin Cup win with Ak Bars Kazan
- 2010 Most Valuable Player of the KHL playoffs
- 2011 KHL All-Star Game
- 2012 KHL All-Star Game
- 2013 All- Star team of the KHL
Internationally
- 2000 Silver medal at the U18 World Youth Championship
- 2007 bronze medal at the World Championships
- 2008 Gold medal at the World Championships
- 2009 Gold medal at the World Championships
- 2010 Silver medal at the World Championships
- 2012 Gold Medal at the World Championships
- 2012 All - Star Team of the World Cup
KHL stats
(End of season 2010/11)