Alexander Perezhogin

Alexander Perezhogin
Born (1983-08-10) August 10, 1983
Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 211 lb (96 kg; 15 st 1 lb)
Position Right Wing
Shoots Left
KHL team
Former teams
Avangard Omsk
Montreal Canadiens
Salavat Yulaev Ufa
National team  Russia
NHL Draft 25th overall, 2001
Montreal Canadiens
Playing career 2000present

Alexander Valerievich Perezhogin (Russian: Александр Пережогин; born August 10, 1983) is a Kazakhstani-Russian professional ice hockey player currently playing for Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

Playing career

Perezhogin began his playing career in his homeland of Kazakhstan before leaving in 1998, with his coach Sergei Gersonsky, to play for Avangard Omsk’s farm team Avangard VDV.[1] He would then gain Russian citizenship upon his recruitment. Perezhogin remained with the Omsk organization for the remainder of his Russian league career prior to being drafted.

Perezhogin was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, 25th overall. In the 2003-04 season, Perezhogin came to North America to play with the Hamilton Bulldogs, Montreal's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate. He played with the Montreal Canadiens for two seasons.

During Perezhogin's suspension from the AHL for his stick-swinging incident on Garrett Stafford, on the advice of Bob Gainey and the Montreal Canadiens, he re-joined his former team, Avangard Omsk of the Russian Superleague (RSL), and scored 33 points in 43 games. In total, Perezhogin tallied 55 points in 95 games in his career with Avangard.

He scored his first NHL goal on a break-away in his first career game, on October 6, 2005 at Madison Square Garden against New York Rangers goaltender Kevin Weekes.

On May 8, 2007, Perezhogin signed a contract with Salavat Yulayev Ufa of the Russian Superleague. He would earn nearly $1.8 million US, almost three times his NHL salary during the 2006-07 season. The Montreal Canadiens still hold his NHL rights as he is a restricted free agent.

In April 2009, Perezhogin was invited to represent Russia in the 2009 IIHF World Championship hosted in Switzerland, where he played along the sides of Russian NHL superstars such as Ilya Kovalchuk and five of his teammates from Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Russia won its second consecutive gold medal against Canada on May 10, 2009.

In April 2010, Perezhogin was traded to once again join his former team, Avangard Omsk, with Salavat Yulaev Ufa receiving Igor Volkov in return.[2]

Stick swinging incident

On April 30, 2004, during the 2004 Calder Cup playoffs against the Cleveland Barons, Perezhogin was cross-checked in the face by Garrett Stafford, with both players falling to the ice. While both were trying to get back up, Stafford swung his stick at Perezhogin's head making contact with his helmet. In response, while getting up, Perezhogin turned around and swung his stick in an axe swinging, almost chopping fashion and caught Stafford, who was still getting up, in the face.

The consequent blow knocked Stafford unconscious, and into convulsions. Stafford required twenty stitches, lost some teeth and was diagnosed with a concussion. He was released the next day from Hamilton General Hospital and has since made a full recovery. Perezhogin was suspended for the rest of the playoffs, and in an unprecedented move for the entire following AHL season of 2004–05. Perezhogin was also charged by Hamilton Police Service, and was given a one-year probation, ordered to donate $5,000 to charity, and to cover all of Stafford's medical bills.

Perezhogin actually did play pro hockey in 2004–05, but in the Russian Superleague with Avangard. He returned to Hamilton for the 2005–06 season. He was called up to the Montreal Canadiens that season and played 67 games for the Habs. Since 2007, however, he returned to Russia, playing for Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the KHL.

Career statistics

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1999–00 Avangard Omsk RSL 1 0 0 0 0
2000–01 Avangard Omsk RSL 1 0 0 0 0
2001–02 Avangard Omsk RSL 3 1 0 1 4
2002–03 Avangard Omsk RSL 48 15 6 21 28 8 0 2 2 4
2003–04 Hamilton Bulldogs AHL 77 23 27 50 52 5 3 3 6 16
2004–05 Avangard Omsk RSL 43 15 18 33 18 11 3 2 5 8
2005–06 Hamilton Bulldogs AHL 11 0 2 2 8
2005–06 Montreal Canadiens NHL 67 9 10 19 38 6 1 1 2 4
2006–07 Montreal Canadiens NHL 61 6 9 15 48
2007–08 Salavat Yulaev Ufa RSL 50 21 20 41 42 16 3 2 5 14
2008–09 Salavat Yulaev Ufa KHL 55 28 24 52 32 4 0 0 0 2
2009–10 Salavat Yulaev Ufa KHL 56 13 19 32 36 16 4 1 5 22
2010–11 Avangard Omsk KHL 51 20 17 37 28 11 5 5 10 6
2011–12 Avangard Omsk KHL 53 17 10 27 28 21 8 4 12 8
2012–13 Avangard Omsk KHL 45 17 8 25 38 12 1 4 5 10
2013–14 Avangard Omsk KHL 53 16 20 36 43
2014–15 Avangard Omsk KHL 60 17 21 38 34 12 4 3 7 8
2015–16 Avangard Omsk KHL 56 15 21 36 50 11 5 1 6 6
NHL totals 128 15 19 34 86 6 1 1 2 4
RSL totals 145 52 44 96 92 36 6 6 12 26
KHL totals 429 143 140 283 289 87 27 18 45 62

International statistics

Year Team Event Place   GP G A Pts PIM
2001 Russia WJC18 1st, gold medalist(s) 6 4 3 7 0
2002 Russia WJC 1st, gold medalist(s) 5 0 0 0 4
2003 Russia WJC 1st, gold medalist(s) 6 3 6 9 4
Junior int'l totals 17 7 9 16 8
2009 Russia WC 1st, gold medalist(s) 9 3 3 6 6
2012 Russia WC 1st, gold medalist(s) 10 4 5 9 4
Senior int'l totals 19 7 8 15 10

References

External links

Preceded by
Mike Komisarek
Montreal Canadiens first round draft pick
2001
Succeeded by
Christopher Higgins
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