Sergei Gonchar

Lore & Background

Gonchar began his professional career in 1991 with Traktor Chelyabinsk in the Soviet Championship League. He also played two seasons for Dynamo Moscow. He was the first-round pick, 14th overall, of the Washington Capitals in the 1992 NHL entry draft. He began his North American career in 1994, suiting up in two playoff games for the Capitals' AHL affiliate, the Portland Pirates. He made his NHL debut with the Capitals on 7 February 1995, against the Buffalo Sabres. In the 1998–99 season, Gonchar became the first Russian defenceman to score over 20 goals in the regular season. On 3 March 2004, he was traded to the Boston Bruins. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, he returned to Russia to play for Metallurg Magnitogorsk. After the lockout, he signed a five-year, $25 million deal with the Penguins on 4 August 2005. He helped lead the Penguins to the 2008 Stanley Cup Final. In the 2008–09 pre-season, he dislocated his shoulder after a hit by David Kočí. He returned on 14 February 2009, and later suffered a knee injury from a knee-on-knee hit by Alexander Ovechkin. He returned for game seven of the conference semi-finals and went on to win the Stanley Cup in 2009. On 1 July 2010, he signed a three-year, $16 million contract with the Ottawa Senators. During the 2012–13 NHL lockout, he returned to Russia to play with Metallurg Magnitogorsk. He was traded to the Dallas Stars on 7 June 2013, and signed a two-year, $10 million contract. On 11 November 2014, he was traded to the Montreal Canadiens. On 15 May 2015, it was announced he would not return to the Canadiens. He accepted a try-out invitation to the Penguins' training camp on 14 August 2015, but was released on 3 October 2015.

In Their Own Story

The source does not contain any narrative or specific game moments involving Sergei Gonchar. The only information available is the trade on March 3, 2004, that sent him from Washington to Boston.

Reader's Guide

Gonchar signalled the end of his professional playing career in accepting a development coaching position within the Pittsburgh Penguins organization on 27 October 2015. He aided the Penguins defensive unit in back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017, resulting in promotion to a full-time assistant on July 12, 2017. On August 12, 2020, it was announced that his contract, along with those of fellow assistant coaches Mark Recchi and Jacques Martin, would not be renewed. On January 22, 2023, the Vancouver Canucks announced the hiring of Sergei Gonchar as a Defensive Development Coach.

Did You Know?

• Gonchar was the first Russian defenceman to score over 20 goals in a regular season (1998–99).
• He set an NHL record on 2 March 2010 by scoring his 200th NHL goal, becoming the first Russian defenceman to do so.
• From the 2000–01 season to the 2009–10 season, Gonchar tallied exactly 500 points, second among NHL defencemen only to Nicklas Lidström.
• He led the NHL in goals by a defenceman from 2000–01 to 2009–10 with 128 goals.
• Gonchar housed rookie Evgeni Malkin when he first arrived from Russia in October 2006.