Vadim Sharifijanov

Playing career

Sharifijanov first gained international notice at the 1992 European U18 Championships, where at age 16 he scored 8 goals in 6 games and was named a tournament all-star. He played two seasons with Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the Russian Super League before being selected 25th overall in the first round of the 1994 NHL entry draft by the New Jersey Devils. He spent one more year in Russia with HC CSKA Moscow and then recorded 10 points in 7 games at the 1995 World Junior Championships. After the 1995 Russian season ended, he joined the Albany River Rats, New Jersey's AHL affiliate, and scored 2 points in his first North American professional game. His progress to the NHL was slow within a deep New Jersey system; his first three full seasons were spent almost entirely in Albany, with only 2 NHL games in 1996–97. In 1998–99 he was promoted to the Devils and had a successful rookie season, recording 11 goals and 27 points in 53 games. The following season his play declined sharply; after scoring 3 goals in 20 games for the Devils and showing a marked drop-off in defensive play, he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks for a draft pick. He scored a goal on his first shift as a Canuck but quickly became a healthy scratch and earned a reputation for lazy play, finishing the season with 5 goals and 10 points in 37 games and a -13 plus-minus rating. In 2000–01 he failed to make the Canucks' roster out of training camp and was assigned to the Kansas City Blades of the International Hockey League for the entire season. Released by the Canucks, he returned to Russia and struggled, playing for 6 different Super League teams over the next three seasons without making a significant impact for any. After brief stints in France and Sweden, he signed with Sputnik Nizhny Tagil of the Supreme Hockey League in 2005. His sudden decline in ability while still a young player remains unexplained: at age 23 he was a key young player on an elite NHL team, and by age 26 he could not hold a regular job in the Russian Superleague.