Ilya Samsonov

Lore & Background

Samsonov was born on 22 February 1997 in Magnitogorsk, Russia. He became a fan of ice hockey due to his grandfather and chose goaltender because he liked the look of the equipment. He made his KHL debut in relief with Metallurg Magnitogorsk on 11 December 2014. He was drafted 22nd overall by the Washington Capitals in the 2015 NHL entry draft, despite missing the scouting combine and conducting no interviews. He signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Capitals on 4 May 2018. He made his NHL debut on 4 October 2019 and won his first 11 contests, becoming the first NHL rookie goaltender to do so since 1973–74.

Reader's Guide

Samsonov is a goaltender. He played for Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the KHL, then the Washington Capitals, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL, and currently plays for HC Sochi in the KHL.

Did You Know?

• Samsonov was not the first goaltender drafted in the first round since 2012; Andrei Vasilevskiy (19th overall in 2012) and several others were selected earlier.
• Samsonov did not win the Gagarin Cup in 2016. Metallurg Magnitogorsk won that year, but Samsonov did not appear in the playoffs and was not on the championship roster.