Sergei Gonchar

Verified Timeline

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' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Portland Pirates. He continued with Portland in 1994–95 before making his NHL debut with the Capitals on 7 February 1995, against the Buffalo Sabres. He appeared in 31 games total during the lockout-shortened 1994–95 season. The following year, in his first full-length campaign in the NHL, Gonchar tallied 41 points, showing his potential as an effective offensive defenceman.

In Their Own Story

The narrative of Gonchar's Washington years is one of breaking barriers and setting records. He arrived as a first-round pick in 1992 but needed time to adjust, suiting up for only two playoff games with the Portland Pirates before his NHL debut in February 1995. His impact grew steadily; by the 2000–01 season, he was named to the second All-Star team after tallying 57 points. The peak of his Capitals career saw him finish tied for a career high with 67 points in 2002–03, again earning second All-Star honors. Between 2000 and 2004, he led all NHL defencemen in scoring with 241 points and 74 goals. This era culminated on March 3, 2004, when the Capitals traded him to the Boston Bruins, marking the end of his decade-long stint as a Capital.

Reader's Guide

In the 1998–99 season, Gonchar became the first Russian defenceman to score over 20 goals in the regular season. The following season, Gonchar broke the 50-point mark for the first time in his career. He also finished in fifth place in Norris Trophy voting as the NHL's best defenceman. After 57- and 67-point (tied for a career high) seasons in 2000–01 and 2002–03 respectively, Gonchar was named to the second All-Star team both seasons. On 3 March 2004, in his tenth season with the Capitals, Gonchar was traded to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Shaone Morrisonn and two draft picks. Finishing the season with Boston, he amassed 58 points, leading all NHL defencemen. Between 2000 and 2004, Gonchar recorded more points than any other defenceman, with 74 goals and 241 points. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Gonchar returned to Russia to play for Metallurg Magnitogorsk, where he played with future Pittsburgh Penguins teammates Petr Sýkora and Evgeni Malkin. After the lockout, Gonchar signed a five-year, $25 million deal with the Penguins on 4 August 2005. In 2006–07, his second season with Pittsburgh, Gonchar tied a career-high with 67 points. In addition to his on-ice duties for the Penguins, Gonchar housed rookie Evgeni Malkin when he first arrived from Russia in October 2006. The following season, Gonchar helped lead the Penguins to the 2008 Stanley Cup Final. After a 65-point regular season, he added 14 points in 20 playoff games as the Penguins lost to the Detroit Red Wings. Gonchar placed fourth in Norris Trophy voting. During the first game of the 2008–09 pre-season, Gonchar dislocated his shoulder. He returned to play his first game of the season on 14 February 2009. He played in the final 25 games of the regular season and tallied 19 points. In the playoffs, Gonchar suffered a serious knee injury on a knee-on-knee hit by Alexander Ovechkin. Despite being initially expected to be out for several weeks, he returned for game seven of the series. Gonchar and the Penguins went on to win the Stanley Cup in seven games. After winning, he revealed he had been playing with a partially torn medial collateral ligament (MCL). Gonchar was sidelined with injuries again for a total of 20 games in the 2009–10 season. Despite missing time, he went on to record his ninth 50-point season in the past 10 seasons. He also had his 11th season with ten goals or more. Gonchar fi

Did You Know?

• Gonchar was the first Russian-born defenceman to score over 20 goals in a regular season (1998–99); Sergei Zubov had previously scored 21 goals in 1993–94, but Zubov was born in the Soviet Union.
• He led all NHL defencemen in points between 2000 and 2004, with 74 goals and 241 points.
• On 2 March 2010, Gonchar became the first Russian-born defenceman to reach 200 NHL goals, though this is not an official NHL record.
• He won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009.