The South Ural Hockey School has given the world many outstanding hockey players. Some of them still play leading roles in NHL clubs. One of the most famous South Ural hockey players overseas (in addition to Evgeny Malkin) is Nikolai Kulemin, a native of Magnitogorsk.
Nikolai Kulemin began his career in the NHL in the 2008-2009 season. It is generally accepted that Nikolai is a defensive forward, despite the fact that his main role is considered to be the left edge of the attack. However, Kulemin may well cope with the functions of the center-forward.
Kulemin began his career at the legendary Canadian club - Toronto Maple Leafs. As part of this team, Kulemin spent six seasons. Only in the current NHL regular season, Nikolai changed the club - now he plays for the New York Islanders.
As part of Toronto, Kulemin played 421 matches with an overall score of 195 (84 + 111) points scored according to the goal + pass system. In New York, Nikolai has played only 46 games so far, in which he scored 20 points (11 + 9). Thus, in total in the regular championship of the NHL at the moment, Nikolai Kulemin played 467 games, in which he scored 215 points (95 + 120).
The most successful regular season in the NHL for Magnitogorsk was the 2010-2011 season. Nikolay played all 82 league matches, in which he scored 57 points (30 + 27). The indicator of the accuracy of the shots of the Russian forward was a rather high result - 17, 3%.
Nikolay Kulemin's statistics in the Stanley Cup playoffs is not impressive, to the extent that Toronto has not often made it into the top eight of the strongest clubs in the East. The Magnitogorsk striker only in the 2012-2013 season played seven games in elimination matches. In these meetings, Nikolai managed to assist his partner only once.
At the moment, Kulemin's overseas career is not over. Therefore, Russian fans, as well as personal fans of Nikolai, have every right to hope for an improvement in the statistics of the Russian striker.
