Ilya Vladimirovich Nikulin(March 12, 1982, Moscow, USSR) - Russian hockey player, defender. Pupil hockey school Moscow Dynamo. Three-time world champion (2008, 2009, 2012) as part of the Russian national team. Currently stands for hockey club"Dynamo". Honored Master of Sports of Russia (2009).
Close friend Russian hockey player Alexandra Ovechkin, with whom they played together for Dynamo Moscow. Alexander Ovechkin is the godfather of the son of Ilya.
Career
At the beginning of his career, he played for the farm club of the Moscow Dynamo and for the THK from Tver. Since 2000 he has been a player in the main team of Dynamo. In the same year, he was selected in the 2000 NHL Draft in the 2nd round under the overall number 31 by the Atlanta Thrashers.
In 2005 Nikulin moved to Kazan "Ak Bars", where he became one of the best Russian defenders, a regular participant in major international competitions as part of the Russian national team.
Together with Ak Bars, he won the first two Gagarin Cup draws (2009 and 2010), and in the spring of 2010, in the absence of the injured team captain Alexei Morozov, it was Ilya who led the partners and was the first to raise the main KHL trophy above his head. In May 2015 he moved to Moscow Dynamo. Performs under the 77th number
Achievements
- Silver medalist at the World Junior Championships (2000).
- Four-time champion Russia (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010).
- Silver medalist of the Russian Championship (2007).
- Winner of the European Champions Cup (2007).
- Winner of the Continental Cup (2008).
- Bronze medalist of the World Championship (2007).
- Winner of the KHL Gagarin Cup (2008/2009) as part of Ak Bars Kazan
- Winner of the KHL Gagarin Cup (2009/2010) as part of Ak Bars Kazan
- Silver medalist of the World Championship (2010).
- Three-time world champion (2008, 2009, 2012) as part of the Russian national team.
- Six-time participant in the KHL All-Star Game (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015).
Statistics
Club career
| Regular season | Play-off | |||||||||||||
| Season | Command | League | AND | G | NS | O | +/ | Str | AND | G | NS | O | +/ | Str |
| 1998/99 | Dynamo-2 Moscow | Overhead lines | 23 | 0 | 2 | 2 | - | 18 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1999/00 | Dynamo-2 Moscow | First league | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | - | 10 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1999/00 | THK Tver | RVL | 39 | 3 | 6 | 9 | -8 | 84 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2000/01 | Dynamo Moscow | RSL | 44 | 0 | 4 | 4 | -6 | 61 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2001/02 | Dynamo Moscow | RSL | 48 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -3 | 44 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 0 |
| 2001/02 | Dynamo-2 Moscow | First league | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | - | 2 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2002/03 | Dynamo Moscow | RSL | 40 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 46 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 2003/04 | Dynamo Moscow | RSL | 54 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 56 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 2 |
| 2004/05 | Dynamo Moscow | RSL | 50 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 65 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| 2005/06 | AK Bars | RSL | 49 | 9 | 11 | 20 | 7 | 48 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 36 |
| 2006/07 | AK Bars | RSL | 51 | 11 | 14 | 25 | 15 | 99 | 16 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 18 |
| 2007/08 | AK Bars | RSL | 57 | 3 | 15 | 18 | 2 | 95 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 14 |
| 2008/09 | AK Bars | KHL | 53 | 7 | 26 | 33 | 22 | 72 | 17 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 22 |
| 2009/10 | AK Bars | KHL | 49 | 6 | 27 | 33 | -2 | 86 | 22 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 8 | 14 |
| 2010/11 | AK Bars | KHL | 49 | 6 | 35 | 41 | 14 | 56 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 10 |
| 2011/12 | AK Bars | KHL | 51 | 9 | 15 | 24 | 3 | 52 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 29 |
| 2012/13 | AK Bars | KHL | 51 | 12 | 22 | 34 | 19 | 46 | 18 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 28 |
| 2013/14 | AK Bars | KHL | 52 | 5 | 20 | 25 | 1 | 56 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 5 | -5 | 6 |
| 2014/15 | AK Bars | KHL | 58 | 13 | 15 | 28 | 18 | 44 | 20 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| 2015/16 | Dynamo Moscow | KHL | 35 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 6 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Total in RSL / KHL | 742 | 84 | 222 | 306 | 115 | 920 | 143 | 23 | 42 | 65 | 31 | 191 |
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Ilya Nikulin(March 12, 1982, Moscow, RSFSR, USSR) - Russian hockey player, defender, Honored Master of Sports of Russia.
The first professional club of the defender was HC Tver.
In 2000 Nikulin moved to Dynamo Moscow. In the same year, he was selected in the 2000 NHL Draft in the 2nd round under the overall number 31 by the Atlanta Thrashers.
In 2005, Nikulin moved to Kazan "Ak Bars", where he became one of the best Russian defenders, a permanent member of the largest international competitions as part of the Russian national team. Three-time world champion (2008, 2009, 2012).
Together with Ak Bars, he became the winner of the first two Gagarin Cup draws (2009, 2010), and in the spring of 2010, in the absence of the injured team captain Alexei Morozov, it was Ilya who led the partners and was the first to raise the main KHL trophy above his head.
Nikulin is a close friend of the star Russian hockey player Alexander Ovechkin, with whom they played together for Dynamo Moscow. Ovechkin is the godfather of the son of Ilya.
Achievements
- Silver medalist of the World Junior Championship (2000).
- 4-time champion of Russia (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010)
- Silver medalist of the Russian Championship (2007).
- Winner of the European Champions Cup (2007).
- Winner of the Continental Cup (2008).
- Bronze medalist of the World Championship (2007).
- Winner of the KHL Gagarin Cup (2008/2009) as part of Ak Bars Kazan
- Winner of the KHL Gagarin Cup (2009/2010) as part of Ak Bars Kazan
- World Champion 2008, 2009, 2012 as part of the Russian national ice hockey team.
- Member of the KHL All-Star Game (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012).
Awards
Medal of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree (June 30, 2009) - for the great contribution to the victory of the Russian national ice hockey team at the world championships in 2008 and 2009
I have known the captain of the Russian national team Ilya Nikulin for several years. He is a positive person. And it is not at all surprising that at the last World Championship it was he who was entrusted with the captain's armband.
Dinara Kafiskina
- You won gold for the third time. How does it feel?
The most beautiful. But I cannot say that the victory in the first two world championships was more difficult than it is now, - Nikulin believes. - It's not easy in games of this level. Especially, of course, in the playoffs, where there are already the most, the most.
Skeptics assumed that the Russians in this championship, in general, had nothing to catch. They made such conclusions after a not entirely successful performance at the Eurotour.
However, the team of Zinetula Bilyaletdinov, as they say, wiped everyone's noses.
Eurotrip is Eurotrip. The World Cup is different. Came new coach, a lot of debutants appeared in the team. It was necessary to play together. And there was not much time for preparation. Therefore, at first, in general, not everything worked out. But then, with each match, our team played better and better. We all followed the coaching directive, everyone knew what to do in a given situation. And the team had a wonderful atmosphere. As one family. This is, of course, very important. We felt each other. As for the fact that someone thought that we had problems in defense, this is not the case.
- Your game is really worthy of respect ...
I would not like to evaluate my game, to delve into its nuances. There is always work to be done. There is something to strive for. When I know that I have made a mistake, I strongly reproach myself. I try to forget as soon as possible. If you dig into yourself for too long, it will not lead to anything good.
You give the impression of a fairly balanced person in life. On game day, is there anything that can get you off track?
You have to be professional. Go out to play, do your job. And so that no extraneous factors affect the quality of your game, the quality of the team's game. I am a really calm person in life. But it happens that sometimes I explode. True, then I analyze and understand that it is better not to do this. Different situations arise. And on the ice, sports anger is always present. Emotions overwhelm.
- Have you accumulated fatigue after such a tense tournament?
There is some. But this tiredness is pleasant. Of course, any reward comes with great difficulty. And this one too. Behind ten intense games.
Experts noted that the quarterfinal match with the Norwegians was a turning point for our team. How would you rate this command, which was not taken seriously before.
Probably because she was different. But in recent times the level of almost all national teams has improved. And the Norwegians are also not what they were before. Now their team is fighting and fast. We met with them at the preliminary stage. And then it was clear that this opponent was not easy. So, we tuned in to them seriously. Moreover, they included such a player as Patrick Toresen, who fought for leadership with Evgeny Malkin.
The leader of our team at this championship got it in full. The rival strove to unsettle him.
It was so. But Zhenya is just great. I endured everything. I tried not to succumb to provocations, so as not to leave our team in the minority. Malkin is such a player who, of course, can stand up for himself. The most difficult game was with the Swedes. And in the psychological and in physically... After that, we felt confident. In general, they prepared very seriously for each opponent. Disassembled it thoroughly. But, as it seemed to me, throughout the entire championship, none of us was very nervous. We were all confident in our abilities.
Some hockey players speak of Bilyaletdinov as a tough and demanding coach. What do you say? It's not the first year you've been working under his leadership.
I can say a lot of good things about him. He is an excellent specialist. And really demanding. I believe that every coach should be one. How else?
- Can you, for example, talk to him for life?
There should be some distance between the coach and the player. I have a very good attitude towards him, but I think that heart-to-heart conversations are superfluous. And I haven’t had such moments yet. Although, in principle, I am sure that if I come up and start talking to him about my life, he will not refuse me. Will be benevolent.
- Let's talk about friends. More precisely, about one of them - Alexander Ovechkin. I know that you are still friends with Dynamo ...
Yes. This is true. Not every day, but we call each other. After all, there is a big time difference with America. When he comes to Moscow, we, of course, see each other and communicate. Sometimes we go out somewhere to rest together. By the way, he is my son's godfather. As for his career, I am sincerely happy for him. He reached great heights. I never wondered if he would be a star or not. Sasha was just doing his job. But already here he played very well, made a name for himself. I saw his great desire and his efforts. He certainly has talent and has grown a lot. Became a world star.
- Are you thinking about the upcoming Olympics?
I think about her all the time. There is no other way. Still, this is the most main tournament... To receive an invitation to play for hire, perhaps, will happen only once in a career. Every athlete's dream. Now I want to spend my vacation with my family. At the end of the World Cup, my greatest desire was to return home as soon as possible and hug my wife and children. But that's a completely different story (smiles). I will talk about it next time.
The first professional club of the defender was HC Tver. In 2000 Nikulin moved to Dynamo Moscow. In the same year, he was selected in the 2000 NHL Draft in the 2nd round under the overall number 31 by the Atlanta Thrashers.
In 2005 Nikulin moved to Kazan "Ak Bars", where he became one of the best Russian defenders, a permanent participant in major international competitions as part of the Russian national team. Two-time champion the world (2008, 2009).
Together with Ak Bars, he became the winner of the first two Gagarin Cup draws (2009, 2010), and in the spring of 2010, in the absence of the injured team captain Alexei Morozov, it was Ilya who led the partners and was the first to raise the main KHL trophy above his head.
Nikulin is a close friend of the star Russian hockey player Alexander Ovechkin, with whom they played together for Dynamo Moscow. Ovechkin is the godfather of the son of Ilya.
Achievements
Silver medalist at the World Junior Championships (2000).
4-time champion of Russia (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010)
Silver medalist of the Russian Championship (2007).
Winner of the European Champions Cup (2007).
Winner of the Continental Cup (2008).
Bronze medalist of the World Championship (2007).
Winner of the KHL Gagarin Cup (2008/2009) as part of Ak Bars Kazan
Winner of the KHL Gagarin Cup (2009/2010) as part of Ak Bars Kazan
World champion 2008, 2009 in the Russian national ice hockey team.
Member of the KHL All-Star Game (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012).
Awards
Medal of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree (June 30, 2009) - for the great contribution to the victory of the Russian national hockey team at the world championships in 2008 and 2009.
Birthday March 12, 1982
Russian hockey player, defender, Honored Master of Sports of Russia
The first professional club of the defender was HC Tver. In 2000 Nikulin moved to Dynamo Moscow. In the same year, he was selected in the 2000 NHL Draft in the 2nd round under the overall number 31 by the Atlanta Thrashers.
In 2005 Nikulin moved to Kazan "Ak Bars", where he became one of the best Russian defenders, a permanent participant in major international competitions as part of the Russian national team. Two-time world champion (2008, 2009).
Together with Ak Bars, he became the winner of the first two Gagarin Cup draws (2009, 2010), and in the spring of 2010, in the absence of the injured team captain Alexei Morozov, it was Ilya who led the partners and was the first to raise the main KHL trophy above his head.
Nikulin is a close friend of the star Russian hockey player Alexander Ovechkin, with whom they played together for Dynamo Moscow. Ovechkin is the godfather of the son of Ilya.
International competitions
Achievements
- Silver medalist at the World Junior Championships (2000).
- 4-time champion of Russia (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010)
- Silver medalist of the Russian Championship (2007).
- Winner of the European Champions Cup (2007).
- Winner of the Continental Cup (2008).
- Bronze medalist of the World Championship (2007).
- Winner of the KHL Gagarin Cup (2008/2009) as part of Ak Bars Kazan
- Winner of the KHL Gagarin Cup (2009/2010) as part of Ak Bars Kazan
- World champion 2008, 2009 in the Russian national ice hockey team.
- Member of the KHL All-Star Game (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012).
Awards
- Medal of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree (June 30, 2009) - for a great contribution to the victory of the Russian national ice hockey team at the world championships in 2008 and 2009
Russian hockey player, defender, Honored Master of Sports of Russia (2009).
The first professional club of the defender was HC Tver. In 2000 Nikulin moved to Dynamo Moscow. In the same year, he was selected in the 2000 NHL Draft in the 2nd round under the overall number 31 by the Atlanta Thrashers.
In 2005 Nikulin moved to Kazan "Ak Bars", where he turned into one
about the best Russian defenders, a regular participant in major international competitions as part of the Russian national team. Two-time world champion (2008, 2009).
Together with Ak Bars, he won the first two Gagarin Cup draws (2009, 2010), and in the spring of 2010, in the absence of injuries
the captain of the team, Alexei Morozov, was Ilya who led the partners and was the first to raise the main KHL trophy above his head.
Nikulin is a close friend of the star Russian hockey player Alexander Ovechkin, with whom they played together for Dynamo Moscow. Ovechkin is the godfather of the son of Ilya.
Achievements
Silver medalist at the World Junior Championships (2000).
4-time champion of Russia (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010)
Silver medalist of the Russian Championship (2007).
Winner of the European Champions Cup (2007).
Winner of the Continental Cup (2008).
Champion bronze medalist
the world (2007).
Winner of the KHL Gagarin Cup (2008/2009) as part of Ak Bars Kazan
Winner of the KHL Gagarin Cup (2009/2010) as part of Ak Bars Kazan
World champion 2008, 2009 in the Russian national ice hockey team.
Member of the KHL All-Star Game (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012).