Alexander Riazantsev (ice hockey) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alexander Riazantsev |
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| Born | March 15, 1980 Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
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| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 209 lb (95 kg; 14 st 13 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for | Spartak Moscow Hershey Bears Milwaukee Admirals Lokomotiv Yaroslavl Dynamo Moscow SKA St. Petersburg Avangard Omsk Vityaz Chekhov Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg Salavat Yulaev Ufa Traktor Chelyabinsk Severstal Cherepovets Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk Amur Khabarovsk |
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| National team |  Russia |
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| NHL Draft | 167th overall, 1998 Colorado Avalanche |
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| Playing career | 1996–2015 | ||
Alexander Vladimirovich Riazantsev (Russian: Александр Владимирович Рязанцев) was born on March 15, 1980. He is a former professional ice hockey player from Russia. He played as a defenseman, which is a player who helps protect their team's goal.
Alexander Riazantsev played for many years in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), which is a major ice hockey league in Europe and Asia. He also spent time playing in the American Hockey League (AHL) in North America. He was chosen by the Colorado Avalanche in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft but never played in the National Hockey League (NHL). Riazantsev also proudly represented his country, playing for the Russian national team. He won a bronze medal at the 2005 World Championship. He retired from playing hockey in 2015.
Playing Career Highlights
Alexander Riazantsev was first picked by the Colorado Avalanche in the 1998 NHL Draft. He spent about five seasons playing for the Hershey Bears in the American Hockey League. This league is a step below the NHL. In 2003, he moved back to Russia. There, he continued his career until he retired.
The Hardest Shot Ever?
In January 2012, Alexander Riazantsev made headlines. He took part in a skills competition in the KHL. His shot was measured at an amazing 114.1 miles per hour! Many KHL officials believe this is the hardest shot ever recorded in hockey. However, the National Hockey League (NHL) does not officially recognize this record. This is because the distance to the goal in KHL competitions is shorter than in NHL events.
Moving Between Teams
Alexander Riazantsev played for many different teams during his career. On May 5, 2012, he joined his seventh club in just five seasons. He signed a two-year contract with Severstal Cherepovets. During the 2012–13 season, he scored 9 goals and earned 20 points. These points came from his strong shots from the blue line.
Later, on June 11, 2013, Severstal traded him. He returned to his first professional club, Spartak Moscow. This trade was in exchange for another player, Nicholas Bushuev. His journey continued on October 4, 2014. After playing only 8 games with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk, he was traded again. This time, he went to Amur Khabarovsk.
International Play
Alexander Riazantsev also played for the Russian national team in several important tournaments.
| Medal record | ||
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| Representing Russia |
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| Ice hockey | ||
| World Championships | ||
| Bronze | 2005 Vienna | |
| World Junior Championships | ||
| Gold | 1999 Manitoba | |
| Silver | 2000 Skellefteå | |
| European Junior Championships | ||
| Bronze | 1998 Sweden | |
He won a bronze medal at the 2005 IIHF World Championship. This is a major international tournament for senior players. Before that, he had a very successful junior career. He won a gold medal at the 1999 World Junior Championships. He also earned a silver medal at the 2000 World Junior Championships. His first international medal was a bronze at the 1998 European Junior Championships.
