Alexei Zhamnov facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alexei Zhamnov
Born	(1970-10-01) October 1, 1970 (age 54) Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	187 lb (85 kg; 13 st 5 lb)
Position	Center
Shot	Left
Played for	Dynamo Moscow Winnipeg Jets Chicago Blackhawks Philadelphia Flyers Boston Bruins
Current KHL coach	Spartak Moscow
National team	Soviet Union,  Unified Team and  Russia
NHL Draft	77th overall, 1990 Winnipeg Jets
Playing career	1992–2006
Coaching career	2013–present

Alexei Yuryevich "Alex" Zhamnov, born on October 1, 1970, is a famous former ice hockey player from Russia. He played as a center, which is a key position in hockey, for many teams in the National Hockey League (NHL). After his playing career, he became a coach. He is currently the head coach for HC Spartak Moscow in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He also used to be a general manager for other teams and coached the Russia men's national ice hockey team.

Alexei Zhamnov's Playing Career

Alexei Zhamnov was chosen by the Winnipeg Jets in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft. He was the 77th player picked overall. After playing in the 1992 Olympics, he started his NHL career with the Jets in the 1992–93 season.

Playing for the Winnipeg Jets

While with the Jets, Zhamnov was part of a strong line called the "Olympic line." He played alongside Keith Tkachuk and Teemu Selanne. All three players had been Olympians for their home countries. Zhamnov was very successful with the Jets. He scored more than one point per game in each of his four seasons there. A "point" in hockey is given for a goal or an assist.

His best season was in 1994–95. This season was shorter than usual because of a lockout, which is when players and team owners can't agree on rules. Even so, Zhamnov led the Jets in scoring. He also finished third in the entire league for points. A special moment was on April 1, 1995, when he scored five goals in one game against the Los Angeles Kings. The game ended in a 7–7 tie.

Time with the Chicago Blackhawks

After the Jets team moved to Phoenix, Zhamnov was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in 1996. He was traded for another player named Jeremy Roenick. With the Blackhawks, he didn't score as many points per game. However, he played well with Tony Amonte, who was Roenick's childhood friend. Zhamnov was also chosen to be the team captain for the Blackhawks from 2002 to 2004. Being a captain means he was a leader on the team.

Later NHL Teams

On February 20, 2004, Zhamnov was traded again. This time, he went from Chicago to the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers gave up three players and a draft pick to get him. A "draft pick" is the right to choose a player in a future draft.

On August 4, 2005, Zhamnov signed a three-year contract with the Boston Bruins. He joined them as a free agent, meaning his previous contract had ended. However, his time with the Bruins was short. He played only 24 games in the 2005–06 season. He suffered a broken ankle on January 7, 2006, which ended his career. This injury happened during a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Zhamnov officially retired from playing hockey in 2006.

International Hockey Achievements

Medal record
Ice hockey
Representing  Unified Team
Winter Olympics
Gold	1992 Albertville
Representing  Russia
Winter Olympics
Silver	1998 Nagano
Bronze	2002 Salt Lake City
Representing Soviet Union
World Championships
Bronze	1991 Finland
World Junior Championship
Silver	1990 Finland

Alexei Zhamnov played for his country in three different Olympic Games. He won a gold medal, a silver medal, and a bronze medal. He played for the Unified Team and later for the Russian teams. He was supposed to play in the 2006 Olympics too, but he couldn't because of his injury. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, when there were no games in the NHL, Zhamnov went back to Russia to play hockey there.

Awards and Honors