Ruslan Fedotenko facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ruslan Fedotenko |
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Fedotenko with the New York Rangers in 2011
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| Born | 18 January 1979 Kiev, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Kyiv, Ukraine) |
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| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb) | ||
| Position | Left wing | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Sokil Kyiv Philadelphia Flyers Tampa Bay Lightning New York Islanders Pittsburgh Penguins New York Rangers Donbass Donetsk |
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| National team |  Ukraine |
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| NHL Draft | Undrafted | ||
| Playing career | 1995–2016 | ||
Ruslan Viktorovych Fedotenko (born January 18, 1979) is a former professional ice hockey player from Ukraine. He played as a winger.
Ruslan Fedotenko is famous for winning the Stanley Cup twice. This is one of the biggest awards in ice hockey! He played for many teams in the National Hockey League (NHL). These teams included the Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins, and New York Rangers. He also played for his home country, Ukraine, in the 2002 Winter Olympics.
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Ruslan Fedotenko's Hockey Journey
Starting in the NHL
When Ruslan was young, he played in a big hockey tournament for kids in Quebec, Canada, in 1993. He was part of a team from Ukraine.
Ruslan was not chosen by any team in the NHL draft. But the Philadelphia Flyers signed him in 1999. This was his first step into the NHL. In 2002, he scored a very important goal in overtime. This goal helped the Flyers win a playoff game against the Ottawa Senators.
Winning the Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay
After playing two seasons with the Flyers, Ruslan moved to the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2002. This was part of a trade between the two teams.
In 2004, Ruslan helped the Lightning win their first-ever Stanley Cup. He scored both goals for Tampa Bay in the final game (Game 7) against the Calgary Flames. This was a huge moment for the team! The next season, he had his best year, scoring 26 goals and 41 points.
Playing for the New York Islanders
After four seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Ruslan signed a contract with the New York Islanders in 2007. He played one season with the Islanders. During that time, he scored 33 points for the team.
Winning a Second Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh
The next year, in 2008, Ruslan signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He had a great season with the Penguins. He scored 39 points in 65 games. He played alongside famous players like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
In 2009, Ruslan helped the Penguins win his second Stanley Cup. They beat the Detroit Red Wings in a tough seven-game series. He scored 14 points during these playoff games. After this win, he decided to stay with the Penguins for another year.
Time with the New York Rangers
In 2010, Ruslan joined the New York Rangers. He first came on a try-out, but he played so well that the Rangers signed him to a contract. He played two seasons with the Rangers. In 2011, he signed another contract to stay with the team.
Returning to the Flyers and Later Career
In 2012, Ruslan went back to the Philadelphia Flyers, the team where his NHL career began. During an NHL player lockout that year, he played for a team called HC Donbass in Ukraine. After the NHL season, he signed a long-term contract to play for Donbass.
Later in his career, Ruslan played for the Iowa Wild. He signed a try-out contract in 2015. He played 13 games and scored 3 goals for them. He then signed with the Minnesota Wild, which is Iowa's main team.
On October 11, 2016, Ruslan Fedotenko announced he was retiring from professional hockey. He ended his career as a two-time Stanley Cup champion. He played in 863 NHL games, scoring 173 goals and making 193 assists. This gave him a total of 366 points.
Playing for Ukraine
Ruslan Fedotenko also played for the Ukrainian national ice hockey team. He played in one game for Ukraine at the 2002 Winter Olympics. Ukraine won that game 5-2 against Switzerland.
Personal Life
Ruslan Fedotenko has a tattoo on his shoulder that shows two Stanley Cups. This reminds him of his two big wins! He lives in Tampa, Florida, with his wife, Debbie.
