Quick Facts
Biography
Nikolay Vladimirovich Kulemin (Russian: Николай Владимирович Кулёмин; born July 14, 1986) is a Russian professional ice hockey player. He currently plays with the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL). Kulemin was selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft as the 44th overall pick.
Playing career
On May 25, 2007, Kulemin signed a three-year contract with the Maple Leafs, but stayed in Russia for the 2007–08 season on a handshake agreement between the Maple Leafs and Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL. During the early stages of the 2008–09 NHL season, his first in the NHL, Kulemin found chemistry on a line with teammates Niklas Hagman and Mikhail Grabovski. Near the end of the season, after the trade of Leafs forward Nik Antropov, Kulemin was used mainly on a line with Grabovski and Alexei Ponikarovsky. In a game against the Montreal Canadiens on March 21, 2009, soon after the line was created, Kulemin posted a career-high three points (one goal and two assists) in a 5–2 Toronto win. It has been noted that Ponikarovsky, a Ukrainian, has helped Kulemin become more comfortable in North America by translating and serving as a mentor on and off the ice.
Kulemin's first NHL goal occurred in his first NHL game, against the Detroit Red Wings, on goaltender Chris Osgood, in Toronto's 2008–09 season opener on October 9, 2008. The goal ended up as the game winner in a 3–2 Leafs win. He was selected as a reserve by Team Russia for the 2010 Winter Olympics should an injury occur during the tournament. On July 2, 2010, Kulemin signed a 2 year-year contract worth $2.35M per year.
On April 5, 2011, Kulemin became the first Russian-born Toronto Maple Leaf to score 30 goals in a season since Alexander Mogilny scored 33 in 2002–2003. Kulemin, along with Mats Sundin, Phil Kessel, James van Riemsdyk and Mogilny, are the only Leafs to score 30 or more since the 1999–2000 NHL season. Following this season, which was a personal best, Kulemin dropped to 7 goals over 70 games in the 2011–12 NHL season. Kulemin was re-signed by Toronto on July 20, 2012, to another two-year contract, worth $2.8M per year. During the NHL lockout in the 2012–13 NHL season, he returned to the Metallurg Magnitogorsk, where he scored 38 points in 36 games. Upon the lockout ending he returned to Toronto. He was selected to play in the 2014 Winter Olympics for the Russian National team on home soil.
On July 2, 2014, Kulemin left the Leafs after six seasons to sign a four-year free agent contract with the New York Islanders.
On April 25, 2015, Kulemin scored the final NHL game-winning goal at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Personal
Kulemin is married and has two children; his son, Aleks, was born on March 20, 2009, and his daughter was born on February 10, 2012.
Nikolay is currently married to Natasha Kulemin and they live on Long Island, New York.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2003–04 | Metallurg-2 Magnitogorsk | RUS-3 | 43 | 8 | 18 | 26 | 91 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | Metallurg-2 Magnitogorsk | RUS-2 | 43 | 9 | 13 | 22 | 44 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Metallurg Magnitogorsk | RSL | 31 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 8 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | ||
| 2005–06 | Metallurg-2 Magnitogorsk | RUS-2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Metallurg Magnitogorsk | RSL | 54 | 27 | 12 | 39 | 42 | 15 | 10 | 1 | 11 | 10 | ||
| 2007–08 | Metallurg Magnitogorsk | RSL | 57 | 21 | 12 | 33 | 63 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 29 | ||
| 2008–09 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 73 | 15 | 16 | 31 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Toronto Marlies | AHL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 78 | 16 | 20 | 36 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 82 | 30 | 27 | 57 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 70 | 7 | 21 | 28 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Metallurg Magnitogorsk | KHL | 36 | 14 | 24 | 38 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 48 | 7 | 16 | 23 | 22 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2013–14 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 70 | 9 | 11 | 20 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | New York Islanders | NHL | 82 | 15 | 16 | 31 | 21 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 2015–16 | New York Islanders | NHL | 81 | 9 | 13 | 22 | 22 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | ||
| NHL totals | 584 | 108 | 140 | 248 | 155 | 25 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 4 | ||||
| RSL totals | 142 | 53 | 32 | 85 | 113 | 37 | 14 | 7 | 21 | 45 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Russia | WJC18 |  | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2006 | Russia | WJC |  | 4 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 25 | |
| 2006 | Russia | WC | 5th | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2007 | Russia | WC |  | 9 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2010 | Russia | Oly | QF | – | – | – | – | – | |
| 2010 | Russia | WC | | 9 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 25 | |
| 2011 | Russia | WC | 4th | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| 2012 | Russia | WC | | 10 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2014 | Russia | Oly | QF | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2014 | Russia | WC | | 10 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 2 | |
| Junior totals | 10 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 27 | ||||
| Senior totals | 59 | 11 | 13 | 24 | 33 | ||||
Honours and awards
Individual awards
- Russian Super League MVP: 2007
Team awards
- Tampere Cup: 2006
- Česká Pojišťovna Cup: 2006
- Karjala Cup: 2006
- Channel One Cup: 2006
- Russian Super League championship: 2007