Sergei Gonchar

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For the Ukrainian cyclist, see Serhiy Honchar.


Position	Defence
Shoots	Left
Nickname(s)	Gonch or Sarge
Height Weight	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 215 lb (98 kg/15 st 5 lb)
NHL Team F. teams	Pittsburgh Penguins Washington Capitals Boston Bruins
Nationality	Russia
Born	April 13, 1974 (1974-04-13) (age 34), Chelyabinsk, U.S.S.R.
NHL Draft	14th overall, 1992 Washington Capitals
Pro career	1991 – present

Sergei Viktorovich Gonchar (Russian: Сергей Викторович Гончар, Sergej Gončar; born 13 April 1974 in Chelyabinsk, USSR) is a Russian professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League.

1 Playing career
2 Career statistics
3 International play
4 External links
5 References

[edit] Playing career

Sergei Gonchar began his professional career in 1991 with Traktor Chelyabinsk in the Russian Super League. He also played two seasons for Moscow Dynamo.

Gonchar was the 1st round pick, 14th overall, of the Washington Capitals in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft. He began his North American career in 1994, suiting up in two playoff games for the Capitals' AHL affiliate, the Portland Pirates. He continued with Portland in 1994–95, before making his NHL debut, with the Capitals, on February 7, 1995 against the Buffalo Sabres.^[1] He would appear in 31 games total during the lockout-shortened 1994–95 season. The following year, in his first full-length campaign in the NHL, Gonchar would tally 41 points, showing his potential as an effective offensive defenceman.

In 2000–01, after recording 50-plus points for the second consecutive season, Gonchar was named to the NHL Second All-Star Team. During the 2002–03 season, he recorded a career-high 67 points, and was once more named a Second Team All-Star.

Sergei Gonchar in action with Pittsburgh

On March 3, 2004, in his ninth season with the Capitals, Gonchar was traded to the Boston Bruins for Shaone Morrisonn and two draft picks in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. Finishing the season with Boston, he would tally 58 points, leading all league defencemen.^[1] Between 2000 and 2004, Gonchar recorded more points than any other defenceman, with 74 goals and 241 points.

During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Gonchar returned to Russia to play for Metallurg Magnitogorsk, where he played with future teammates Petr Sýkora and Evgeni Malkin. ^[1] After the lockout, Gonchar signed a 5-year, $25 million deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins on August 4, 2005.

In 2006–07, his second season with Pittsburgh, Gonchar tied his personal-best points total, with 67. The following season, he scored 65 points, marking the eighth 50-plus point season of his career.

Gonchar has appeared in five NHL All-Star Games, in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2008.

[edit] Career statistics

			Regular Season					Playoffs
Season	Team	League	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1991–92	Traktor Chelyabinsk	Russia	31	1	0	1	6	-	-	-	-	-
1992–93	Moscow Dynamo	Russia	31	1	3	4	70	-	-	-	-	-
1993–94	Moscow Dynamo	Russia	44	4	5	9	36	-	-	-	-	-
1994–95	Portland Pirates	AHL	61	10	32	42	67	-	-	-	-	-
	Washington Capitals	NHL	31	2	5	7	22	7	2	2	4	2
1995–96	Washington Capitals	NHL	78	15	26	41	60	6	2	4	6	4
1996–97	Washington Capitals	NHL	57	13	17	30	36	-	-	-	-	-
1997–98	Lada Togliatti	Russia	7	3	2	5	4	-	-	-	-	-
1997–98	Washington Capitals	NHL	72	5	16	21	66	21	7	4	11	30
1998–99	Washington Capitals	NHL	53	21	10	31	57	-	-	-	-	-
1999–00	Washington Capitals	NHL	73	18	36	54	52	5	1	0	1	6
2000–01	Washington Capitals	NHL	76	19	38	57	70	6	1	3	4	2
2001–02	Washington Capitals	NHL	76	26	33	59	58	-	-	-	-	-
2002–03	Washington Capitals	NHL	82	18	49	67	52	6	0	5	5	4
2003–04	Washington Capitals	NHL	56	7	42	49	44	-	-	-	-	-
	Boston Bruins	NHL	15	4	5	9	12	7	1	4	5	4
2004–05	Metallurg Magnitogorsk	Russia	40	2	17	19	57	4	1	1	2	6
2005–06	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL	75	12	46	58	100	-	-	-	-	-
2006–07	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL	82	13	54	67	72	5	1	3	4	2
2007–08	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL	78	12	53	65	66	20	1	13	14	8
NHL Totals			904	185	430	615	767	83	16	38	54	62