Nik Antropov

Nikolai Aleksandrovich "Funny Games" Antropov (Russian: Николай Александрович Антропов; born February 18, 1980) is a Kazakhstani-Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL). He received Canadian citizenship in May, 2007.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4JGMx5l8vg
==Playing career==
Antropov was expected to be drafted early in the second round, but following a dominant season with Kaztsink-Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk in the second-tier of the Russian Superleague (RSL), including an international match against Iceland, in which he scored 11 goals and 26 points, he was drafted tenth overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. Before going overseas to play hockey in North America, Antropov also played in the RSL with Dynamo Moscow.
When Owen Nolan joined the Maple Leafs in March 2003, Antropov changed his number from #11 (Nolan's number for the San Jose Sharks) to #80, the year of his birth. In 2003–04, Leaf coach Pat Quinn formed a line with Joe Nieuwendyk, Alexei Ponikarovsky, and Antropov. This line was dubbed the "Skyline" because of the players' height.
During the NHL lock-out of the 2004–05 season, he returned to the Russian league and played 36 games split between Ak Bars Kazan and Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.
 
However, injuries felled the power forward, and he missed significant time during the 2005–06 season. Antropov managed to produce 12 goals and 19 assists for 31 points in 57 games.
Upon Antropov's return from injury, he added 15 points in the final ten regular-season games of the 2005–06 NHL season. Antropov finished third on the team in even-strength scoring and also led the Leafs in +/- with a +13 rating.
In 2006–07, Antropov typically played alongside team captain Mats Sundin and Ponikarovsky on the top line.
On June 6, 2007, the Maple Leafs announced they had signed Antropov to a two-year contract extension. During a game with the New York Rangers on 6 December 2007, Antropov scored his second career hat-trick and was named the game's first star. In December 2007, a campaign was launched to encourage fans to vote Antropov as a write-in Candidate the 56th National Hockey League All-Star Game in Atlanta. 
On February 9, 2008, Antropov set a new career high in goals with 19 when he scored in overtime to give the Leafs a 3–2 win, tipping in an Anton Strålman slapshot — he finished the season with 26 goals.
On March 4, 2009, Antopov was traded to the New York Rangers for a second round draft pick and conditional draft pick. During his tenure with the Leafs, he even became a Canadian citizen.http://www.faceoff.com/hockey/tradedeadline2009/story.html?id=1353375
On July 2, 2009, Antropov signed a four-year, $16.25 million deal with the Atlanta Thrashers as a free agent. He is expected to make $3.5 million the first year, $3.75 million the second, $4.25 million the third, and $4.75 million for the final year of the deal, for an average cap hit of $4.0625 million each year. His first year with the Atlanta Thrashers was his most successful scoring 24 goals and 43 assists.
The team relocated to Winnipeg in the summer of 2011. Antropov had the honor of scoring the first goal of the new Winnipeg Jets on October 9, 2011 against the Montreal Canadiens.
==International play==
Internationally, Antropov represented Kazakhstan in the 1999 World Junior Championships (earning eight points in six games) and in the recent 2006 Winter Olympics, where he scored one goal. Antropov captained the Kazakhstani squad on both occasions. He and Colorado Avalanche goaltender Vitaly Kolesnik were the lone NHL players on the team.
==Career statistics==
===Regular season and playoffs===
  	  	  	 	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	 	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	
Season 	Team 	League 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 	
1998–99 	Dynamo Moscow 	RSL 	 	30 	5 	9 	14 	30 	 	11 	0 	1 	1 	4 	
1999–00 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 	 	66 	12 	18 	30 	41 	 	3 	0 	0 	0 	4 	
1999–00 	St. John's Maple Leafs	AHL 	 	2 	0 	0 	0 	4 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	
2000–01 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 	 	52 	6 	11 	17 	30 	 	9 	2 	1 	3 	12 	
2001–02 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 	 	11 	1 	1 	2 	4 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	
2001–02 	St. John's Maple Leafs	AHL 	 	34 	11 	24 	35 	47 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	
2002–03 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 	 	72 	16 	29 	45 	124 	 	3 	0 	0 	0 	0 	
2003–04 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 	 	62 	13 	18 	31 	62 	 	13 	0 	2 	2 	18 	
2004–05 	Ak Bars Kazan 	RSL 	 	10 	2 	3 	5 	6 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	
2004–05 	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl 	RSL 	 	26 	4 	15 	19 	44 	 	9 	3 	4 	7 	18 	
2005–06 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 	 	57 	12 	19 	31 	56 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	
2006–07 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 	 	54 	18 	15 	33 	44 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	
2007–08 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 	 	72 	26 	30 	56 	92 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	
2008–09 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 	 	63 	21 	25 	46 	24 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	
2008–09 	New York Rangers 	NHL 	 	18 	7 	6 	13 	6 	 	7 	2 	1 	3 	6 	
2009–10 	Atlanta Thrashers 	NHL 	 	76 	24 	43 	67 	44 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	
2010–11 	Atlanta Thrashers 	NHL 	 	76 	16 	25 	41 	42 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals	 	680 	173 	240 	413 	569 	 	35 	4 	4 	8 	40 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
===International===
Year	Team 	Event	GP	G	A	Pts	+/−	PIM
1999	Kazakhstan Jr.	WJC 	6 	3	5	8 	 	14
2006	Kazakhstan 	Oly 	5 	1	0	1 	+2 	4
==References==
==External links==
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Category:Born in 1980
Category:Atlanta Thrashers players
Category:Ak Bars Kazan players
Category:HC Dynamo Moscow players
Category:2006 Olympian
Category:Kazakhstani ice hockey players
Category:Lokomotiv Yaroslavl players
Category:National Hockey League first round draft picks
Category:New York Rangers players
Category:Olympic ice hockey players of Kazakhstan
Category:St. John's Maple Leafs players
Category:Toronto Maple Leafs draft picks
Category:Toronto Maple Leafs players
Category:1999 debut
Category:Winnipeg jets 2011-present players