Alexei Ponikarovsky

Oleksiy Volodymyrovych "Alexei" Ponikarovsky (; born April 9, 1980) is a Ukrainian Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL).
==Playing career==
===RSL===
Ponikarovsky played for Dynamo 2 and Dynamo Jr., farm teams during 1995–99 campaigns, seeing a little action with the main club during the 1998–99 season and finally becoming a fixture on the team during the 1999–00 season when Dynamo won the Russian Superleague Championship.
In 1997–98, Ponikarovsky played 24 games for Dynamo Moscow in the First Division of the Russian Hockey League collecting three points with 30 penalty minutes. He then played 13 games for Krylya Sovetov of the Russian Elite League in 1998–99 and played three playoff games for Moscow Dynamo.
In 1999–00, Ponikarovsky played 19 games for Dynamo Moscow of the Russian Elite League and played 29 games for THK Tver in the First Division of the Russian Hockey League collecting 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) with 26 penalty minutes.
===NHL===
In the 2005–06 NHL season, Ponikarovsky put up career highs in goals, assists. points, and penalty minutes. He saw added responsibility and was given more ice-time, often with former Dynamo Moscow teammate Nik Antropov or Mats Sundin, and became one of the team's regular penalty-killers. Ponikarovsky finished the season with four shorthanded goals and 1 assist. His four shorthanded goals tied ten players, including teammate Matt Stajan, for eighth in the league.
 
On December 16, 2006, Ponikarovsky notched a career high five points in Toronto's 9-2 victory of the New York Rangers, scoring two goals and assisting on three others. He is commonly referred to by his teammates as "The Poni Express", "The Ukraine Train" or simply "Poni". On May 10, 2007, the Maple Leafs re-signed Ponikarovsky to a $6.315 million, 3 year contract.
On March 2, 2010, Ponikarovsky was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Luca Caputi and Martin Skoula. Following the trade, he remained optimistic he would resume contract talks with Toronto in the off-season. In his debut game with the Penguins on March 6, 2010 against the Dallas Stars, he scored his first goal with his new team.
On July 27, 2010, Ponikarovsky signed with the Los Angeles Kings, receiving a signing bonus of $200,000 and a one-year contract for $3M.
On July 1, 2011, Ponikarovsky signed a one-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes reportedly worth $1.5 million.
==Off the ice==
On June 7, 2007 Ponikarovsky became a Canadian citizen during a ceremony in Etobicoke, Ontario. Ponikarovsky lives in Toronto with his wife Inna, daughter Jessica, and sons Alex and Maxim.http://downloads.kings.nhl.com/emag/1011/index.html He has favored wearing the number 23 as two of his grandparents were born on the 23rd, along with his wife.
==Career statistics==
 	 	 		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 	Krylya Sovetov 	RHL 		13 	2 	1 	3 	2 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1998–99 	Dynamo Moscow 	RSL 		— 	— 	— 	— 	— 		3 	0 	0 	0 	2
1999–00 	Dynamo Moscow 	RSL 		19 	1 	0 	1 	8 		1 	0 	0 	0 	0
2000–01 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 		22 	1 	3 	4 	14 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2000–01 	St. John's Maple Leafs	AHL 		49 	12 	24 	36 	44 		4 	0 	0 	0 	4
2001–02 	St. John's Maple Leafs	AHL 		72 	21 	27 	48 	19 		5 	2 	1 	3 	8
2001–02 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 		8 	2 	0 	2 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2002–03 	St. John's Maple Leafs	AHL 		63 	24 	22 	46 	68 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2002–03 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 		13 	0 	3 	3 	11 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2003–04 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 		73 	9 	19 	28 	44 		13 	1 	3 	4 	8
2004–05 	Khimik Moscow Oblast 	RSL 		19 	1 	5 	6 	16 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2005–06 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 		81 	21 	17 	38 	68 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2006–07 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 		71 	21 	24 	45 	63 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2007–08 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 		66 	18 	17 	35 	36 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2008–09 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 		82 	23 	38 	61 	38 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2009–10 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 		61 	19 	22 	41 	44 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2009–10 	Pittsburgh Penguins 	NHL 		16 	2 	7 	9 	17 		11 	1 	4 	5 	4
2010–11 	Los Angeles Kings 	NHL 		61 	5 	10 	15 	36 		4 	1 	0 	1 	0
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		554 	121 	160 	281 	371 		38 	3 	7 	10 	16
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==References==
==External links==
*Russian Prospects profile
*
*
Category:Born in 1980
Category:Carolina Hurricanes players
Category:HC Dynamo Moscow players
Category:HC Khimik Voskresensk players
Category:2002 Olympian
Category:Krylya Sovetov Moscow players
Category:Los Angeles Kings players
Category:Olympic ice hockey players of Ukraine
Category:Pittsburgh Penguins players
Category:St. John's Maple Leafs players
Category:Toronto Maple Leafs draft picks
Category:Toronto Maple Leafs players
Category:Ukrainian ice hockey players