On Thursday, Andrei Kuzmenko signed a two-year $11 million contract extension with the Vancouver Canucks.
Rookie Season
Kuzmenko, 26, signed an entry-level contract with the Canucks on July 13th. So far this season, he has 21 goals and 22 assists. This makes him tied for third on the Canucks in points with 43. His 21 goals on the season make him second on his team.
This is Andrei’s first North American season as he played eight seasons with the Kontinental Hockey League.
This season he is making $1.8 million. He made his NHL debut on October 13th when he scored his first goal in a 5-3 loss against the Edmonton Oilers. On the third of November, he scored his first NHL hat trick in the Canucks 8-5 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. In total, he had four points in this game.
In his first 11 NHL games, he scored six goals and four assists for ten points.
“Andrei is a player we worked extremely hard to recruit last summer,” Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin said. “He has been an excellent fit for our forward group this season, transitioning very well to the North American style of play. His passion and enthusiasm for the game have made a positive impact in the dressing room among his teammates and we are excited to watch him continue his career with the Vancouver Canucks.”
Kontinental Hockey League
The Kontinental Hockey League is an international professional hockey league based in Russia. Kuzmenko made his KHL debut in 2014 as part of the HC CSKA Moscow team. At 21 years old he set career highs for himself with 13 goals and 25 points in 45 games. During this season he helped his team go to the Gagarin Cup finals. In the finals, he scored four goals in 15 games.
After four seasons with CSKA Moscow, he was traded to SKA St. Petersburg where he played for four season before coming to North America. In 2021-22 he improved his offensive game by scoring 20 goals, and 33 assists for 53 points in 45 games.
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