Maxim Balmochnykh

Maxim Vasilievich Balmochnykh (born March 7, 1979) is a Russian former professional ice hockey winger who played 6 games in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Playing career Balmochnykh began his career with his hometown team HC Lipetsk of the Vysshaya Liga before moving to the Russian Superleague's HC Lada Togliatti. He was drafted in the second round, 45th overall, by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the 1997 NHL entry draft. After being drafted, Balmochnykh made his North American debut with the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL in the 1998–99 season. He then joined the Ducks organization and was assigned to the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks of the American Hockey League. His call up to the NHL came during the 2000–01 season, during which he played six games for the Mighty Ducks, scoring one assist. He spent the next two seasons in Cincinnati before he was traded to the New Jersey Devils on July 6, 2002, with Jeff Friesen and Oleg Tverdovsky for Petr Sýkora, Jean-Francois Damphousse, Mike Commodore, and Igor Pohanka.

Balmochnykh returned to Russia in 2002 with Severstal Cherepovets while New Jersey retained his NHL rights. He returned to the Devils the next season but spent the entire season in the AHL for the Albany River Rats.

Balmochnykh became a free agent in 2004 and returned to Russia permanently, rejoining HK Lipetsk. After two seasons in the Vysshaya Liga, Lipetsk were relegated to the Pervaya Liga, the country's third-tier league and Balmochnykh moved to Belarus with HC Dynamo Minsk before returning to the Russian Superleague with Metallurg Novokuznetsk. After a disappointing season, he was released and he returned to Dynamo Minsk before signing with HK Gomel in 2008. He then rejoined Dinamo Minsk, who were now playing in the newly formed Kontinental Hockey League.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1994–95 HC Lipetsk RUS.2 4 0 1 1 4 — — — — — 1995–96 HC Lipetsk RUS.2 43 12 1 13 32 — — — — — 1996–97 Lada Togliatti RSL 18 6 1 7 22 — — — — — 1996–97 Lada–2 Togliatti RUS.3 2 0 0 0 2 — — — — — 1997–98 Lada Togliatti RSL 37 10 4 14 46 — — — — — 1997–98 Lada–2 Togliatti RUS.3 4 3 0 3 38 — — — — — 1997–98 Traktor Chelyabinsk RSL 2 0 0 0 2 — — — — — 1998–99 Québec Remparts QMJHL 21 9 22 31 38 — — — — — 1998–99 Lada Togliatti RSL 15 2 2 4 10 4 0 1 1 8 1999–2000 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim NHL 6 0 1 1 2 — — — — — 1999–2000 Cincinnati Mighty Ducks AHL 40 9 12 21 82 — — — — — 2000–01 Cincinnati Mighty Ducks AHL 65 6 9 15 45 — — — — — 2001–02 Cincinnati Mighty Ducks AHL 23 6 4 10 33 — — — — — 2002–03 Severstal Cherepovets RSL 12 1 2 3 31 — — — — — 2002–03 Severstal–2 Cherepovets RUS.3 15 6 18 24 96 — — — — — 2003–04 Albany River Rats AHL 42 5 9 14 54 — — — — — 2004–05 HC Lipetsk RUS.2 41 8 7 15 121 — — — — — 2005–06 HC Lipetsk RUS.2 42 8 13 21 64 3 0 0 0 35 2006–07 Dinamo Minsk BLR 21 6 11 17 36 12 6 7 13 12 2006–07 Dinamo–2 Minsk BLR.2 4 2 2 4 6 — — — — — 2006–07 HC Lipetsk RUS.3 2 2 5 7 6 — — — — — 2007–08 Metallurg Novokuznetsk RSL 21 1 4 5 36 — — — — — 2007–08 Dinamo Minsk BLR 7 2 4 6 30 4 2 1 3 29 2008–09 Dinamo Minsk KHL 24 6 2 8 14 — — — — — 2008–09 HK Gomel BLR 10 9 4 13 26 — — — — — 2009–10 Dinamo Minsk KHL 5 0 1 1 0 — — — — — 2009–10 Shakhtyor Soligorsk BLR 24 11 14 25 68 8 5 2 7 20 2010–11 HK Gomel BLR 10 0 2 2 12 — — — — — 2010–11 HK Brest BLR 31 9 18 27 98 4 3 2 5 8 2010–11 HK–2 Gomel BLR.2 3 2 3 5 0 — — — — — 2011–12 HC Lipetsk RUS.3 38 14 10 24 74 5 0 4 4 2 2012–13 HC Lipetsk RUS.3 38 19 11 30 60 7 2 2 4 16 RSL totals 105 20 13 33 147 4 0 1 1 8 AHL totals 170 26 34 60 214 — — — — — BLR totals 103 37 53 90 270 28 16 12 28 69

International

Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM 1997 Russia EJC 4th 6 1 2 3 31 1998 Russia WJC 7 2 6 8 4 1999 Russia WJC 7 3 5 8 4 Junior totals 20 6 13 19 39