Oleg Saprykin

Oleg Dmitrievich Saprykin (; born February 12, 1981) is a Russian former professional ice hockey player. Saprykin played with HC Dynamo Moscow, SKA Saint Petersburg, HC Sochi and Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg. He played in the 2009 KHL All-Star Game, held in Red Square and was a member of Ufa's Gagarin Cup championship team in 2011. Saprykin also played parts of seven seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was a first round selection, 11th overall, of the Calgary Flames and also played for the Phoenix Coyotes and Ottawa Senators. Internationally, Saprykin has played with the Russian National Team on two occasions and was a member of the team that won the gold medal at the 2009 World Championship.

Playing career As a youth, Saprykin played in the 1995 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a combined team from Yaroslavl and Kharkiv.

A native of Moscow, Saprykin broke into the Russian Super League in 1997 as a 16-year-old with HC CSKA Moscow. He recorded two assists in 20 Russian League games. Hoping to attract the attention of National Hockey League (NHL) scouts, Saprykin left Russia to play junior hockey in North America. He joined the Seattle Thunderbirds in the Western Hockey League (WHL) for the 1998–99 season. Saprykin finished 10th in league scoring with 93 points and was named to the WHL's second All-Star Team.

National Hockey League The Calgary Flames selected Saprykin with their first round selection, 11th overall, at the 1999 NHL entry draft. He earned a spot on the Flames to start the 1999–2000 season and made his NHL debut and scored his first point (an assist) on October 2, 1999, against the San Jose Sharks. The Flames assigned Saprykin to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Saint John Flames for the majority of the 2001–02 season; He played only three games in Calgary but had 24 points in 52 AHL games. He finished the season with 21 points in 21 games with Saint John, and 23 points in 52 games in Calgary.

Saprykin spent the entire 2003–04 season in Calgary and recorded 29 points in 69 games. Saprykin recorded six points in 26 games during the run; The Flames were unable to win the title, as they lost both the sixth and deciding seventh games of the series.

On August 26, 2004, the Flames traded Saprykin, along with Denis Gauthier to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for Daymond Langkow. It would be a full year before he joined his new team as the entire 2004–05 NHL season was wiped out by a labour dispute. Saprykin spent the season with CSKA Moscow.

Kontinental Hockey League Saprykin left the NHL following the season. He opted to return to Russia and signed a contract with CSKA Moscow for the 2007–08 season where he recorded professional career highs of 29 goals and 49 points.

Saprykin returned to the national team and scored four goals and three assists in nine games at the 2009 World Championship. In the KHL, Saprykin passed through several clubs. He played with Dynamo Moscow and SKA Saint Petersburg in 2009–10 then spent three seasons with Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Saprykin again returned to CSKA Moscow in 2013–14 by signing a one-year contract with the club. Saprykin left CSKA Moscow after the season to sign with HC Sochi which is set to start playing in the 2014–15 season. He was named the first captain for Sochi.

Saprykin scored 3 goals in 15 games, before suffering an injury. Upon recovery he was mutually released from his contract with Sochi on November 18, 2014.

On December 24, 2015, signed a contract with Salavat Yulaev Ufa till the end of the season.

Personal life Saprykin lives in Moscow and maintains a second residence in Phoenix, Arizona. He is a dual citizen; Saprykin earned Canadian citizenship in 2005.

On January 1, 2019, Saprykin was arrested after he attacked a female flight attendant on an Aurora Airlines flight from Sochi to Moscow, forcing the plane to be diverted. Saprykin, who was visibly intoxicated according to witnesses, demanded that the flight attendant top-up his glass of whiskey but was refused. Saprykin reportedly "began to scream and use foul language" and struck the female flight attendant on the head with such force that she was knocked to the floor. The captain diverted the flight to Voronezh, where Saprykin was forcibly removed from the aircraft and detained by airport authorities as the plane continued on its way to Moscow.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1997–98 CSKA Moscow RSL 200228 ————— 1998–99 Seattle Thunderbirds WHL 66474693107 115111636 1999–2000 Seattle Thunderbirds WHL 48303666107 633637 1999–2000 Calgary Flames NHL 40112 ————— 2000–01 Calgary Flames NHL 599142343 ————— 2001–02 Calgary Flames NHL 30000 ————— 2001–02 Saint John Flames AHL 525192453 ————— 2002–03 Calgary Flames NHL 528152346 ————— 2002–03 Saint John Flames AHL 211292122 ————— 2003–04 Calgary Flames NHL 6912172941 263364 2004–05 CSKA Moscow RSL 4015823105 ————— 2005–06 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 6711142550 ————— 2006–07 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 5914203454 ————— 2006–07 Ottawa Senators NHL 121124 151124 2007–08 CSKA Moscow RSL 57292049119 611224 2008–09 CSKA Moscow KHL 5118234189 81124 2009–10 Dynamo Moscow KHL 2452726 ————— 2009–10 SKA St. Petersburg KHL 2324622 40002 2010–11 Salavat Yulaev Ufa KHL 4454942 2132514 2011–12 Salavat Yulaev Ufa KHL 5017223954 41120 2012–13 Salavat Yulaev Ufa KHL 32571216 10000 2013–14 CSKA Moscow KHL 521081842 40006 2014–15 HC Sochi KHL 1530312 ————— 2015–16 Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg KHL 1851612 ————— 2015–16 Salavat Yulaev Ufa KHL 1510110 1010135 NHL totals 3255582137240 4144818 KHL totals 3247067137325 52641061

International Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM 2003 Russia WC 7th 7 1 3 4 6 2009 Russia WC 9 4 3 7 0 Senior totals 16 5 6 11 6

Awards and honours

Award Year Junior WHL West Second All-Star Team 1998–991999–00