Valeri Zelepukin

Valeri Mikhailovich Zelepukin (; born 17 September 1968) is a Russian former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New Jersey Devils, Edmonton Oilers, Philadelphia Flyers and the Chicago Blackhawks between 1991 and 2001. Born in Voskresensk in the former Soviet Union, he was drafted 221st overall in the 11th round by the Devils in the 1990 NHL entry draft and went on to play 595 regular season games, scoring 117 goals and 177 assists for 294 points. He also picked up 527 penalty minutes.

Zelepukin scored his most famous goal while with New Jersey in game seven of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals against the arch-rival New York Rangers. With 7.7 seconds left on the clock and the Rangers leading 1-0, teammate Claude Lemieux centred the puck to Zelepukin in front of the net. After a couple of attempts, Zelepukin buried the puck past Ranger goaltender Mike Richter to tie the game. Richter protested to referee Bill McCreary that he had been interfered with, but the goal stood. Zelepukin's goal went for nought, however, when New York's Stéphane Matteau scored a dramatic wrap-around goal on Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur in double-overtime to win the game and the series for the Rangers. The Rangers would go on to defeat the Vancouver Canucks to win their first Stanley Cup in 54 years, but Zelepukin and the Devils redeemed themselves the next year, when they won their first Stanley Cup championship in a four-game sweep of the Detroit Red Wings.

Zelepukin also coached KHL team Metallurg Novokuznetsk during the 2016-17 season. However, Zelepukin was fired after the team had a 1-8-0 record.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1984–85 Khimik Voskresensk USSR 5 0 0 0 2 — — — — — 1985–86 Khimik Voskresensk USSR 33 2 2 4 10 — — — — — 1986–87 Khimik Voskresensk USSR 19 1 0 1 4 — — — — — 1987–88 CSKA Moscow USSR 19 3 1 4 8 — — — — — 1987–88 SKA MVO Kalinin USSR II 45 18 6 24 52 — — — — — 1988–89 CSKA Moscow USSR 17 2 3 5 2 — — — — — 1989–90 Khimik Voskresensk USSR 46 17 14 31 26 — — — — — 1990–91 Khimik Voskresensk USSR 34 11 6 17 26 — — — — — 1991–92 New Jersey Devils NHL 44 13 18 31 28 4 1 1 2 2 1991–92 Utica Devils AHL 22 20 9 29 8 — — — — — 1992–93 New Jersey Devils NHL 78 23 41 64 70 5 0 2 2 0 1993–94 New Jersey Devils NHL 82 26 31 57 70 20 5 2 7 14 1994–95 New Jersey Devils NHL 4 1 2 3 6 18 1 2 3 12 1995–96 New Jersey Devils NHL 61 6 9 15 107 — — — — — 1996–97 New Jersey Devils NHL 71 14 24 38 36 8 3 2 5 2 1997–98 New Jersey Devils NHL 35 2 8 10 32 — — — — — 1997–98 Edmonton Oilers NHL 33 2 10 12 57 8 1 2 3 2 1998–99 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 74 16 9 25 48 4 1 0 1 4 1999–2000 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 77 11 21 32 55 18 1 2 3 12 2000–01 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 36 3 4 7 18 — — — — — 2000–01 Norfolk Admirals AHL 29 10 9 19 28 9 5 3 8 6 2001–02 Norfolk Admirals AHL 27 8 10 18 29 4 0 1 1 2 2002–03 Ak Bars Kazan RSL 27 5 8 13 72 5 1 1 2 4 2003–04 SKA St. Petersburg RSL 58 19 15 34 92 — — — — — 2004–05 SKA St. Petersburg RSL 48 4 6 10 102 — — — — — 2005–06 Khimik Moscow Oblast RSL 33 3 8 11 28 4 1 0 1 2 USSR totals 173 36 26 62 78 — — — — — NHL totals 595 117 177 294 527 85 13 13 26 48 RSL totals 166 31 37 68 294 9 2 1 3 6

International

Year Team Event Place GP G A Pts PIM 1986 Soviet Union EJC 4th 5 3 0 3 4 1987 Soviet Union WJC DSQ 6 2 1 3 4 1988 Soviet Union WJC 7 6 1 7 4 1991 Soviet Union WC 9 0 4 4 5 1996 Russia WCH SF 3 0 0 0 20 1998 Russia OG 6 1 2 3 0 2004 Russia WC 10th 6 0 2 2 4 Junior totals 18 11 2 13 12 Senior totals 24 1 8 9 29