Nikolai Kulemin

Nikolai Vladimirovich Kulemin (Николай Владимирович Кулёмин; born July 14, 1986) is a Russian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). Kulemin was selected in the second round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs as the 44th overall pick.

Personal
Kulemin is married and has two children — a boy named Alexei, born on March 20, 2009.

Toronto Maple Leafs
On May 25, 2007, Kulemin signed a three-year contract with the Maple Leafs, but stayed in Russia for the 2007–08 season on a handshake agreement between the Maple Leafs and Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL. During the early stages of the 2008–09 NHL season, his first in the NHL, Kulemin found chemistry on a line with teammates Niklas Hagman and Mikhail Grabovski. Near the end of the season, after the trade of Leafs forward Nik Antropov, Kulemin was used mainly on a line with Grabovski and Alexei Ponikarovsky. In a game against the Montreal Canadiens on March 21, 2009, soon after the line was created, Kulemin posted a career-high three points (one goal and two assists) in a 5–2 Toronto win. It has been noted that Ponikarovsky, from Ukraine, has helped Kulemin become more comfortable in North America by translating and serving as a mentor on and off the ice.

Kulemin's first NHL goal occurred in his first NHL game, against the Detroit Red Wings, on goaltender Chris Osgood, in Toronto's 2008–09 season opener on October 9, 2008. The goal ended up as the game winner in a 3–2 Leafs win.

With the departure of teammate Tomáš Kaberle to the Boston Bruins, he currently has the most games played on the Maple Leafs active roster. On July 2, 2010, Kulemin signed a 2 year-year contract worth $2.35M per year.

On April 5, 2011, Kulemin became the first Russian-born Toronto Maple Leaf to score 30 goals in a season since Alexander Mogilny scored 33 in 2002-2003. Kulemin, along with Mats Sundin, Phil Kessel and Mogilny, are the only Leafs to score 30 or more since the 1999-2000 NHL season.

Individual awards

 * Russian Super League MVP:  2007

Team awards

 * Tampere Cup:  2006
 * Česká Pojišťovna Cup:  2006
 * Karjala Cup:  2006
 * Channel One Cup:  2006
 * Russian Super League championship:  2007

International play
Played for Russia in:
 * 2004 World Junior U18 Championships
 * 2006 World Junior Championships
 * 2006 World Championships
 * 2007 World Championships
 * 2010 World Championships
 * 2011 World Championships

International statistics