Maxim Balmochnykh

Maxim Balmochnykh (born March 7, 1979, in Lipetsk, U.S.S.R.) is a Russian professional ice hockey winger currently playing for HC Dinamo Minsk in Kontinental Hockey League.

Draft
He was drafted in the second round, 45th overall, by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft.

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. 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 premanently, 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 playign in the newly formed Kontinental Hockey League.