Victor Nechayev

Victor Nechayev (born January 28, 1955) is a retired professional ice hockey player who played three games for the Los Angeles Kings in the National Hockey League.[1] He was the first player from the Soviet Union to play in the NHL, as well as the first to score a goal.

Victor Nechayev
Born (1955-01-28) January 28, 1955
Kuybyshevka-Vostochnaya, Amur Oblast,
Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 183 lb (83 kg; 13 st 1 lb)
Position Forward
Shot Left
Played for Los Angeles Kings
NHL Draft 132nd overall, 1982
Los Angeles Kings
Playing career 1972–1984

A native of Siberia, Nechayev met Cheryl Haigler, an American citizen, in Switzerland in 1976, while he was playing for the Red Army team. They married in 1980 in Leningrad.[2] In April 1982, Nechayev was granted permission to join his wife in the United States.[3]

In the 1982 NHL Entry Draft, Nechayev was picked 132nd overall by the Kings. Unlike other Soviet players, Nechayev was able to join the team immediately, since he was already living in North America at the time he was drafted.[4] He scored his only NHL goal against the New York Rangers on October 17, 1982.[3]

Career statistics
    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1972–73 Sibir Novosibirsk USR.2 34 10 4 14 16 — — — — —
1973–74 Sibir Novosibirsk USR.2 13 1 1 2 0 — — — — —
1974–75 Sibir Novosibirsk USR.2 47 6 4 10 35 — — — — —
1975–76 SKA Leningrad USR 12 2 0 2 6 — — — — —
1976–77 Sudostroitel Leningrad USR.3 28 11 2 13 8 — — — — —
1977–78 SKA Leningrad USR 22 5 1 6 10 — — — — —
1978–79 SKA Leningrad USR 24 4 4 8 12 — — — — —
1979–80 Severstal Cherepovets USR.3 3 — — — — —
1979–80 Binokor Tashkent USR.2 6 1 1 2 2 — — — — —
1980–81 Izhorets Leningrad USR.3 16 5 0 5 12 — — — — —
1982–83 Los Angeles Kings NHL 3 1 0 1 0 — — — — —
1982–83 New Haven Nighthawks AHL 28 4 7 11 6 — — — — —
1982–83 Saginaw Gears IHL 10 1 4 5 0 — — — — —
1983–84 Düsseldorfer EG 1.GBun 38 7 9 16 30 — — — — —
USR.2 totals 100 18 10 28 53 — — — — —
USR totals 58 11 5 16 28 — — — — —

References
  1. Maughan, TJ (14 May 2012). "The Shifts that Changed the Game: The Defection". Arctic Ice Hockey. Vox Media. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  2. Elderkin, Phil (27 October 1982). "Ex-Red Army player breaks the NHL ice (briefly) as league's first Soviet skater". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  3. Peng, Sheng (22 October 2016). "Spies, System & Victor Netchaev". NHL. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  4. "1982 NHL Draft Pick - Victor Nechaev". Retrieved 21 April 2020.
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