Andrey Nazarov is a former Russian ice hockey player. He spent most of his playing career in American teams. Currently working as a coach.
Childhood and youth
Andrey was born in May 1974 in Chelyabinsk. He was a simple boy who, like millions of others, dreamed of showing himself in some kind of sport. Already at an early age he got into the hockey section of the Chelyabinsk Traktor. At first, he did not stand out from the rest of the guys, but after a few years it became clear that he could really grow into a solid player. The coaches also noticed this, and therefore they did everything so that the guy could realize his potential, and, as it turns out in the future, not at all in vain. Andrei Nazarov always played closer to the attack, and even in his youth it was clear that he would not become a defensive player. He mainly appeared in the position of a winger, where he continued to play in the future. When he was seventeen years old, the process of the collapse of the Soviet Union began. This meant that the only opportunity to play sports professionally was only if you left for Moscow. The young man understood this, and already in 1991 he signed a contract with the capital's Dynamo. He will play the first season in the union championship, but from the nextyear will play in the championship of Russia.
Career milestone
From 1992 to 1993, he played in the youth hockey league for Dynamo. A promising player was noticed across the ocean. During the 1993-1994 season. Andrei Nazarov moves to the United States of America. The hockey player will start playing for the Kansas City Blades and will show himself from the best side. As a result of a confident game at the end of 1994, he transferred to the San Jose Sharks, where he had time to take part in only one match.
1994-1995 season spends in the Kansas City Blades, where he goes on the ice forty-three times, scores fifteen goals, and gives ten assists.
Only since the 1996-1997 season. will become a full-fledged player in the strongest hockey league in the world. The best year in my career will be 1999. He will play in seventy-six games, score ten goals and provide twenty-two assists. Until the end of 2004 Andrey Nazarov will play in America for different clubs.
2004-2005 season starts with Metallurg Novokuznetsk, but very soon he has to leave for Avangard. Unfortunately, he did not manage to perform normally in his homeland due to his age, and in 2005 he went to the United States to finish his career. Will play for two clubs, the Minnesota Wild and the Houston Airos, and finish at a high level.
Career in the national team
Andrey Nazarov is a very interesting person. His biography could be formedotherwise, if he had shown himself more successfully in the national team, but it happened the way it happened.
Being very young, the hockey player was considered one of the most talented in Russia. The results of the debut seasons abroad only confirmed this fact. Despite this, he received an invitation to the Russian national team only in 1998. Then he became a participant in the World Cup, but it did not work out to win. The Russian team took only fifth place, but the winger showed himself pretty well. He took part in six fights, scored one goal, and once acted as an assistant.
Andrey Nazarov - coach
After the player's career came to an end, the athlete returned to his native Chelyabinsk and began working as a manager at Traktor. At that time, the place of the coach, Gennady Tsygurov, was just vacated, and Andrei took it. A few years later, he enters the headquarters of the Russian national team as an expert in the National Hockey League.
In 2010, he leaves Traktor and signs a contract with Vityaz. Here he will spend two years, after which he will head Severstal. In the summer of 2013 head coach Andriy Nazarov hosts HC Donbass, with whom he will be able to achieve a lot and make the Donetsk team one of the strongest in Ukraine. For some time he was the manager of the Ukrainian national team.
In 2014 he heads Barys and the national team of Kazakhstan. Here he did not stay long, and already in 2015 he became the head coach of SKA. Unfortunately, he was dismissed very soon, after which he returned to Barys again. Todaycontinues to work in the Kazakh team.
Awards and achievements
All titles are related exclusively to the player's career. Unfortunately, as a coach, the Russian has not been able to achieve anything yet.
During his performances, he managed to become the winner of the 1993 Russian Championship. In 2005 he won the European Champions Cup playing for Avangard. In 1992 - the Tampere Cup. Became a finalist of the European Cup in 1992.
Here he is - Andrei Nazarov, a famous Russian hockey player and coach. He was one of the first players who was not afraid to go abroad at a young age. Today he is famous for being able to make real athletes out of unknown teams.
It is likely that he will win his first trophy as a manager very soon. But whether this is true or not, only time will tell.
