Nikolay Kulemin

Raised in Magnitogorsk, Nikolay Kulemin came through the local Metallurg system and made his senior debut in Russia’s Superliga in 2005. His play there led Toronto to pick him in the second round, 44th overall, of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

Toronto signed him on 25 May 2007 but allowed Kulemin to stay in Russia for the 2007–08 season under a handshake agreement with Metallurg Magnitogorsk. He joined the Maple Leafs for 2008–09 and scored his first NHL goal in his debut, on Chris Osgood of the Detroit Red Wings on 9 October 2008. Early chemistry with Niklas Hagman and Mikhail Grabovski helped him settle into the league, and by 2010–11 he reached a career-high 30 goals.

Kulemin’s production fluctuated after that peak. He was named a reserve for Russia ahead of the 2010 Olympics and later played for Russia at the 2014 Sochi Games. Toronto re-signed him twice — in July 2010 to a two-year deal and again in July 2012 — before he left as a free agent on 2 July 2014 to sign a four-year contract with the New York Islanders. With the Islanders he had a rebound season in 2014–15 but overall saw his scoring decline and finished his NHL tenure after ten seasons.

On 4 July 2018 Kulemin returned to Metallurg Magnitogorsk on a three-year deal, then signed a one-year contract with Salavat Yulaev Ufa on 27 August 2021. He accepted a professional try-out with the Ottawa Senators on 5 September 2024 but was released from the PTO on 30 September. Off the ice, he and his wife have two children.

On the ice, Kulemin combined a nose for open ice with reliable line play: he could finish chances produced around him and serve a two-way role when needed, which made him a versatile winger throughout his career.