Vadim Sharifijanov

{{Short description|Russian ice hockey player}}

{{Infobox ice hockey player

| image =

| image_size = 230px

| caption =

| alt =

| position = Right wing

| shoots = Left

| height_ft = 5

| height_in = 10

| weight_lb = 205

| prospect_team =

| prospect_league =

| ntl_team = RUS

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1975|12|23|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Ufa, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union

| career_start = 1992

| career_end = 2010

| draft = 25th overall

| draft_year = 1994

| draft_team = New Jersey Devils

| played_for = New Jersey Devils
Vancouver Canucks

}}

Vadim Rimovich Sharifijanov ({{langx|ru|Вадим Римович Шарифьянов}}; born December 23, 1975) is a Russian former professional ice hockey right winger who spent parts of three seasons in the National Hockey League with the New Jersey Devils and the Vancouver Canucks.

Playing career

Sharifijanov burst onto the international hockey scene in 1992, when he was named a tournament all-star after scoring 8 goals in 6 games at the European U18 Championships at the age of only 16. After two solid seasons with Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the Russian Super League, he was selected in the first round (25th overall) of the 1994 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils. He spent one more year in Russia with HC CSKA Moscow before coming to North America, and also turned in a stellar performance at the 1995 World Junior Championships, recording 10 points in 7 games.

Sharifijanov joined the Albany River Rats, New Jersey's AHL affiliate, after the Russian season ended in 1995, and scored 2 points in his first North American professional game. However, his progress to the NHL would be slow in a deep New Jersey system, and his first three full seasons were spent almost entirely in Albany, appearing in only 2 NHL games during the 1996–97 campaign.

In 1998–99, Sharifijanov was finally promoted to the Devils and turned in a highly successful rookie season, recording 11 goals and 27 points in just 53 games. Stocky and strong on the puck, he displayed a well-rounded all-around game and a solid touch around the net.

However, in 1999–2000 his play fell off considerably. After scoring just 3 goals in 20 games for the Devils, and showing a marked drop-off in his defensive play, Sharifijanov was shipped to the Vancouver Canucks for a draft pick. In Vancouver, he made an instant impact, scoring a goal on his first shift as a Canuck, but it was all downhill from there as he quickly became a healthy scratch and earned a reputation for lazy play. He finished the season with just 5 goals and 10 points in 37 games, as well as a +/- rating of a dismal -13.

The 2000–01 season would prove no better, as Sharifijanov failed to crack the Canucks' roster out of training camp and was assigned to the Kansas City Blades of the International Hockey League, where he spent the entire season. Released by the Canucks, Sharifijanov returned to Russia. He would continue to struggle in Russia, however, and would suit up for 6 different Super League teams in the next three seasons without making any significant impact for any of them. After brief stints in France and Sweden, Sharifijanov signed on with Sputnik Nizhny Tagil of the Supreme Hockey League in 2005.

In 92 NHL games, Sharifijanov recorded 16 goals and 21 assists for 37 points, along with 50 penalty minutes. His sudden decline in ability while still a young player remains unexplained - at age 23, he was a key young player on an elite NHL team, and by the time he turned 26 he was already unable to hold down a regular job in the Russian Superleague.

Career statistics

=Regular season and playoffs=

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em"
bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff"|

! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"|

! colspan="5"|Regular season

! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"|

! colspan="5"|Playoffs

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! Season

! Team

! League

! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM

! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM

1990–91

| Avangard Ufa

| URS.3

| 2

0002

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 1991–92

| Avangard Ufa

| CIS.3

| 17

1128

| —

1992–93

| Salavat Yulaev Ufa

| IHL

| 37

641016

| 2

1010
bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 1992–93

| Novoil Ufa

| RUS.2

| 1

0000

| —

1993–94

| Salavat Yulaev Ufa

| IHL

| 46

1061636

| 5

3034
bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 1994–95

| CSKA Moscow

| IHL

| 34

731026

| 2

0000
1994–95

| CSKA–2 Moscow

| RUS.2

| 1

1120

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 1994–95

| Albany River Rats

| AHL

| 1

1120

| 9

33610
1995–96

| Albany River Rats

| AHL

| 69

14284228

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 1996–97

| Albany River Rats

| AHL

| 70

14274189

| 10

3366
1996–97

| New Jersey Devils

| NHL

| 2

0000

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 1997–98

| Albany River Rats

| AHL

| 72

23275069

| 12

49136
1998–99

| New Jersey Devils

| NHL

| 53

11162728

| 4

0000
bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 1998–99

| Albany River Rats

| AHL

| 2

1120

| —

1999–2000

| New Jersey Devils

| NHL

| 20

3478

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 1999–2000

| Vancouver Canucks

| NHL

| 17

21314

| —

2000–01

| Kansas City Blades

| IHL

| 70

20436348

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2001–02

| Lada Togliatti

| RSL

| 4

00012

| —

2001–02

| Severstal–2 Cherepovets

| RUS.3

| 3

2130

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2001–02

| Severstal Cherepovets

| RSL

| 25

93122

| 2

0006
2002–03

| Spartak Moscow

| RSL

| 23

22412

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2002–03

| Krylya Sovetov Moscow

| RSL

| 16

53834

| —

2003–04

| Metallurg Novokuznetsk

| RSL

| 7

0116

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2003–04

| SKA Saint Petersburg

| RSL

| 20

22420

| —

2003–04

| SKA–2 Saint Petersburg

| RUS.3

| 7

310138

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2004–05

| Arboga IK

| SWE.2

| 7

03312

| —

2004–05

| Rapaces de Gap

| FRA

| 15

27912

| 4

23512
bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2005–06

| Sputnik Nizhny Tagil

| RUS.2

| 47

8152378

| 5

0112
2006–07

| Sputnik Nizhny Tagil

| RUS.2

| 54

11243548

| 4

0222
bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2007–08

| Toros Neftekamsk

| RUS.2

| 45

12233530

| 4

2022
2008–09

| Toros Neftekamsk

| RUS.2

| 36

11122346

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2009–10

| Rys Mozhaisk

| RUS.2

| 23

4101422

| —

2009–10

| Yertis Pavlodar

| KAZ

| 9

0224

| —

bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 2009–10

| Kazzinc–Torpedo

| RUS.2

| 4

0112

| 7

0220
bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan="3" | RUS totals

! 213 !! 41 !! 24 !! 65 !! 164

! 11 !! 4 !! 0 !! 4 !! 10

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan="3" | AHL totals

! 214 !! 53 !! 84 !! 137 !! 186

! 31 !! 10 !! 15 !! 25 !! 22

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan="3" | NHL totals

! 92 !! 16 !! 21 !! 37 !! 50

! 4 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0

=International=

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" ID="Table3" style="text-align:center; width:40em"
bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! Year

! Team

! Event

! rowspan="102" bgcolor="#ffffff"|

! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM

1992

| Russia

| EJC

| 6

8198
bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 1993

| Russia

| WJC

| 7

2244
1993

| Russia

| EJC

| 6

3586
bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 1994

| Russia

| WJC

| 7

22410
1995

| Russia

| WJC

| 7

46106
bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan="3" | Junior totals

! 33 !! 19 !! 16 !! 35 !! 34