Introduction
Alexander Vladimirovich Riazantsev (Russian: Александр Рязанцев) (born March 15, 1980) is a Russian professional ice hockey defenceman. He is currently an unrestricted free agent who last played for Amur Khabarovsk in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).
Playing career
Originally drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in 1998, Riazantsev spent parts of five seasons playing for the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League before returning to Russia in 2003, where he has played since.
In January 2012, Riazantsev took a shot in a skills competition that measured a speed of 114.1 miles per hour. It is considered by KHL officials to be the hardest shot ever recorded. The National Hockey League does not recognize this feat, as the puck travels a shorter distance to the goal net in KHL competitions than in those of the NHL.
On May 5, 2012, Riazantsev joined his seventh club in just five seasons, signing a two-year contract as a free agent with the Severstal Cherepovets starting from the 2012–13 season. During the season, Riazantsev scored 9 goals from the Blueline and contributed with 20 points.
On June 11, 2013, Riazantsev was traded by Severstal to return to his original club, Spartak Moscow, in exchange for Nicholas Bushuev.
On October 4, 2014, Riazantsev continued his journeyman career when he was traded after only 8 games in the 2014–15 season with HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk to Amur Khabarovsk.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1996–97 | Spartak Moscow | RSL | 20 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | Spartak Moscow-2 | Rus.3 | 31 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | Victoriaville Tigres | QMJHL | 22 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1998–99 | Victoriaville Tigres | QMJHL | 64 | 17 | 40 | 57 | 57 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 10 | ||
| 1998–99 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–00 | Victoriaville Tigres | QMJHL | 48 | 17 | 45 | 62 | 45 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 20 | ||
| 1999–00 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2000–01 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 66 | 5 | 18 | 23 | 26 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2001–02 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 76 | 5 | 18 | 23 | 28 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 2002–03 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 57 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 65 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Milwaukee Admirals | AHL | 14 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 2003–04 | Lokomotiv Yaroslavl | RSL | 40 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 60 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | Lokomotiv Yaroslavl | RSL | 53 | 4 | 15 | 19 | 32 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 2005–06 | Dynamo Moscow | RSL | 39 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 34 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 29 | ||
| 2006–07 | SKA St. Petersburg | RSL | 53 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2007–08 | SKA St. Petersburg | RSL | 24 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 16 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2008–09 | SKA St. Petersburg | KHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Avangard Omsk | KHL | 25 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Vityaz Chekhov | KHL | 43 | 9 | 12 | 21 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg | KHL | 31 | 15 | 5 | 20 | 51 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Salavat Yulaev Ufa | KHL | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2011–12 | Traktor Chelyabinsk | KHL | 51 | 18 | 18 | 36 | 40 | 16 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 16 | ||
| 2012–13 | Severstal Cherepovets | KHL | 48 | 9 | 13 | 22 | 32 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 20 | ||
| 2013–14 | Spartak Moscow | KHL | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Dynamo Moscow | KHL | 18 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 41 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2013–14 | Dynamo Balashikha | VHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk | KHL | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Amur Khabarovsk | KHL | 33 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| KHL totals | 265 | 63 | 61 | 124 | 218 | 29 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 36 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Russia | EJC | 03 ! |
6 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 8 | |
| 1999 | Russia | WJC | 01 ! |
7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 2000 | Russia | WJC | 02 ! |
7 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 2 | |
| 2005 | Russia | WC | 03 ! |
9 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | |
| Junior totals | 20 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 14 | ||||
| Senior totals | 9 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | ||||