NHL Number 76 - Evgeny Artyukhin

Evgeny Artyukhin, the big right winger out of Moscow, was taken in the third round of the 2001 NHL draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning. He would see his first NHL ice time, wearing jersey number 76 for the Lightning, during the 2005-06 season. That first season of his, he successfully notched 17 points in 72 games.

After rejecting his initial contract offer from Tampa Bay, Artyukhin would not see the NHL ice again until the 2008-09 season. That campaign, after signing with the Lightning once more, he would nearly reach his rookie season point total, notching 16 points, while upping his goal total to 6.

In 2009, he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks, where he would score 9 points in 37 regular season games. He was traded to Atlanta in 2010, and he would finish out the season with the Thrashers, scoring 7 points in 17 games.

Did you know..........Artyukhin won a gold medal playing for Russia in the 2003 World Junior Championships?