| Born: | Sep 4, 1979 | Draft: | 1997 Sabres, 69th Overall |
| Hometown: | Moscow, Russian SFSR | Position: | Right Wing |
| Known For: | Olympic Bronze Medal (2002) | Shoots: | Left |
| National Team: | Russia | Current Status: | Retired |
Maxim Afinogenov (born September 4, 1979) is a retired Russian ice hockey player, having played his final year in the NHL with the Atlanta Thrashers during the 2009-10 season. Selected 69th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, Afinogenov played in nine seasons with the club. Following his departure from Buffalo after being side-lined with groin injury problems, Afinogenov signed with the now-defunct Atlanta Thrashers as an unrestricted free agent. His stint with the new team lasted just one year, and Afinogenov finished second on the team in scoring, behind Nik Antropov. His 10-year run in the NHL would come to an end, as Afinogenov signed a five-year deal with SKA Saint Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) ahead of the 2010-11 season. Afinogenov’s playing career would come to an end following the 2019-20 season after playing in his second year with Dynamo Moscow.
Internationally, Afinogenov has represented Russia on 16 occasions, playing in the IIHF European Junior Championships (1996, 1997), IIHF World Junior Championship (1998, 1999), Ice Hockey World Championships (1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2011), World Cup of Hockey (2004), and Olympic Games (2002, 2006, 2010). Afinogenov has three gold medals, three silver medals, and two bronze medals in those appearances, including one bronze medal at the Winter Olympics (2002).
Maxim Afinogenov Statistics
Deeper Dive
- The NHL’s Top-50 Russians of All-Time
- Top 20 Fastest NHL Skaters
- Buffalo Sabres Most Memorable Goals
Achievements
- U18 EJC Gold Medal (1996)
- U20 WJC Silver Medal (1998)
- U20 WJC Gold Medal (1999)
- U20 WJC Best Forward (1999)
- Olympic Bronze Medal (2002)
- 2x World Championship Silver Medal (2002, 2010)
- RSL Champion (2005)
- World Championship Bronze Medal (2005)
- World Championship Gold Medal (2008)
- World Championship Silver Medal (2010)
- 3x KHL All-Star Game (2011, 2014, 2017)
- Spengler Cup Winner (2011)
- KHL Faith Towards Hockey Award (2017)