Sergei Krivokrasov

2.1. Childhood and early development

Born on April 15, 1974, Sergei Krivokrasov developed his early ice hockey skills within the renowned youth system of the CSKA Moscow club in Russia. His talent was evident from a young age, leading to his rapid progression through the club's development programs. By the 1991-92 season, at just 17 years old, Krivokrasov broke into the senior squad of CSKA Moscow, where he made an immediate impact by scoring 10 goals.

2.2. Transition to professional hockey

Krivokrasov's impressive performance at the junior level extended to international competitions, solidifying his reputation as a promising talent. He was a key player on the Russian squad that secured victory at the 1992 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. His combination of tenacity and goal-scoring prowess captured the attention of North American scouts, leading to his selection by the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round, 12th overall, in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft. Following his draft selection, Krivokrasov swiftly signed with Chicago, marking his official transition to professional hockey.

3.1. National Hockey League (NHL)

Krivokrasov spent ten seasons in the National Hockey League, playing for several teams across North America, where he experienced periods of significant success and also some struggles with consistency.

3.2. Return to Russian leagues (2002-2008)

With his NHL career at a standstill, Sergei Krivokrasov made the decision to return to Russia for the 2002-03 season, signing with Amur Khabarovsk. He had a productive season, finishing with 16 goals and 18 assists in 51 games. Towards the end of the 2003-04 season, he moved to Avangard Omsk, one of the top teams in the Russian Hockey Super League. There, he played a crucial role in helping the team secure the 2004 championship. This championship victory was, however, associated with controversy, as Krivokrasov was centrally involved in a notable "stick incident" during the semifinals.

Krivokrasov's final few seasons in the Russian league were characterized by frequent team changes. Between 2004 and 2008, he played for five different clubs, including Severstal Cherepovets, Dynamo Moscow, and Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Notably, he made a return to his first professional club, CSKA Moscow, for the 2005-06 season. After spending two seasons with Metallurg Novokuznetsk, he officially retired from professional ice hockey in 2008.

Krivokrasov concluded his professional playing career with totals of 86 goals and 109 assists, amounting to 195 points in 450 NHL games. In the various iterations of the top Russian ice hockey division, he added a significant 93 goals and 82 assists for 175 points across 375 games.

3.3. International career

Sergei Krivokrasov proudly represented the Russian national team in several international competitions, achieving notable success. He was a key member of the Russian squad that won the 1992 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.

His most prominent international achievement came at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. As a forward for the Russian team, Krivokrasov contributed to his country's strong performance, ultimately helping them secure a silver medal in the men's ice hockey tournament. He participated in six games during the tournament.

4.1. Legal issues

Sergei Krivokrasov has faced multiple allegations of assault and other legal problems over the years, which have brought scrutiny to his personal conduct.

In 1992, he was accused of physically assaulting a pregnant woman after she reportedly requested money for an abortion. Years later, in 2002, Krivokrasov was accused of assaulting his then-wife, with allegations including tearing out her hair and forcefully pushing her down a flight of stairs.

Most recently, in 2023, Krivokrasov and his brother were accused in a lawsuit of raping a woman, stemming from an incident alleged to have occurred in 2000. These serious and repeated allegations have cast a shadow over his public image.

4.2. 2004 stick incident

A significant controversy involving Sergei Krivokrasov occurred during the third game of the 2003-04 Russian Hockey Super League playoff semifinals between Avangard Omsk and HC Lada Togliatti. With approximately 3 minutes and 5 seconds remaining in the third period, Lada head coach Petr Vorobiev requested a measurement of Krivokrasov's stick, suspecting it might be illegal.

The game referee, Sergei Gusev, accepted the request but controversially delayed the measurement procedure by several minutes. During this delay, it was alleged by several Lada staff members that Krivokrasov had illegally switched his stick. These staff members immediately reported their observations to game officials. However, their appeal was initially denied. When the measurement eventually took place, Krivokrasov's stick was deemed legal, and Lada was assessed a minor penalty for delaying the game.

In protest of the denied appeal and the perceived injustice, coach Vorobiev ordered his team to leave the ice. After a brief consultation with the game inspector, the referee finally called minor and misconduct penalties against Krivokrasov, acknowledging that a rule violation had indeed occurred. Despite this, Lada refused to return to the ice, as their original minor penalty for delaying the game remained intact. Consequently, a 1-0 victory, which was the score before the incident, was awarded to Avangard Omsk.

In the aftermath of the incident, the game officials involved were suspended for the remainder of the season due to "critical mistakes in measurement procedures." Lada was also fined for their actions, and Petr Vorobiev served a five-game suspension for violating league regulations by withdrawing his team from the ice.

6.1. Regular season and playoffs

6.2. International