Evgeni Nabokov

Who is Evgeni Nabokov?

Evgeni Viktorovich "Nabby" Nabokov is a Kazakhstani-Russian professional ice hockey goaltender for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League.

Nabokov was selected by San Jose in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. When he started playing in North America, he went by John, rather than Evgeni, fearing that English speakers would have a hard time pronouncing his name. However, this change did not last.

In his first nine seasons in the NHL, all with San Jose, Nabokov became the Sharks leader in nearly every goaltending category, including games played, wins, and shutouts.