Rangers prospect boosted by famous uncle Sergei Gonchar: ‘he sees potential in me’
For most of his 20-year NHL career, Sergei Gonchar was a thorn in the side of the New York Rangers. But now in retirement, the highly-skilled former defenseman might be able to help the Rangers out, thanks to a recent development at the 2025 NHL Draft.
The Rangers selected Gonchar’s nephew, Artyom Gonchar, in the third round (No. 89 overall). And by listening to the younger Gonchar, it’s clear what a big influence his uncle plays in his burgeoning hockey career.
“He always supports me and says he sees potential in me. He never puts any limits on me,” Artyom explained in a recent translated interview in his native Russia. “The fact that such a great figure in the hockey world praises my game really boosts my confidence.”
Like his uncle, Artyom is a defenseman. Of course, he — and the Rangers — can only hope some of Sergei’s greatness and success rubs off on the 18-year-old.
Sergei Gonchar recorded 811 points (220 goals, 591 assists) in 1,301 NHL games, more than any other Russia-born defenseman in League history. Sergei Zubov, who helped the Rangers win the Stanley Cup in 1994 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2019, is second on that list with 771 points, after playing with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Dallas Stars and Blueshirts.
Gonchar also helped the Penguins win the Stanley Cup in 2009.
Artyom Gonchar is pretty gifted offensively, too. He put together a solid season in Russia’s top junior league last season, leading all defensemen on Stalyne Lisy with 25 points (seven goals, 18 assists) in 50 games. After he was picked by the Rangers, Gonchar elected to enter the CHL Import Draft, where he was selected by Sudbury. Gonchar will make his North American debut playing major Canadian junior hockey this fall.
“Artem is a player that we have been high on from this past season,” Sudbury general manager Rob Papineau explained. “He is a very intelligent smooth skating defenseman who was just selected in the third round in the NHL. He has great vision and offensive instincts and is a skilled playmaker.”
That sounds a but like his uncle.
Rangers prospect says ‘my uncle gets me stronger’ with late-night chats
Via @artemgonchar09 on IG
Late-night calls with his famous uncle, a development coach with the Vancouver Canucks, were routine for Artyom last season. After nearly every game, he’d ring up his uncle from Magnitogorsk around 10 p.m. local time, knowing Sergei would be there to help.
“We’d call after each of my games and go over my mistakes: what I did well and what I didn’t,” Artyom explained.
“My uncle helps me get stronger. Ever since I joined Stalnye Lisy, we started talking more about my game.”
Listed as 6-foot-1 and 165 pounds, Artyom has plenty of filling out to be the size of Sergei, who was 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds in his playing days.
During the 2024-25 campaign, Artyom added roughly 15 pounds of muscle while continuing to log heavy minutes on the ice. He spent much of his time away from the rink in the gym, focusing on strength and conditioning with the target of reaching 180 pounds to match his physical style of play.
He also worked with defense coach Viktor Postnikov, who dedicated extra time in the summer to focus on Artyom’s shot. Together, they fine-tuned his power, release timing, and shot accuracy to give him more confidence from the point.
“I like a physical style of hockey — I enjoy hitting and closing in on opponents,” Artyom said. “I know how to deliver body checks even without a lot of weight, but always according to the situation. The main thing is to keep possession of the puck.”
That sounds like it could be a direct take from his uncle’s playbook. The Rangers certainly can hope these will all be lessons well learned.
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