Former NHLer Alexander Burmistrov, who was the No. 8 overall pick in the 2010 NHL Draft, has agreed to an ECHL deal with the Cincinnati Cyclones. Burmistrov is 34 years old and will be playing in North America for the first time since playing for the Vancouver Canucks in 2017-18.
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Over the last nine seasons, Burmistrov has played primarily in his native Russia in the KHL. Last year, he appeared in 25 games with the Shanghai Dragons.
Burmistrov has appeared in 348 NHL games in his career, registering 101 points. He appeared in games with the Atlanta Thrashers, Winnipeg Jets, Arizona Coyotes and Vancouver Canucks.
He also had one of the better meme-able moments during his run with the Jets.
“Adding a player of Alexander’s caliber and experience is an important moment for our organization. He has the ability to control the pace of a game, but what stands out just as much is his willingness to do whatever is required to win hockey games,” said Cyclones coach Riley Weselowski in a statement. “Throughout his career, Alex has competed at the highest levels of professional and international hockey, learned under world-class coaches and developed an understanding of the details that separate good players from great ones. Whether it is winning faceoffs, managing his stick, finding scoring areas or making the right play under pressure, his knowledge of the game will be an invaluable resource for our entire group.
“Alex’s decision to come to Cincinnati says a great deal about the direction of our organization. We are continuing to build Cincinnati into a destination players want to join, one capable of attracting players with elite professional and international résumés who believe in what we are building and want to help take it to the next level.”
In 423 games over parts of 12 seasons in Russia’s top pro circuit, Burmistrov had 154 points. He won the Gagarin Cup, the KHL’s championship in, 2018 with Ak Bars Kazan.
Burmistrov also represented Russia at numerous international tournaments including winning the gold medal at the 2014 IIHF Men’s World Championship and bronze in 2016. He also has a U18 silver medal from the 2009 IIHF Men’s World Under-18 Championship.
As the ECHL season nears, teams continue to gear up and the arms race in the Central Division is getting interesting. The Fort Wayne Komets announced earlier this month that it had signed former NHL first-rounder Simon Després after many years overseas, and now a division rival also picks up a player with NHL experience.
For Burmistrov, this may be a chance to cap off his career on a brighter note. He has appeared in just 28 games over the last two seasons, with two assists over that span.
We’ll see what kind of gas he has left in the tank to help out an ECHL team with big aspirations.
The Cyclones are the ECHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs and will open their 2026-27 season on the road Oct. 17 for a Central Division showdown with the Indy Fuel.
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