Russian forward Sergei Andronov, a KHL veteran with two Gagarin Cups and an Olympic title under his belt, today confirmed his retirement from hockey at the age of 36 after his release from Salavat Yulaev Ufa this past August, following a fifteen-year pro career.

Coming up through the Lada Togliatti system, Andronov made his senior debut for the club in 2007, spending six seasons with the club, including their debut KHL season in 2008-09, before being transferred to CSKA Moscow when Lada was demoted the following season. Andronov would spend eleven of his next thirteen seasons with the Red Army, captaining the club in his final four seasons, and helping CSKA to their first-ever Gagarin Cup in 2019, and again in 2022; he spent two seasons in North America with the St. Louis Blues’ farm system, the club who drafted him in 2009, but returned to Russia for good in 2014. Following his 2022 victory, Andronov joined Lokomotiv Yaroslavl for two seasons, returning to the Gagarin Cup finals in 2024, before joining SKA Saint Petersburg for what would be his final pro season in 2024-25. In his 15 year KHL career, Andronov would amass 90 goals and 172 points in 698 career games, along with another 23 points in 152 playoff games, only missing the postseason three times in his career.

Andronov first joined the national team’s under-18 program, competing at the 2009 World Junior Championship, winning Bronze. He made his senior team debut in 2014 on the Euro Hockey Tour, where he would spend five consecutive seasons, winning the Tour in 2017 and 2019. He would debut at the World Championships in 2017, the first of three consecutive appearances, winning a pair of Bronze medals in 2017 and 2019. But it was his Olympic appearances that he saw the most success, medalling at both the 2018 PyeongChang and 2022 Beijing Games, the former winning Gold as part of the Olympic Athletes From Russia contingent, and the latter winning Silver with the Russian Olympic Committee squad.

Over the course of his career, Andronov would win the IHLC five times in the span of only two years, first in 2017 as part of the Euro Hockey Challenge, with the last coming two years later on the Euro Hockey Tour. We wish Sergei and his family the very best for his retirement and the things to come!

Photo Credit: Play In Russia – IIHF – HHOF – IOC