Ilya Ezhov

Ilya Ezhov
Born (1987-01-12) January 12, 1987
Krasnodar, Russian SFSR, USSR
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 187 lb (85 kg; 13 st 5 lb)
Position Goaltender
Caught Left
Current AHL coach Laval Rocket
NHL draft Undrafted
Playing career 2008–2026

Ilya Ezhov (born January 12, 1987) is a Russian-Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former goaltender. He is currently the goaltender coach for the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Early life and junior career

Ilya Ezhov was born in Krasnodar and moved to Montreal with his family when he was seven years old.[1] In Canada he first started playing hockey as a forward, but switched to goaltending at the age of 13.[2]

In 2005, he won the Fred Page Cup with the Hawkesbury Hawks of the Central Junior A Hockey League (CJHL). He then joined the expansion St. John's Fog Devils for two seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). The team did not offer him an overage player slot, so he joined the Melfort Mustangs of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) for a season and won the league's MVP award.[3]

Professional career

Ezhov with HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk in 2019

After graduating from junior hockey, Ezhov returned to Russia for training camp with SKA Saint Petersburg. He was offered a three-year two-way contract, and played it out with SKA's farm club HC VMF. In 2011, he was first promoted to play for SKA in the Kontinental Hockey League. With SKA he established himself as a capable backup goaltender.[3]

On September 6, 2014, Ezhov was traded to HC Lada Togliatti to begin the 2014–15 KHL season.[4] He became Lada's starting goaltender, then on December 25 he returned to SKA.[5] The president of the Association of Hockey Agents Sergey Paremuzov criticized the transfer, accusing SKA of circumventing the KHL's regulations.[6]

Ezhov won the Gagarin Cup with SKA in 2015, though he did not play any games in the playoffs and served as the backup to Mikko Koskinen.[7]

At the end of the 2015–16 KHL season, Ezhov's contract with SKA expired and he rejoined Lada.[8]

Before the 2017-18 KHL season, Ezhov joined HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk.[9] While playing for Neftekhimik, he was selected for 2018's KHL All-Star Game.[10]

After two seasons as the starting goaltender for Neftekhimik, Ezhov left as a free agent to sign a one-year contract with HC Vityaz on July 12, 2019.[11]

Ezhov spent three seasons with Vityaz Podolsk before leaving as a free agent to sign a one-year contract with Salavat Yulaev Ufa on May 5, 2022.[12]

On May 1, 2024 Ezhov announced his retirement. However, on September 19, he joined the Laval Petroliers of the Ligue Nord-Americaine de Hockey (LNAH).[1]

National team

Ezhov was called to play for Russia at the 2012 Sweden Hockey Games.[13]

Coaching career

In 2024, while still playing in the LNAH, Ezhov started his coaching career by becoming the goaltender coach for the Concordia University Stingers.[14] In his first season with the team, the Stingers won the first Queen's Cup in their history as champions of the Ontario University Athletics conference, and won silver medals at the national tournament as they lost the national championship game to the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees 2-3.[15]

In 2026, Ezhov was hired as the interim goaltender coach of the Laval Rocket in the American Hockey League (AHL).[16] He remained in Laval's coaching staff for the 2026-27 AHL season.[17]

Personal life

Ezhov is a dual citizen of Canada and Russia.[1] He and his wife Amy have a daughter, Brielle Elizabeth, born in 2015,[18] and a son, Tyson, born in 2017.[19]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GPWLOTLSOGAASV% GPWLSOGAASV%
2004-05 Hawkesbury Hawks CJHL 30---33.55.884 ------
2005-06 St. John's Fog Devils QMJHL 391617004.11.886 10003.93.500
2006-07 St. John's Fog Devils QMJHL 522225314.15.876 30204.28.893
2007-08 Melfort Mustangs SJHL 40288242.01.925 103722.81.895
2008-09 HC VMF Vysshaya Liga 471728033.01- ------
2009-10 HC VMF Vysshaya Liga 311513342.19.915 20202.81-
2010-11 HC VMF VHL 492220732.40.922 53212.41.934
2011-12 SKA Saint Petersburg KHL 22123512.26.920 31112.16.913
2012-13 SKA Saint Petersburg KHL 21155122.23.920 116421.77.933
2013-14 SKA Saint Petersburg KHL 18123211.91.920 ------
2014-15 HC Lada Togliatti KHL 331119322.23.929 ------
2014-15 SKA Saint Petersburg KHL 211001.02.963 ------
2015-16 SKA Saint Petersburg KHL 1675302.16.926 ------
2016-17 HC Lada Togliatti KHL 501427732.61.929 ------
2017-18 HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk KHL 502318572.18.930 40403.71.879
2018-19 HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk KHL 501927312.43.911 ------
2019-20 HC Vityaz Podolsk KHL 441420922.56.921 40203.99.887
2020-21 HC Vityaz Podolsk KHL 381316632.79.913 ------
2021-22 HC Vityaz Podolsk KHL 32616612.76.913 ------
2022-23 Salavat Yulaev Ufa KHL 442210942.14.924 62412.14.924
2023-24 Salavat Yulaev Ufa KHL 21108022.46.902 ------
2024-25 Laval Petroliers LNAH 1466013.78.889 31204.02.879
2025-26 Laval Petroliers LNAH 211004.44.857 ------
KHL totals 44017917859302.38.921 2891532.43.914


References

  1. 1 2 3 "Русский вратарь закончил карьеру, но вернулся в хоккей. Он будет играть в канадской лиге тафгаев" (in Russian). Sport-Express. September 20, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Илья Ежов: Без драк в хоккее пропадет уважение и станет больше травм" (in Russian). The Bookmaker Ratings. November 4, 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Ce gardien d'ici (presque) inconnu de tous" (in French). Reseau des Sports. May 5, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Состав "Лады" пополнил голкипер из СКА". HC Lada Togliatti (in Russian). September 6, 2014. Archived from the original on September 6, 2014.
  5. ↑ "СКА и «Лада» произвели обмен" (in Russian). SKA Saint Petersburg. December 25, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Президент Ассоциации хоккейных агентов: Пусть СКА уже станет чемпионом, давайте его назначим" (in Russian). Sovetsky Sport. December 25, 2014.
  7. ↑ "«Ежов по‑настоящему важный хоккеист для нашего клуба, причем именно СКА вернул Илью российскому хоккею» — Роман Ротенберг" (in Russian). Match TV. May 1, 2024.
  8. ↑ "СКА не будет продлевать контракты с четырьмя хоккеистами" (in Russian). SKA Saint Petersburg. May 4, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Ежов перешел в "Нефтехимик"" (in Russian). Sport-Express. May 11, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Ежов примет участие в Матче Звезд КХЛ-2018" (in Russian). HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. December 8, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Илья Ежов приходит в «Витязь»" (in Russian). HC Vityaz. July 12, 2019. Archived from the original on July 12, 2019.
  12. ↑ "Илья Ежов пополнил состав ХК «Салават Юлаев»!" (in Russian). Salavat Yulaev Ufa. May 5, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Зинэтула Билялетдинов: "Если хотя бы грубые промахи исключить…"" (in Russian). Sport-Express. February 11, 2012.
  14. ↑ "Après un long exil en Russie, Ilya Ejov est de retour à la maison" (in French). Ici Radio-Canada. October 19, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Men's hockey return home with silver from U SPORTS nationals". Concordia Stingers. March 27, 2025.
  16. ↑ "Laval Rocket hires new goalie coach from Concordia University". Montreal Gazette. February 6, 2026.
  17. ↑ "David Urquhart leaves McGill to join Laval Rocket as assistant coach". Montreal Gazette. August 13, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Пополнение в семье Ежовых" (in Russian). SKA Saint Petersburg. November 22, 2015.
  19. ↑ "Илья Ежов: «Я был на другом экстриме, месяцами не играл»" (in Russian). Kontinental Hockey League. November 2, 2018.
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