Toronto Legion forward, Anatoli Zhumbayev will suite up for his final game in a VHL uniform following the Continental Cup Finals series against the HC Davos Dynamo. Zhumbayev declared himself eligible for the VHLM Dispersal Draft back in Season 31 in what seems like it was just yesterday. After spending a season in the VHLM with the Bratislava Watchmen, "AZ" jumped right into the VHL in Season 32. He laced up the skates for the Helsinki Titans, the franchise that drafted him third overall, in five of his seven VHL seasons, spending the final two with the Toronto Legion. Zhumbayev suited up for 504 regular season games, scoring 270 goals and 343 assists for 613 points and a +328 rating. He amassed 526 penalty minutes, 1055 hits, 196 shots blocked and 60 game-winning goals. During the playoffs, Anatoli suited up in 80 games, scoring 29 goals and 46 assists for 75 points and a +9 rating. He collected 64 penalty minutes, 148 hits, 39 shots blocked and nine game-winning goals while hoisting the Continental Cup on two occasions. Is it a hall of fame career for AZ? Probably not, but he certainly etched out a solid career for himself. It's always enjoyable to take a look back at a player's season by season results following retirement and today we will do just that with Zhumbayev's career.
Season 31:
Anatoli Zhumbayev was the new kid on the block during the Season 31 VHLM Dispersal Draft and was hoping that one of the ten General Managers would take a chance on him. Vincent Wong and the expansion Bratislava Watchmen took that chance when they selected him in the second round with the 14th overall selection. They were not disappointed as Anatoli potted 60 goals and 59 assists for 119 points and a +36 rating in 71 games played. He also delivered 178 hits with 20 blocked shots, 48 penalty minutes, and eight game-winning goals. Bratislava made the playoffs but were ousted in the first round by a much deeper Bern Royals team in six games. Zhumbayev scored six goals and three assists for nine points and a +2 rating in that playoff series. He compiled two penalty minutes, nine hits, a blocked shot and a game-winning goals as well.
Season 32:
Zhumbayev really made a name for himself leading up to the Season 32 VHL Entry Draft and it was no surprise when the Helsinki Titans selected him with the third overall selection. He collected the most training hours of any draft eligible player and was not eligible to play another season in the VHLM, thus he joined the Titans for his rookie campaign during Season 32. It was no walk in the park for Anatoli, who struggled to make the transition from the VHLM to the VHL and could not find any consistency. He finished the season with four goals and ten assists for 14 points and a +26 rating, with four of those points coming in one game. The young Kazakh gathered 57 penalty minutes, 71 hits, five blocked shots, and a game-winning goal. Helsinki made the playoff and following a hard-fought seven game series win over the Vasteras Iron Eagles, the Riga Reign swept the Titans in the European Conference Finals. Zhumbayev's personal statistics were no better in the playoffs, scoring one goal and no assists for one point and a +1 rating in 11 games. He spent four minutes in the penalty box with six hits, no blocked shots and no game-winning goals.
Season 33:
Season 33 turned a new leaf for Anatoli who got a fresh start, following his horrid rookie season performance. Helsinki finished the regular season with the best record at 61-6-5 for 127 points and Zhumbayev made huge strides in improving his game. He scored 27 goals and 49 assists for 76 points with a +61 rating. Anatoli collected 28 penalty minutes, 81 hits, 14 blocked shots, and six game-winning goals. The Titans earned a first-round bye in the playoffs and faced a familiar foe in the European Conference Finals, the Riga Reign who were able to upset the Victory Cup winners in seven games. Zhumbayev scored four playoff goals with three assists for seven points and a -3 rating in seven games. He amassed two penalty minutes, four hits, two shots blocked, and a game-winning goal in the series loss. At the awards ceremony, Anatoli brought home the Dustin Funk Trophy as the VHL's most improved player.
Season 34:
Season 34 started off right for AZ, first being selected to play for Team USSR at the World Cup, his first appearance in the tournament and he impressed to say the very least, setting a World Cup record for goals and finishing with 24 points. The USSR dominated the group play portion but when the elimination came around, they lost their focus and ended up bringing a bronze medal home. Season 34 was another Victory Cup performance for the Helsinki Titans, finishing the season with a record of 55-12-5 and 115 points. Zhumbayev improved on his statistics from the season prior once more, scoring 44 goals and 40 assists for 84 points with a +44 rating. He also had eight penalty minutes, 39 hits, 11 blocked shots and 12 game-winning goals! Helsinki again earned a first-round bye and matched up with the Riga Reign in the European Conference Finals. Helsinki would put the curse against Riga to an end by defeating them in seven games and followed that up with a seven game series win over the Calgary Wranglers to capture the Continental Cup. Anatoli scored six playoff goals and eight assists for 14 points and a +5 rating in 14 games. He finished with a total of two penalty minutes, three hits, four blocked shots, and three game-winning goals. All three of the game-winners came in the Continental Cup Finals, including the game seven overtime winner.
Season 35:
Coming off a dream season, the Helsinki Titans continued their regular season dominance in Season 35, finishing with a record of 52-14-6 and 110 points, just three points back of the Victory Cup winner, the Quebec City Meute. Zhumbayev improved upon his previous season totals once again, scoring 45 goals and 56 assists for 101 points and a +51 rating. He gathered 91 minutes in penalties, 189 hits, 38 blocked shots, and 13 game-winning goals. Helsinki, the top team in the European Conference received a first-round bye in the playoffs again but would face the Cologne Express in the European Conference Finals this time around. They would go on to defeat them in six games, prior to being ousted in the Continental Cup Finals by the Quebec City Meute in six games. Anatoli scored three goals and nine assists for 12 points and a +1 rating in the Titans playoff run. He received ten minutes in penalties, delievered 38 hits, blocked eight shots, and scored a game-winning goal. AZ was named and All-Star for the first time in his career for his Season 35 performance.
Season 36:
Following a disappointing end to their season a year earlier, some of the Helsinki Titans veteran players decided to hang their skates up at the conclusion of the Season 35 playoffs. This meant that Helsinki became much less dangerous, despite their best efforts to sign depth players through free agency. The Titans were dethroned as the top team in the European Conference, finishing with a regular season record of 44-24-4 and 92 points, good for second in the conference. Zhumbayev had a career-year, posting 48 goals and 76 assists for 124 points, and a +45 rating. He amassed 131 penalty minutes, 264 hits, 46 blocked shots, and eight game-winning goals. This helped him become known as one of the elite talents in the VHL, winning the Alexander Beketov Trophy for the player with the most assists during the regular season. During the playoffs, Helsinki made quick work of the Cologne Express in the first round, disposing of them in a four game sweep. The new powerhouse in town, the HC Davos Dynamo proved to be too much for the Titans, defeating them in six games in the European Conference Finals and eventually beating the Toronto Legion to capture the Continental Cup. Anatoli scored three goals and eight assists for 11 points and a +2 rating in ten playoff games. He compiled 12 penalty minutes, 32 hits, five blocked shots, and a game-winning goal during the playoffs. He was named a VHL All-Star for the second consecutive season as his last season in a Helsinki uniform.
Season 37:
During the Season 36 off-season, the Helsinki Titans, realizing that their time at the top had come to an end, decided to blow the team up and deal their best talent for future draft picks. Anatoli Zhumbayev was dealt to the Toronto Legion with Helsinki's Season 38 second round selection (Antoine Sauvé) for Toronto's Season 37 first round selection (Dexter Morgan) and Season 39 first round selection. This move paid dividends for the Toronto Legion who finished atop the North American Conference with a record of 49-20-3 and 101 points. Zhumbayev's individual statistics took a bit of a hit, maybe struggling to find chemistry with new teammates and a new system early in the season. He still finished the season with 47 goals and 58 assists for 105 points and a +52 rating. AZ delivered 176 hits with 88 penalty minutes, 43 blocked shots and 12 game-winning goals. Toronto received a first-round playoff bye and played the Seattle Bears in the North American Conference finals, defeating them in six games prior to getting revenge and sweeping the HC Davos Dynamo in the Continental Cup Finals for their first championship in eight seasons. Anatoli scored seven times and added six assists for 13 points with a +7 rating in ten playoff games. He collected nine penalty minutes, 21 hits, seven blocked shots, and two game-winning goals en route to his second Continental Cup ring. he was named a VHL All-Star for the third season in a row and was a finalist for the Daisuke Kanou Trophy as Playoff MVP.
Season 38:
Prior to the start of Season 38, Zhumbayev announced his retirement and that he would play his last game in the VHL following the Season 38 playoffs. The Toronto Legion were forced to cut and/or trade a couple of their players due to salary cap room in order to be cap compliant in Season 38. Because of this, they did not enjoy the amount of success during the regular season that they did in Season 37 but they still had a solid campaign, finishing with a record of 45-22-5 and 95 points. That was good for second in the conference, behind the New York Americans who tore the league up with 116 points. Anatoli improved on many individual statistics, scoring a career-high 55 goals, and only two back of Odin Tordahl who scored 57. Zhumbayev also put up 54 assists and 109 points with a +49 rating. He sat in the penalty box for 123 minutes, had 235 hits, 39 blocked shots, and eight game-winning goals. In the playoffs, the Legion defeated the Seattle Bears in six games, followed up but ousting the Continental Cup favourite New York Americans in six games to advance to the Continental Cup Finals for the third straight season. They face a familiar opponent in the HC Davos Dynamo and are currently down three games to two. AZ has scored five goals and 13 assists for 18 points with a -6 rating in the 17 playoff games. He has racked up 25 penalty minutes, 47 hits, 14 blocked shots, and a game-winning goal. He would love nothing more than to cap his career off with a third Continental Cup ring but that will be a tough task for Zhumbayev and the Legion to complete, who should be named a VHL All-Star for the fourth time in his career.
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