Nik Antropov |
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Nikolai "Nik" Aleksandrovich Antropov (Russian: Николай Александрович Антропов; born February 18, 1980) is a professional ice hockey forward, currently playing for the Atlanta Thrashers of the National Hockey League.
Antropov was expected to be drafted early in the 2nd round, but following a dominant season with Kaztsink-Torpedo Ust-Kamenogorsk in the second-tier of the Russian Hockey Super League, including an international match against Iceland in which he scored eleven goals and twenty-six points, he was drafted 10th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. Before going overseas to play hockey in North America, Antropov also played in the Russian Super Liga with Dynamo Moscow.
When Owen Nolan joined the Maple Leafs in March 2003, Antropov changed his number from #11 (Nolan's number in San Jose) to #80, the year of his birth. In 2003–04 Leaf coach Pat Quinn formed a line with Joe Nieuwendyk, Alexei Ponikarovsky, and Antropov. This line was dubbed the "Skyline" because of the players' height.