Forgotten Penguins Players: Alexander Pechursky

One of the top Pittsburgh Penguins prospects at training camp this season is Russian goalie Sergei Murashov. After a stellar career in the KHL, he is now in North America and on his way to stopping pucks in the NHL.

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If Murashov gets a call-up to Pittsburgh, he will become only the second Russian-born goalie to play for the organization. Who is the other? Alexander Pechursky.

Let’s take a look back at the short career of Pechursky, who played just 36 minutes with the Penguins.

Alexander Pechursky’s path to the NHL

Pechursky was born on June 4, 1990, in Magnitogorsk, Russia and was only one year old when Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr celebrated the Penguins’ first Stanley Cup championship in 1991.

In 2005, he played as a goalkeeper for Metallurg Magnitoorsk-2 in the Russia3 league. He eventually played two games in the KHL before being drafted in the fifth round (150th overall) by Pittsburgh in 2008.

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He came to North America and skated with the Tri-City Americans in 2009-2010, compiling a 13-10-1 record with great stats including a .912 SV% and a 2.61 GAA.

Pechursky earned a spot in the Penguins lineup that season, playing in an away game against the Vancouver Canucks on January 16, 2010. He came on as a reliever, replacing John Curry, who gave up five goals on 14 shots in 24:29.

During his 35:31 of playing time, Pechursky saved 12 of 13 shots and finished the night with one goal against and a .923 SV%.

It was the only time he would skate in an NHL game. He returned to the Americans for just three games in 2010-11, spending the majority of the campaign in the CHL with the Mississippi RiverKings.

Although Pechursky was loaned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, he did not play any games. He returned to Russia for the 2011-12 season, splitting his time between the KHL, VHL and MHL.

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In the last nine seasons of his professional career, he played for several clubs in different leagues, only three times having an SV% below .900. He did not play much for any team, however, but played a career-high 38 games with Tsen Tou Jilin in the VHL in 2017-18.

His most successful season came in 2012–13 with Yuzhny Ural Orsk in the VHL, when he posted a 22–11–2 record in 35 starts.

When Pechurskuy retired after the 2019-20 season, he was a U18 WJC gold and silver medalist, and had also won the KHL Gagarin Cup. His overall totals in the KHL were 13-27-7, with much more success in the MHL (17-3-2) and VHL (63-47-8).

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