Sergey Andronov has played 536 games for CSKA, the most in the glorious history of the world's most awarded club.
The game in Podolsk against Vityaz went down in CSKA history. For CSKA captain Sergey Andronov, it was his 536th game, the record one. The previous club record was set by Alexei Kasatonov (535 games) on March 16, 1997 – for nigh on 25 years. That day two-time Olympic champion hit the ice of CSKA Ice Palace (on Leningradsky Ave.) in a playoff (1/8 final) against Metallurg, Magnitogorsk. Alas, our young team lost in a tough game to one of the championship favourites, with a 2:4 score.
Andronov made his debut for CSKA on December 29, 2009 in a home derby with Dynamo Moscow (2:3 OT). Experienced fans recall a frosty December evening as the handsome young man with a bag and a bunch of sticks sailed into the club's office. By that time, he had won a gold medal at the 2007 World Junior Championship and a bronze at the 2009 World Youth Championship.
In his debut game for CSKA Andronov played on the right wing with Alexander Nikulin and Peter Shchastlivy (the captain of the Russian national team at the 2007 World Championship at home).
The newcomer was known for his speed and penetrative power. His first goal with our team didn't take long: on January 5, 2010 he scored in the game with Avangard at home. Two weeks later in Yaroslavl Sergey made a double, assists and became the main organizer of the hammering of Lokomotiv (6:1). The newcomer hit on the ice under the number 16 honorary for our club. It was worn by the legend Vladimir Petrov.
CSKA didn't get in the playoff in the 2010/2011 season, but Andronov brightened up the disappointing finish with a victory in the Kharlamov Cup with the Red Army, where a group of young players from the first team was sent. A year later, Sergei left for an internship across the ocean. Away from the Moscow temptations impeded his progress. He returned to a completely different team with ambitions and serious plans.
In 2015, CSKA with a manifested advantage led in the regular-season and won its 33rd national championship. Alas, Andronov was injured before the playoff start and was unable to compete for the Gagarin Cup. Maybe his energy wasn't enough for our team to beat SKA (3-4) in the Western Conference final.
Sergei has been turned centerman and Sergei Fedorov, CSKA's current head coach, played a crucial role in this. Thanks to his masterclasses, Andronov mastered the tricks of this deficient position in Russian hockey and became one of the strongest in the KHL on the faceoff spot. He also had the right number – the 11th, which in the era of Anatoly Tarasov adorned the jersey of three-time Olympic champion Anatoly Firsov, who could do everything in hockey.
Andronov couldn't boast a damning slap shot like Firsov. But he did stump goalies quite a few times with his wrist shot. For example, in the third game of the 2019 playoff final against Avangard (2:0). CSKA captain's goal in Balashikha was the winning one and predetermined the outcome of the series (4-0). By the way, he also scored in the second game of the championship final (3:0).
Andronov can't be called a sharpshooter kicker. His specialty is battle, he's undroppable in the power play and battle on the spot. But he has a client, Spartak. How many times our captain has disappointed Spartak players! It's symbolic that so far he netted his only goal this season to Spartak. The game plan on September 16 at the Megasport Arena (3:5) was written for trenchermen: the home team answered with three goals to CSKA three goals, but Andronov scored the winning goal from the nearest slot.
Spartak head coach Oleg Znarok was upset when on February 19, 2021, CSKA captain ran to the goal in the last minute of the regulation time and deprived them of a chance to win (2:1) - Spartak players were capitalizing on man-advantage at that time.
By the way, Znarok highly appreciated Andronov when he was the national team leader. Sergey did not play at the 2016 World Cup in Moscow, but then he won bronze in Cologne/Paris in 2017 and gold at the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang. In Bratislava 2019, under Ilya Vorobyov, he added another World Cup bronze medal to his personal medal collection.
In the opening game of the 2017 World Cup against the future world champions Swedes, Andronov tied it up, our team pulled out the win with a 2:1 score in a penalty shootout.
He has played 11 seasons in CSKA, seven of which - 258 games - he wore the captain's patch. I believe that our captain has a lot of games and victories ahead as he is only 32 years old. We are waiting for him to reach the 600 games for CSKA. He leads the top 10 of CSKA legends-long livers along with Alexey Kasatonov (535), Vladimir Vikulov (519 games), Boris Mikhailov (500), Vladimir Petrov (495), Vladimir Lutchenko (482), Vyacheslav Fetisov (479), Sergey Makarov (472), Viktor Kuzkin (470), and Viktor Zhluktov (455)).
