Danis Zaripov

Danis Zaripov is a Russian left winger on Ak Bars Kazan.

Zaripov is one of the most skilled players in the KHL at the moment, evidenced by his selection to the powerhouse Russian Olympic team in 2010. He actually played a season in the WHL with the Swift Current Broncos, scoring 23 goals and 31 points in 62 games in '98-99, but returned to Mechel Chelyabinsk in the Russian Super League the next season. He spent two seasons with the team before joining Ak Bars Kazan. He had a couple good seasons with the club, but his breakout year was in 2005-06, when he had 39 points and helped the team win the league title. He followed that with a 32 goal, 62 point season the next year. In 2008-09, he set new career highs with 34 goals and 65 points, as Ak Bars Kazan won the first Gagarin Cup, and Zaripov won the league MVP trophy. He put up 43 points the next year, as the team repeated as league champs.

In 2007, he won a bronze medal with Team Russia at the World Championships, followed by back-to-back gold medals in 2008 and 2009.