Maxim Pavlenko (Russian: Максим Павленко; born 4 June 2002) is a Kazakhstani professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League (AHL).
| Maxim Pavlenko | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
4 June 2002 | ||
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (196 cm) | ||
| Weight | 205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb) | ||
| Position | Goaltender | ||
| Catches | Left | ||
| AHL team Former teams |
WBS Penguins HC Ryazan Nomad Astana Snezhnye Barsy | ||
| National team |
 Kazakhstan | ||
| NHL draft | Undrafted | ||
| Playing career | 2022–present | ||
Playing career
editAs a youth, Pavlenko played for Snezhnye Barsy, the youth affiliate of the KHL's Barys Astana. In 2019, he was named the best goaltender in the first-ever Kazakhstan Youth Cup.[1] Pavlenko won the Kazakhstan Hockey Cup by winning the Pro Hokei Ligasy with Nomad Astana for the 2022–23 season. The team went on the represent Kazakhstan in the 2023–24 IIHF Continental Cup, eventually winning the competition. He then spent two seasons with HC Ryazan of the Russian VHL. In total, he appeared in thirty-two games for the team, posting a 9-16-1 record, a 2.44 GAA, a .919 SV%, and two shutouts.[2][3]
In June 2025, it was announced that Pavlenko had joined the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on a 1-year American Hockey League contract for the 2025–26 season.[2] He signed the contract on his twenty-third birthday.[4] With the signing, he became just the ninth-ever Kazakh player to sign for an AHL club and the first in fifteen years.[5] Pavlenko won his debut for the club, a 2–1 pre-season shootout victory over the Hershey Bears on 3 October.[6] He stopped seventeen of eighteen shots he faced in the game and all three shots in the shootout.[7]
Later in October 2025, Pavlenko was assigned to the Pittsburgh Penguins' ECHL affiliate, the Wheeling Nailers.[8] He was the team's starting goaltender against the Cincinnati Cyclones to open the 2025–26 season. He made twenty-seven saves on thirty shots to win his full North American debut 5–3.[9][10]
On 5 November 2025, Pavlenko was recalled to the Baby Pens after regular starter Sergei Murashov was called up to the Pittsburgh Penguins.[11] He made his AHL debut two days later in relief of Filip Larsson, stopping sixteen of seventeen shots in two periods against the Rochester Americans, ultimately being credited with the loss.[12] On 9 November, Pavlenko earned his first AHL start, win, and shutout, defeating the Utica Comets 4–0 at home.[13][14]
International career
editPavlenko was part of Kazakhstan's squad at the 2023 IIHF World Championship but did not see any icetime. In February 2025, he was part of nation's team that won the gold medal at the 2025 Asian Winter Games. In the absence of regular starters Nikita Boyarkin and Andrei Shutov, he was named the country's starting goaltender for the 2025 IIHF World Championship. In the team's opening match, Pavlenko's senior debut, he saved thirty of thirty-one shots in a 2–1 victory over Norway.[15][8] He was named Kazakhstan's Man of the Match for his performance.[16]
Career statistics
editRegular season and playoffs
editBold indicates led league
| Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | OTL | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | ||
| 2019–20 | Snezhnye Barsy | MHL | 24 | 1 | 15 | 3 | 1095 | 84 | 0 | 4.64 | .856 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21 | Snezhnye Barsy | Pro Hokei Ligasy | 31 | 3 | 28 | 0 | 1537 | 107 | 1 | 4.18 | .893 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22 | Snezhnye Barsy | Pro Hokei Ligasy | 40 | 8 | 32 | 0 | 1943 | 121 | 2 | 3.74 | .896 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | Snezhnye Barsy | Pro Hokei Ligasy | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 193 | 10 | 0 | 3.13 | .925 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | Nomad Astana | Pro Hokei Ligasy | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 385 | 11 | 1 | 1.72 | .939 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1.000 | ||
| 2023–24 | HC Ryazan | VHL | 25 | 7 | 13 | 1 | 1330 | 52 | 1 | 2.35 | .923 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2024–25 | HC Ryazan | VHL | 7 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 320 | 15 | 1 | 2.81 | .901 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2025–26 | Wheeling Nailers | ECHL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2025–26 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| MHL totals | 24 | 1 | 15 | 3 | 1095 | 84 | 0 | 4.64 | .856 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Pro Hokei Ligasy totals | 85 | 20 | 15 | 65 | 4058 | 249 | 4 | 3.68 | .900 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1.000 | ||||
| VHL totals | 32 | 9 | 16 | 1 | 1650 | 67 | 2 | 2.44 | .919 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| ECHL totals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| AHL totals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
International
edit
References
edit- ↑ "Meet Maxim Pavlenko". Snezhnye Barsy. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
- 1 2 Rorabaugh, Seth. "Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins sign goaltender Maxim Pavlenko". Tribune Review. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
- ↑ "PENGUINS SIGN GOALTENDER MAXIM PAVLENKO". WBS Penguins. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
- ↑ "Максим Павленко перешел в клуб АХЛ" (in Russian). Kazakhstan Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
- ↑ Diaz, Kaldanov. "Голкипер сборной стал девятым казахстанцем в топовой американской лиге" (in Russian). prosports.kz. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
- ↑ "Казахстанский вратарь Максим Павленко одержал победу в дебютном матче в АХЛ" (in Russian). shaiba.kz. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
- ↑ Hart, Nick. "PENS START PRESEASON WITH 2-1 SHOOTOUT WIN OVER BEARS". WBS Penguins. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
- 1 2 "Nailers Receive Pavlenko & Breazeale from Penguins". Wheeling Nailers. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
- ↑ "Electric ending for the Nailers on opening night". The Times Leader. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
- ↑ "Nailers win season opener on road in Papaioannou's debut on bench". WTOV9. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
- ↑ "Penguins Recall Maxim Pavlenko And Zach Gallant". Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
- ↑ Haase, Taylor. "AHL: De St. Phalle nets first of year". DK Pittsburgh Sports. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
- ↑ Rorabaugh, Seth. "Minor league report: Penguins, Maxim Pavlenko shut out Comets". Tribune Review. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
- ↑ "Comets held off the scoreboard in road loss to Penguins". The Rome Sentinel. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
- ↑ Potts, Andy. "Pavlenko backstops Kazakh victory". IIHF. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
- ↑ "Максим Павленко признан лучшим игроком в составе Казахстана в матче на ЧМ-2025" (in Russian). VHL. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
- ↑ "2025 AWG Goalkeepers" (PDF). Asian Winter Games. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
- ↑ "KAZ-Player Statistics by Team". IIHF. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
External links
edit- Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
- Maxim Pavlenko profile and statistics at ECHL.com
- Maxim Pavlenko profile and statistics at TheAHL.com
- Pro Hokei Ligasy profile
- VHL profile
- MHL profile