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Alexander Valeryevich Semin (, ; born 3 March 1984) is a Russian former professional ice hockey winger. He last played with HC Vityaz of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) the top league in Russia. He previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens.
Semin made his NHL debut in the 2003–04 season, scoring 10 goals and 12 assists in 52 games. However, he missed his team's flight to Pittsburgh when the Capitals closed out their season against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Semin then reported to Maine to play for the American Hockey League (AHL)'s Portland Pirates, where he collected 15 points in 4 regular season and 7 playoff games.
Due to confusion about Semin's obligations to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, which requires all Russian men to serve two years, Semin was not allowed to return to the Capitals when NHL resumed the following season in 2005–06. Russian Armed Forces allow conscripted soldiers who are hockey players to play for professional teams in Russia during their period of service, but they are not allowed to play for teams based in other countries. However, other young Russian players, such as Nikolay Zherdev and Alexander Ovechkin, were allowed to return to their NHL clubs following the lockout, circumventing any additional military duty they had to serve in Russia.
While Semin's 2004–05 season with Lada was considered his first year of military service, it was arranged for Semin to continue with Lada for his second year of service in 2005–06. Lada is located in the military district into which Semin was drafted, and they were the only team with whom Semin could fulfill his military obligation. He was signed to a tax-free, $2 million contract, along with a car and a condominium. News about Lada's struggling financial situation early in the season initially offered the Capitals some hope that Semin would join the team after all. It was reported the Russian team was expected to cut its payroll in half, while Semin was Lada's highest paid player.
On 26 October 2005, Capitals general manager George McPhee announced the Capitals had filed a complaint against Semin and his agent, Mark Gandler. McPhee stated, "We have done everything we could to avoid this step, but we felt we had no choice but to now seek a legal remedy. This filing seeks to compel Alexander Semin's agent and the Russian hockey team Lada Togliatti to return Alex to the Washington Capitals... We look forward to the resolution of this process so that we can welcome Alex back to the Capitals this season." Likewise, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said, "This is a situation where a valid, legally-binding contract is not being honored, and that's not right." U.S. District Court Judge Henry H. Kennedy, Jr., issued a temporary restraining order on 4 November 2005 ordering Gandler and his International Sports Advisors Company to stop representing Semin in contracts with teams other than the Capitals. Due to Lada Togliatti's financial challenges, Lada released Semin, but he instead signed with Russian squad Mytischi Khimik on 22 November.
On 5 December 2005, Kennedy denied the Capitals request for preliminary injunctions against Semin and Gandler. Alexander Berkovich, Semin's lawyer, stated Semin intended to play for Khimik for the remainder of the 2005–06 season, and that Semin's military obligations would be fulfilled by fall 2006. He completed the campaign with 9 points in 15 games with Lada and 10 points in 26 games with Khimik.
Midway through the 2009–10 season, Semin signed a one-year, $6 million contract extension with the Capitals.
Semin played for Russia in the 2010 Winter Olympics.
In Washington's 2010 quarter-final match-up against the Montreal Canadiens, Semin received large amounts of criticism due to his poor play, as he did not score any goals despite firing 44 shots on Canadiens goaltender Jaroslav Halák. He finished the series with just two assists in seven games as Montreal upset Washington 4–3 in the series, with the Capitals blowing a 3–1 series lead.
Semin signed another one-year extension with the Washington Capitals on 27 January 2011, worth $6.7 million. He became an unrestricted free agent on 1 July 2012.
On 5 April 2012, Semin became the fifth-highest all-time leading goal scorer of the Capitals with his 197th goal.
On 25 September 2012, it was announced that for the time of 2012–13 NHL lockout, Semin would sign with Sokol Krasnoyarsk from Russian Major League, the Russian second-tier hockey division. He would wear jersey number 28 with the club. Despite the fact he had offers from top-level Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) clubs, he chose to play for a club from his hometown for free. However, after playing four games with Sokol, Semin signed a contract with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the KHL. The president of Torpedo, Oleg Kondrashov, praised Semin for joining Sokol at first, saying, "The player's decision to pay tribute to the team that brought him up does credit to him," though he also added, "But a player of such high level should play in KHL."
Semin scored his 200th career goal on 11 February 2013, helping his team to a 6–4 victory over the New York Islanders. On 25 March 2013, the Hurricanes signed Semin to a five-year, $35 million contract extension.
On 30 June 2015, Semin was waived by the Hurricanes with the intent of him being bought out.
On 28 May 2016, Semin agreed to a one-year contract extension with Metallurg Magnitogorsk. In July 2017, Semin enrolled in a metallurgy course at Siberian Federal University, Former Capital Alexander Semin Starts a New Chapter in Life but continued his career with Sokol Krasnoyarsk of the Supreme Hockey League, the second-highest Russian hockey league.
On 8 May 2018, Semin signed a one-year contract with HC Vityaz, marking his return to the KHL.
He announced his retirement from professional hockey on May 18, 2022.
| 2000–01 | Traktor–2 Chelyabinsk | RUS.3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2001–02 | Traktor Chelyabinsk | RUS.2 | 46 | 13 | 8 | 21 | 52 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2001–02 | Traktor–2 Chelyabinsk | RUS.3 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2002–03 | Lada Togliatti | RSL | 47 | 10 | 7 | 17 | 36 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 10 |
| 2002–03 | Lada–2 Togliatti | RUS.3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2003–04 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 52 | 10 | 12 | 22 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2003–04 | Portland Pirates | AHL | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 19 |
| 2004–05 | Lada Togliatti | RSL | 50 | 19 | 11 | 30 | 56 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2004–05 | Lada–2 Togliatti | RUS.3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2005–06 | Lada Togliatti | RSL | 16 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 52 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2005–06 | Lada–2 Togliatti | RUS.3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2005–06 | Khimik Moscow Oblast | RSL | 26 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 26 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 |
| 2006–07 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 77 | 38 | 35 | 73 | 90 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2007–08 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 63 | 26 | 16 | 42 | 54 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 8 |
| 2008–09 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 62 | 34 | 45 | 79 | 77 | 14 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 16 |
| 2009–10 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 73 | 40 | 44 | 84 | 66 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 2010–11 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 65 | 28 | 26 | 54 | 71 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 8 |
| 2011–12 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 77 | 21 | 33 | 54 | 56 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 10 |
| 2012–13 | Sokol Krasnoyarsk | VHL | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2012–13 | Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod | KHL | 20 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2012–13 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 44 | 13 | 31 | 44 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2013–14 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 65 | 22 | 20 | 42 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2014–15 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 57 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2015–16 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 15 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2015–16 | Metallurg Magnitogorsk | KHL | 20 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 43 | 23 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 20 |
| 2016–17 | Metallurg Magnitogorsk | KHL | 58 | 16 | 14 | 30 | 38 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 20 |
| 2017–18 | Sokol Krasnoyarsk | VHL | 31 | 8 | 20 | 28 | 30 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 36 |
| 2018–19 | HC Vityaz | KHL | 54 | 19 | 22 | 41 | 43 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 2019–20 | HC Vityaz | KHL | 50 | 18 | 20 | 38 | 69 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2020–21 | HC Vityaz | KHL | 40 | 8 | 11 | 19 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2002 | Russia | WJC18 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 16 | |
| 2003 | Russia | WC | 5th | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | Russia | WJC | 5th | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 10 |
| 2005 | Russia | WC | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 | |
| 2006 | Russia | WC | 5th | 7 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 8 |
| 2008 | Russia | WC | 9 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 8 | |
| 2010 | Russia | OG | 6th | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 2010 | Russia | WC | 8 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 12 | |
| 2012 | Russia | WC | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2014 | Russia | OG | 5th | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| KHL | ||
| Gagarin Cup (Metallurg Magnitogorsk) | 2016 | |
| Sergei Gimayev Prize (Top Veteran Player) | 2020 | |
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