Sergei Berezin, the Russian winger who starred for the Maple Leafs in the late 1990s and early 2000s, has died, the NHL Alumni Association announced Wednesday.
He was 52.
A cause of death was not disclosed.
Both the “heartbroken” NHL Alumni Association and the Maple Leafs described Berezin’s death as “sudden” in posts on social media.
“In his retirement, he enjoyed coaching minor hockey, playing tennis, and most importantly, spending time with his family,” the NHL Alumni Association wrote.
Berezin was a 10th-round pick by Toronto in the 1994 NHL Draft, and he made his debut with the team in 1996, scoring 25 goals and notching 16 assists as a rookie, earning him a place on the All-Rookie team.
His best season came in 1998-99, when he set career-highs in goals (37) and points (59) and recorded six goals and six assists in 17 playoff games during the Leafs’ run to the Eastern Conference Final.
After scoring 126 goals and notching 94 assists in five regular seasons with Toronto, he was traded to the Coyotes for Mikael Renberg in 2001, and then quickly flipped to the Canadiens in January 2002.
Montreal traded Berezin to Chicago after that season ended, and the Blackhawks then dealt him to the Capitals at the 2003 trade deadline.
He then left the NHL, finishing his career with 160 goals and 126 assists in 502 regular-season games, along with 13 goals and 17 assists in 52 playoff matches.