Kirill Kabanov

Playing career

In 2007, 15-year-old Kabanov was signed to a five-year contract with HC Spartak Moscow, a deal negotiated by his father and included an escape clause that would allow him to leave the contract to play in the National Hockey League (NHL). When the Russian Super League was disbanded in favour of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in 2008, he signed a new four-year contract to replace the original deal that also had an NHL escape clause. He joined Spartak in 2008–09 as the youngest player in the KHL and appeared in ten regular season and playoff games. During the season, the KHL unilaterally revoked his NHL escape clause. His playing rights were sold to Salavat Yulaev Ufa, which required a new contract be signed under KHL rules. Ufa refused to grant him another escape clause, and Kabanov refused to sign a new contract. In the meantime, he was selected by the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) with the seventh overall selection in the Canadian Hockey League Import Draft.

Faced with an ultimatum by Ufa to sign a contract or risk being disqualified from playing hockey in Russia for three years, Kabanov instead flew to Moncton and petitioned the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to allow him to play in Canada. He expressed a strong desire to play junior hockey, stating that it didn't matter how much money he was offered in the KHL. He missed the first ten games of the 2009–10 QMJHL season while the Moncton and Ufa battled over his rights before the IIHF ruled in favour of the Wildcats, allowing Kabanov to join his new team. At one point considered a potential first overall selection for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Eventually Kabanov would be selected 65th overall by the New York Islanders in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Internationally, Kabanov played with the Russian junior team at the 2009 IIHF World U18 Championships. He finished eighth in tournament scoring with eleven points, and helped the Russians win a silver medal. He was unable to participate in the 2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships due to a wrist injury. The injury required surgery, leaving Kabanov out of the Moncton lineup until February 2010. Late in the season, Kabanov would become a regular healthy scratch and fall out of favor with the Wildcats. Being a scratch for the entire first round of the playoffs, Moncton released Kabanov of his obligations, allowing him to play in the 2010 U18 tournament. There, he would become the center of controversy after being rejected by the Russian squad for disciplinary reasons. "I removed him from the team because [although] we thought [he] would help us, but he brought only confusion to the team," Vasiliev told Sovietsky Sport. "Kabanov came and thought 'Here I am, a star from Canada, who will save all.' But it's the team that wins rather than an individual player."

On June 6, 2010 agent JP Barry parted ways with Kabanov, stating "it just wasn't a fit." Ilya Moliver, one of the previous Kabanov's agents, says that the main problem with Kabanov is his father, who is "hard to find common language with." On October 28, 2010 Kabanov was traded from the Wildcats to the Lewiston Maineiacs.

On July 1, 2011 Kabanov signed a three-year entry level contract with the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL) and participated in the team's training camp. However, he was soon assigned to Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) affiliate Blainville-Boisbriand Armada before the start of the season. Having played no games with the Islanders nor Armada, Kabanov was loaned to the Swedish Elitserien (SEL) team Färjestads BK early in the season, on October 13, 2011. However, a day later he was traded to the Shawinigan Cataractes, and on October 15 it was confirmed that he would stay in North America for the 2011–12 season.

After a successful 2011–12 campaign in which he scored 21 goals and notched 34 assists (both personal records), Kabanov made the jump up to the professional American Hockey League (AHL) for the 2012–13 season. with Islanders affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. In his second year of his entry level deal, unable to solidify a position within the Sound Tigers, he was reassigned to ECHL affiliate, the Stockton Thunder. He was then loaned to Modo Hockey in the Swedish Hockey League for the remainder of the season.

On July 15, 2014, Kabanov was placed on conditional waviers in order to mutually terminate the final year of his contract with the Islanders. On July 30, 2014, Kabanov opted to continue his career in the SHL, declining Modo interest to sign with League champions Skellefteå AIK on a one-year contract.

After two season in the Swedish League, Kabanov returned to North America as a free agent, accepting a try-out offer to attend the New York Rangers training camp on September 17, 2015. He was released from his try-out on September 24, 2015.