Evgeni Nabokov (born July 25, 1975 in Öskemen, U.S.S.R., now Kazakhstan), is a professional ice hockey player. He plays as a goaltender for the San Jose Sharks in the National Hockey League. Nabokov was selected by San Jose in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft (9th round, 219th overall). In the 2005-06 NHL season, he played for the San Jose Sharks. When he first played in North America, he went by John, rather than Evgeni, fearing that English-speakers would have a hard time pronouncing his name. However, this change did not last.
