He was the team's top player for most of the 1980s (succeeding the great Alexander Maltsev, who retired in 1984), as he led them in scoring on three occasions and was named a Russian All-Star in 1985.

Throughout the 1980s, he also gained attention outside of Russia for his strong performances in international play, often anchoring a secondary scoring unit behind the famed KLM Line.

Exposed in the 1992 NHL Expansion Draft, Semenov was selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning, and was a member of that team at the outset of their inaugural season.

However, he appeared in only 13 games for the Lightning before being dealt to the Vancouver Canucks, who were looking for a Russian center to play with young superstar winger Pavel Bure following the departure of Igor Larionov.

The Flyers dealt him back to Anaheim midway through the following season, and he closed out his career with a brief stint for the Buffalo Sabres, appearing in 25 games for them in 1996–97 before retiring.