Nikolay Karpov began to play hockey in 1951 with CSKA Moskva, joining ODO Leningrad in 1952, and from 1954-58 he played with Dynamo Moskva. Karpov finished his playing career in Krylya Sovetov Moskva, playing with them from 1958-65. Karpov never won a Soviet title, but was runner-up in 1952 and won six bronzes (1955-60). Internationally, besides his Olympic bronze, Karpov won bronze at the 1960 World Championships and won the 1960 European Championship. After his playing career, Karpov worked as a head coach of Spartak Moskva from 1968-70 and 1975-77. With them he won two Soviet titles (1969 and 1976) and one bronze (1975). From 1978-79, he was a head coach of Lokomotiv Moskva and from 1979-83 a head coach of Torpedo Gorky (now Nizhny Novgorod). Nikolay Karpov later worked as an advisor to the president of the Spartak Moskva hockey club.