Nikita Klepov
| Nikita Klepov | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
June 27, 2008 Deerfield Beach, Florida, U.S. | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 181 lb (82 kg; 12 st 13 lb) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| NHL team (P) Cur. team |
Anaheim Ducks Saginaw Spirit (OHL) | ||
| NHL draft |
15th overall, 2026 Anaheim Ducks | ||
Nikita Klepov (born June 27, 2008) is an American junior ice hockey player who is a forward for the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) under contract as a prospect to the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted 15th overall by the Ducks in the 2026 NHL entry draft.
Playing career
On July 2, 2025, Klepov was drafted 35th overall by the Saginaw Spirit in the 2025 CHL Import Draft.[1] On August 7, 2025, he signed a standard player agreement with the Spirit.[2] During the 2025–26 season, he led the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) in scoring with 37 goals and 60 assists in 67 regular season games. In October 2025, he led all rookies in scoring with ten goals and 13 assists in 15 games. He was subsequently named the OHL Rookie of the Month.[3] In January 2026, he led all rookies in scoring with eight goals and 11 assists in 12 games, recording five multi-point games. He was subsequently named the OHL Rookie of the Month.[4] In February tied for the lead in scoring with six goals and 17 assists in 12 games and was subsequently named the OHL Rookie of the Month for the second consecutive month.[5] He tied Marco Rossi's record of three OHL Rookie of the Month honors in a single season.[6] On February 14, 2026, he recorded his 75th point of the season, setting a new Spirit single-season rookie scoring record, surpassing the previous record of 74 points set by Cole Perfetti in 2019.[7] Following the season he won the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy, as the league's top scorer, and Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy, as the league's top-scoring right wing. He also won the Emms Family Award as Rookie of the Year. He became the first rookie within his first two years of OHL eligibility to claim the award since Jack Valiquette during the 1973–74 season. He's also the first American player to lead the OHL in scoring since Jason Robertson during the 2018–19 season.[8] Klepov was committed to play college ice hockey for Michigan State during the 2026–27 season.[9][10]
On June 26, 2026, he was drafted in the first round, 15th overall, by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2026 NHL entry draft.[11] He was then signed by the Ducks to a three-year, entry-level contract on July 25, 2026.[12]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2024–25 | Sioux City Musketeers | USHL | 59 | 12 | 19 | 31 | 20 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 2025–26 | Saginaw Spirit | OHL | 67 | 37 | 60 | 97 | 43 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ||
| OHL totals | 67 | 37 | 60 | 97 | 43 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | United States | HG18 |  |
5 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 0 | |
| Junior totals | 5 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 0 | ||||
Awards and honors
| Award | Year | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| OHL | ||
| First All-Rookie Team | 2026 | |
| First All-Star Team | 2026 | |
| Emms Family Award | 2026 | [13] |
| Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy | 2026 | [14] |
| Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy | 2026 | [15] |
References
- ↑ "Klepov, Shurygin, Rausa selected by Saginaw at 2025 CHL Import Draft". CHL.ca. July 2, 2025. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
- ↑ "Spirit sign first round CHL Import Draft selection Nikita Klepov". WNEM-TV. August 7, 2025. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
- ↑ "OHL Announces Top Performers of the Month for October". CHL.ca. November 1, 2025. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
- ↑ "OHL Announces Top Performers of the Month for January". CHL.ca. February 1, 2026. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
- ↑ "Klepov takes third OHL Rookie of the Month honors". CHL.ca. March 1, 2026. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
- ↑ Brown, Jared (March 3, 2026). "Rookie Nikita Klepov Can Accomplish Something That Hasn't Been Done Since Patrick Kane". The Hockey News. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
- ↑ Clark, Dillon (February 14, 2026). "Klepov sets Spirit rookie points record in loss to Spitfires". WNEM-TV. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
- ↑ Bernreuter, Hugh (April 15, 2026). "Saginaw Spirit star Nikita Klepov earns OHL Rookie of the Year honor". MLive.com. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
- ↑ Shockley, Ben (November 18, 2024). "Michigan State hockey lands commitment from forward Nikita Klepov". WILX-TV. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
- ↑ "Monday's hockey: MSU commit Klepov joins McKenna on NHL top prospects list". The Detroit News. October 20, 2025. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
- ↑ "Klepov selected by Ducks in 1st round of NHL Draft". KTIV.com. June 26, 2026. Retrieved June 26, 2026.
- ↑ "Ducks sign Klepov to three-year, entry-level contract". Anaheim Ducks. July 25, 2026. Retrieved July 25, 2026.
- ↑ Clark, Dillon (April 14, 2026). "Saginaw's Nikita Klepov wins Emms Family Award as OHL Rookie of the Year". CHL.ca. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
- ↑ "OHL Announces 2025-26 Regular Season Award Winners". CHL.ca. March 23, 2026. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
- ↑ "Saginaw's Nikita Klepov wins Eddie Powers and Jim Mahon Memorial Trophies". CHL.ca. March 23, 2026. Retrieved April 20, 2026.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or The Internet Hockey Database