Nikita Gusev
Gusev with Amur Khabarovsk in 2013
Born (1992-07-08) 8 July 1992
Moscow, Russia
Height 5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight 163 lb (74 kg; 11 st 9 lb)
Position Left wing
Shoots Right
KHL team
Former teams
Dynamo Moscow
CSKA Moscow
Amur Khabarovsk
Yugra Khanty-Mansiysk
SKA Saint Petersburg
New Jersey Devils
Florida Panthers
National team  Russia
NHL Draft 202nd overall, 2012
Tampa Bay Lightning
Playing career 2010present

Nikita Andreyevich Gusev (Russian: Никита Андреевич Гусев; born 8 July 1992), nicknamed "Goose", is a Russian professional ice hockey forward currently playing under contract for HC Dynamo Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

He became known as one of the best players in the KHL – winning the KHL's Golden Stick (MVP) award in 2017–18, earning the most assists in a KHL season twice, and finished the 2018–19 season with 81 points (17 goals and 65 assists). His 81 points is the second-highest season total in the history of the KHL, behind Sergei Mozyakin's record of 85 points. Gusev won the KHL's Gagarin Cup championship in 2017 with SKA Saint Petersburg.

Internationally, he has represented Russia on numerous occasions, winning a gold medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics and a silver medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Playing career

Professional

SKA Saint Petersburg

On 14 July 2017, Gusev signed a two-year contract extension with Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) powerhouse club SKA Saint Petersburg.[1][2]

In the 2018–19 season, his last season under contract with SKA, Gusev posted a career and league-high 82 points, leading the KHL with 65 assists. He continued his offensive dominance in the post-season, contributing 19 points in 18 games before suffering a conference final defeat for the second consecutive season to CSKA Moscow. Through nine seasons in the KHL, Gusev is 10th all-time with 332 points in 391 games.

New Jersey Devils

On 21 June 2017, with the selection of Jason Garrison by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, the Knights received from the Tampa Bay Lightning the rights to Gusev, along with a second-round pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft and a fourth-round pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft as compensation for the Golden Knights agreeing to select Garrison.[3]

On 14 April 2019, Gusev signed a one-year, entry-level contract with the Vegas Golden Knights, instantly joining the club amid their first-round playoff series against the San Jose Sharks, remaining on the Golden Knights extended squad without playing for the club.[4]

On 29 July 2019, Gusev as a restricted free agent, was traded by the Golden Knights to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a third-round pick in 2020 and a second-round pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. He immediately agreed to terms with the Devils on a two-year, $9 million contract with an average annual value of $4,500,000.[5] In the following 2019–20 season, Gusev made an immediate offensive impact with the rebuilding Devils, leading the club with 31 assists and placing second in points with 44 through 66 games before the remainder of the regular season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the Devils missing the postseason, Gusev returned to action in the delayed 2020–21 season and struggled to replicate the previous season's campaign offensively, posting just two goals and five points through 20 games. On 9 April 2021, the Devils placed Gusev on unconditional waivers in order to mutually terminate the remainder of his contract.[6]

Florida Panthers

On 11 April 2021, Gusev signed as a free agent to a one-year, $1 million contract with the Florida Panthers.[7]

Return to SKA

As a free agent over the summer and approaching the 2021–22 season, Gusev opted to continue his career in the NHL, signing a Professional Tryout contract in accepting an invitation to attend the Toronto Maple Leafs training camp on September 18, 2021.[8] Gusev was later released from his tryout on October 5, 2021.[9] with no other NHL teams expressing an interest he opted to return to the KHL, with his former team SKA Saint Petersburg.

Gusev enjoyed two offensively productive seasons with SKA, before opting to leave the club as a free agent at the conclusion of the 2022–23 season on 30 April 2023.[10]

Dynamo Moscow

On 18 July 2023, Gusev as a free agent agreed to terms on a one-year contract with his fifth KHL club, HC Dynamo Moscow, for the 2023–24 season.[11]

International play

Medal record
Ice hockey
Representing
 Olympic Athletes from Russia
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place2018 Pyeongchang
Representing  ROC
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place2022 Beijing
Representing  Russia
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place2017 Germany/France
Bronze medal – third place2019 Slovakia
World Junior Championships
Silver medal – second place2012 Canada
World Junior A Challenge
Bronze medal – third place2009 Summerside

Gusev has played for Russia at the World Junior Championships and World Championships. He was a member of the Olympic Athletes from Russia team at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

On 23 January 2022, Gusev was named to the roster to represent Russian Olympic Committee athletes at the 2022 Winter Olympics.[12]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2007–08 Belye Medvedi Moskva MosJHL 759140
2008–09 Belye Medvedi Moskva MosJHL 243033636
2009–10 Krasnaya Armiya MHL 4817405714 51230
2010–11 CSKA Moscow KHL 181012
2010–11 Krasnaya Armiya MHL 3822375914 161710276
2011–12 CSKA Moscow KHL 152130 10000
2011–12 Krasnaya Armiya MHL 3430467626 191617330
2012–13 CSKA Moscow KHL 60110
2012–13 THK Tver VHL 1576132
2012–13 Amur Khabarovsk KHL 2448126
2013–14 HC Yugra KHL 44861410
2014–15 HC Yugra KHL 5521163712
2015–16 HC Yugra KHL 2377144
2015–16 SKA Saint Petersburg KHL 3313223510 1559140
2016–17 SKA Saint Petersburg KHL 572447718 18716232
2017–18 SKA Saint Petersburg KHL 542240622 1575122
2018–19 SKA Saint Petersburg KHL 6217658210 18910190
2019–20 New Jersey Devils NHL 6613314412
2020–21 New Jersey Devils NHL 202350
2020–21 Florida Panthers NHL 112352
2021–22 SKA Saint Petersburg KHL 311025354 16791612
2022–23 SKA Saint Petersburg KHL 372326496 1357120
KHL totals 45915226441674 9640569616
NHL totals 9717375414

International

Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2012 Russia WJC 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 73690
2017 Russia WC 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 10 7 7 14 4
2018 OAR OG 1st place, gold medalist(s) 6 4 8 12 4
2018 Russia WC 6th 4 1 3 4 0
2019 Russia WC 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 10 4 12 16 0
2022 ROC OG 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 6 0 6 6 2
Junior totals 73690
Senior totals 3616365210

Awards and honors

Gusev with Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2018.
Award Year
KHL
All-Star Game 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019
Golden Stick (MVP) 2018
Gagarin Cup champion 2017 [13]
International
Olympic Best Forward 2018 [14]

References

  1. Livingstone, Filp (14 July 2017). "Nikita Gusev re-signs with KHL's SKA St. Petersburg". The Score. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  2. "Vegas Golden Knights Reserve List". Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  3. "Defenseman Jason Garrison selected by Vegas Golden Knights". Tampa Bay Lightning. 21 June 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  4. "Vegas Golden Knights sign forward Nikita Gusev to entry-level contract". Vegas Golden Knights. 14 April 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  5. "Devils sign, acquire Gusev from Vegas". The Sports Network. 29 July 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  6. "Devils place Gusev on unconditional waivers for contract termination". TheScore. 9 April 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  7. "Florida Panthers agree to terms with Nikita Gusev on a one-year contract". Florida Panthers. 11 April 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  8. "Maple Leafs take low-risk gamble on Gusev". Sportsnet.ca. 18 September 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  9. "Maple Leafs release Gusev from PTO; assign four players to Marlies". sportsnet.ca. 5 October 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  10. "Nikita Gusev leaves Saint Petersburg" (in Russian). 30 April 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  11. "Nikita Gusev to Dynamo!" (in Russian). HC Dynamo Moscow. 18 July 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  12. "ROC targets repeat gold". International Ice Hockey Federation. 24 January 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  13. "Metallurg Magnitogorsk 3 SKA St. Petersburg 5". Kontinental Hockey League. 16 April 2017. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
  14. "Kovalchuk MVP". IIHF.com. 25 February 2018. Archived from the original on 25 February 2018. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
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