Nikita Nesterenko

Nikita Nesterenko (born September 10, 2001) is an American professional ice hockey center who currently plays for the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the Anaheim Ducks in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Minnesota Wild with the 17th pick in the sixth round, 172nd selection overall, of the 2019 NHL entry draft.^[1]

Nikita Nesterenko
Born	(2001-09-10) September 10, 2001 (age 23) Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	183 lb (83 kg; 13 st 1 lb)
Position	Center
Shoots	Left
NHL team (P) Cur. team	Anaheim Ducks San Diego Gulls (AHL)
NHL draft	172nd overall, 2019 Minnesota Wild
Playing career	2023–present

Early life

Born in Brooklyn, New York,^[1] the son of immigrants from Russia,^[2] he was raised in Coney Island.^[3]

Playing career

Amateur

He played prep hockey for the Lawrenceville School, graduating in 2020.^[4] He played for the Chilliwack Chiefs of the British Columbia Hockey League before joining the collegiate Boston College Eagles team.^[3] For the 2020–21 season, Nesterenko was selected along with Josh Lopina as the Hockey East rookie of the year.^[5] He was also named to Hockey East's All-Rookie Team for 2020–21.^[6] During his junior season with the Eagles in 2022–23, he established a career best 13 goals and 34 points through 36 games.^[7]

Professional

Nesterenko was selected by the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL) with the 17th pick in the sixth round, 172nd selection overall, of the 2019 NHL entry draft.^[1] The Anaheim Ducks obtained Nesterenko's signing rights, defenseman Andrej Sustr and a fourth-round draft pick in 2025 in exchange for defenseman John Klingberg on March 3, 2023.^[8] Nesterenko ended his collegiate career by agreeing to a two-year, entry-level contract on March 16, 2023.^[9]

Immediately joining the rebuilding Ducks for the remainder of the 2022–23 season, Nesterenko made his NHL debut on March 21, 2023, against the Calgary Flames.^[1] He scored his first NHL goal in his third game, a 6–3 loss to the St. Louis Blues, on March 25, on a pass from Mason McTavish.^[10] He spent the majority of the 2023–24 season with Anaheim's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the San Diego Gulls, appearing in 70 games, scoring 16 goals and 37 points.^[11] He was recalled on April 5, 2024^[12] and appeared in three games with Anaheim, scoring one goal, again against St. Louis. He was returned to San Diego on April 10.^[13]

A restricted free agent, he received a qualifying offer from the Ducks at the end of the 2023–24 season.^[11] On July 15, 2024, Nesterenko signed a one-year, two-way contract with Anaheim.^[14] Nesterenko was assigned to San Diego to start the 2024–25 season.^[15] He was recalled by the Ducks on January 1, 2025^[16] and made his NHL season debut on January 5 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, replacing Ross Johnston in the lineup. The Ducks went on to win the game 4–1.^[17] He scored his first goal of the NHL season on January 9, tallying one in a 6–2 loss to the St. Louis Blues.^[18] He was returned to San Diego on January 24 after appearing in seven games with Anaheim, recording the one goal and two points.^[19]

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2016–17	Lawrenceville School	USHS		29	4	10	14	—		—	—	—	—	—
2017–18	Lawrenceville School	USHS		26	7	6	13	—		—	—	—	—	—
2018–19	Lawrenceville School	USHS		31	30	29	59	—		—	—	—	—	—
2019–20	Chilliwack Chiefs	BCHL		56	20	36	56	29		7	0	2	2	6
2020–21	Boston College	HE		24	8	11	19	18		—	—	—	—	—
2021–22	Boston College	HE		37	7	17	24	50		—	—	—	—	—
2022–23	Boston College	HE		36	13	21	34	18		—	—	—	—	—
2022–23	Anaheim Ducks	NHL		9	1	0	1	0		—	—	—	—	—
2023–24	San Diego Gulls	AHL		70	16	21	37	38		—	—	—	—	—
2023–24	Anaheim Ducks	NHL		3	1	2	3	0		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				12	2	0	2	0		—	—	—	—	—

Awards and honors

Award	Year
USHS
All-USA Hockey Third Team	2019
College
HE All-Rookie Team	2021	[6]
HE Rookie of the Year	2021	[5]

References

1. "Nikita Nesterenko". Anaheim Ducks. Retrieved March 29, 2023 – via NHL.com. Born: September 10, 2001 Birthplace: Brooklyn, NY, USA
2. Lee, Derek (March 27, 2023). "Welcome to the Nesterenkshow: Ducks' Nikita Nesterenko's Path to the NHL". The Sporting Tribune. Retrieved March 29, 2023. Soccer and hockey were the choices of sport growing up, with hockey grabbing a hold of the Brooklyn native. Once he reached double-digits in age, the switch to playing just hockey was made.
3. "Nikita Nesterenko". Boston College Eagles. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
4. "Lucky Duck: Nikita Nesterenko '20 makes his NHL debut with the Anaheim Ducks". Lawrenceville School. March 23, 2023. Retrieved March 29, 2023. Four years ago, it wasn't a staggering leap of imagination to project Nikita Nesterenko '20 as a future National Hockey League player. As a Fourth Former in 2018-19, Nesterenko scored 30 goals for Big Red on his way to a 59-point season and a selection to the All-U.S.A. Hockey third team.
5. "Spencer Knight Named Hockey East Player Of The Year; Lopina, Nesterenko Tabbed Co-Rookies of the Year, York is Top Coach". Hockey East. March 16, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2023. Alongside Knight, two first-year forwards, Massachusetts' Josh Lopina (Minook, Ill.) and Boston College's Nikita Nesterenko (Brooklyn, N.Y.) have been tabbed Pro Ambitions Co-Rookies of the Year, while Eagles Head Coach Jerry York was voted the league's best coach for the fifth time in his career.
6. "Hockey East Names Men's Pro Ambitions All-Rookie Team". Hockey East. March 11, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
7. "Ducks sign Nesterenko to two-year, entry-level contract". Anaheim Ducks. March 16, 2023. Retrieved March 16, 2023 – via NHL.com.
8. "Klingberg traded to Wild from Ducks for Sustr, Nesterenko, pick". National Hockey League. March 3, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
9. "Ducks sign Nesterenko to two-year, entry-level contract". Anaheim Ducks. March 16, 2023. Retrieved March 16, 2023 – via NHL.com.
10. Dillman, Lisa (March 25, 2023). "Nikita Nesterenko scores 1st NHL goal as Ducks fall to Blues". The Orange County Register. Retrieved March 30, 2023. All it took was three shifts with skilled linemates in his third NHL game for Nikita Nesterenko of the Ducks to realize one of those long-held ambitions, the dream of every young hockey player. Scoring a goal in the NHL. One of those linemates, rookie center Mason McTavish delivered a pinpoint pass from between the circles to Nesterenko, who was stationed at the right side of the net, shooting it between St. Louis Blues defenseman Torey Krug's legs and into the wide-open net.
11. Present, Patrick (July 1, 2024). "Ducks RFAs: Who Did and Didn't Receive Qualifying Offers". Retrieved October 7, 2024.
12. "Ducks Recall Nesterenko from San Diego". Anaheim Ducks. April 5, 2024. Retrieved October 7, 2024 – via NHL.com.
13. "Ducks Reassign Nesterenko to AHL San Diego". Anaheim Ducks. April 10, 2024. Retrieved October 7, 2024 – via NHL.com.
14. "Anaheim Ducks Sign Nikita Nesterenko to One-Year Contract". San Diego Gulls. July 15, 2024. Retrieved October 7, 2024.
15. Sheridan, Matt (October 5, 2024). "Anaheim Ducks Trim Roster to 26 Players, Seven Players Re-Assigned". The Hockey News. Retrieved October 7, 2024 – via Yahoo! Sports.
16. "Ducks Recall Nesterenko from AHL San Diego". Anaheim Ducks. January 1, 2025. Retrieved February 10, 2025 – via NHL.com.
17. Present, Patrick (January 5, 2025). "Takeaways from the Ducks' 4-1 Win over the Lightning". The Hockey News. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
18. Korac, Lou (January 10, 2025). "Blues score 4 straight in 1st, pull away from Ducks". St. Louis Blues. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
19. "Anaheim Ducks Reassign Nikita Nesterenko to San Diego". San Diego Gulls. January 24, 2025. Retrieved February 10, 2025.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database