Nikita Nesterenko

Nikita Nesterenko (born September 10, 2001), is an American professional ice hockey center who plays for the Anaheim Ducks in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected as the 17th pick in the sixth round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft by the Minnesota Wild, the 172nd selection overall.
==Early life==
Born in Brooklyn, New York,Nikita Nesterenko, Anaheim Ducks. Accessed March 29, 2023. "Born: September 10, 2001 Birthplace: Brooklyn, NY, USA" the son of immigrants from Russia,Lee, Derek. "Welcome to the Nesterenkshow: Ducks’ Nikita Nesterenko’s Path to the NHL", The Sporting Tribune, March 27, 2023. Accessed 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." he was raised in Coney Island. 
==Playing career==
He played prep hockey for the Lawrenceville School, graduating in 2020."Lucky Duck: Nikita Nesterenko ’20 makes his NHL debut with the Anaheim Ducks", Lawrenceville School, March 23, 2023. Accessed 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." He played for the Chilliwack Chiefs of the British Columbia Hockey League and the Boston College Eagles men's ice hockey team.Nikita Nesterenko, Boston College Eagles men's ice hockey. Accessed March 29, 2023.
For the 2020–21 season, Nesterenko was selected along with Josh Lopina as the Hockey East rookie of the year"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. Accessed 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."
During his junior season with the Eagles in 2022–23, in a trade with Minnesota Wild, the Anaheim Ducks obtained Nesterenko's draft rights, defenseman Andrej Sustr and a pick in the fourth round of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft in exchange for John Klingberg on March 3, 2023. Having established a career best 13 goals and 34 points through 36 games at the conclusion of the season, Nesterenko ended his collegiate career by agreeing to a two-year, entry-level contract on March 16, 2023. 
Immediately joining the rebuilding Ducks for the remainder of the season, Nesterenko made his NHL debut with the Ducks on March 21, 2023, against the Calgary Flames. He scored his first NHL goal in his third game, a 6-3 loss to the St. Louis Blues, on March 25, scoring on a pass from Mason McTavish.Dillman, Lisa. "Nikita Nesterenko scores 1st NHL goal as Ducks fall to Blues Nesterenko breaks through during the first period on a mostly desultory night for the Ducks, who give up goals early and often in a 6-3 defeat, their fourth straight",The Orange County Register, March 25, 2023. Accessed 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."
== Career statistics ==
 	 	 		Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season		Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	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 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		9 	1 	0 	1 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==Awards and honors==
Award 	Year 	
USHS 	USHS 	USHS
All-USA Hockey Third Team	2019 	
College 	College	College
HE All-Rookie Team 	2021 	
HE Rookie of the Year 	2021 	
==References==
==External links==
*
Category:Anaheim Ducks players
Category:Boston College Eagles men's ice hockey players
Category:Chilliwack Chiefs players
Category:American ice hockey centers
Category:Lawrenceville School alumni
Category:Minnesota Wild draft picks