Ņikita Jevpalovs Explained

Ņikita Jevpalovs
Position:Forward
Shoots:Right
Height Ft:6
Height In:1
Weight Lb:205
Team:Boxers de Bordeaux
League:Magnus
Former Teams:San Jose Barracuda
Dinamo Riga
Laval Rocket
Dornbirn Bulldogs
Birth Date:1994 9, df=yes
Birth Place:Riga, Latvia
Ntl Team:Latvia
Draft:Undrafted
Career Start:2015

Ņikita Jevpalovs (born 9 September 1994) is a Latvian professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the Boxers de Bordeaux in the Ligue Magnus (FRA).

Playing career

Jevpavlos spent his junior career between Canada and Latvia, mostly playing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. Undrafted, on January 1, 2015, he was signed by San Jose Sharks to a two-year entry-level agreement.[1]

In his rookie professional season in 2015–16, Jevpavlovs was reassigned by the Sharks between the ECHL and AHL playing for the Allen Americans and San Jose Barracuda. In the following 2016–17 season, he exclusively played with the Barracuda, notching a professional high 13 goals and 21 points in 65 games.

At the expiration of his contract with the Sharks, Jevpalovs was not tendered a qualifying offer and returned to Latvia to play for Dinamo Riga of the Kontinental Hockey League on July 4, 2017.[2] He made his KHL debut in the 2017–18 season opening match against Avangard Omsk,[3] and scored his first goal on 31 August in a defeat to Spartak Moscow.[4] He completed the season scoring just 5 goals and 8 points in 46 games.

As a free agent, Jevpalovs opted for a return to North America, agreeing to a one-year AHL contract with the Laval Rocket, affiliate to the Montreal Canadiens on July 1, 2018.[5] After scoring a career-high 25 points in the AHL, Jevpalovs signed a subsequent one-year, one-way contract with Laval.[6]

Following his second season with the Laval Rocket and with the COVID-19 pandemic delaying the 2020–21 North American season, Jevpalovs opted to remain in Europe by signing a one-year contract with Austrian outfit, the Dornbirn Bulldogs, on 1 September 2020.[7]

International play

Jevpavlos represented Latvia on junior level. He was selected by Bob Hartley for 2018 world championships roster.[8] He made his WC debut on opening game against Norway.[9]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
2010–11South Muskoka ShieldGMHL41 48 43 91 2816 9 18 27 16
2011–12HK RigaMHL58 8 13 21 521 1 0 12
2012–13Blainville-Boisbriand ArmadaQMJHL60 18 21 39 2615 3 5 8 2
2013–14Blainville-Boisbriand ArmadaQMJHL61 28 26 54 3220 10 6 16 8
2014–15Blainville-Boisbriand ArmadaQMJHL64 49 51 100 325 1 5 6 4
2015–16AHL60 5 9 14 123 1 0 1 0
2015–16Allen AmericansECHL5 1 5 6 215 2 6 8 10
2016–17San Jose BarracudaAHL65 13 8 21 4111 0 0 0 6
2017–18Dinamo RigaKHL46 5 3 8 10
2018–19Laval RocketAHL69 13 12 25 38
2019–20Laval RocketAHL53 9 13 22 24
2020–21Dornbirn BulldogsICEHL49 15 22 37 226 0 1 1 2
2021–22Dornbirn BulldogsICEHL38 11 4 15 20
KHL totals46 5 8 3 10

International

YearTeamEventResultGPGAPtsPIM
2011LatviaWJC189th61230
2012LatviaWJC9th62354
2013LatviaWJC10th62138
2014LatviaWJC-D112th54594
2018LatviaWC8th80000
Junior totals239112016
Senior totals8 0000

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Sharks Sign Forward Nikita Jevpalovs. San Jose Sharks. 2015-01-26. 2018-05-06.
  2. Web site: Dinamo Riga 2017-18 season roster. eliteprospects. eliteprospects.com. 2018-05-06.
  3. Web site: Game protocol. KHL . khl.ru. Russian. 2017-08-22 . 2018-05-06.
  4. Web site: Game protocol. KHL . khl.ru. Russian. 2017-08-31 . 2018-05-06.
  5. Web site: Rockets agree to terms on a one-year AHL contract with Nikita Jevpalovs . . 2018-07-01 . 2018-07-01.
  6. Web site: Laval Rocket re-signs forward Nikita Jevpalovs to one-year AHL deal. Peters. Dave. 2019-05-29. Montreal Gazette. en. 2019-05-31.
  7. Web site: Magnan stays and trio arrives . . German . 1 September 2020 . 1 September 2020.
  8. Web site: Paziņots Latvijas hokeja izlases kaujas sastāvs pasaules čempionātam. DELFI sports. delfi.lv. Latvian. 2018-05-02 . 2018-05-06.
  9. Web site: Team LAT match stats. iihf. iihf. 2018-05-05 . 2018-05-06.