Nikita Zaitsev is a hockey player whose biography and sports career is presented in the article, playing for the Canadian NHL club Toronto Maple Leafs and the Russian national team. Plays as a defender.
Nikita Zaitsev. Biography and first sports steps
So, in order. Nikita Zaitsev was born in October 1991 in Moscow. The young man took his first sports steps at the local hockey school "Wings of the Soviets". Already at a very young age, Nikita has established himself as a reliable defender, able to give an excellent pass and always ready to support the team in attack.
Professional career
In 2009, according to the results of the KHL draft, Nikita Zaitsev was included in the Novosibirsk "Siberia". In his first season, the 18-year-old defender played in 40 matches, in which he scored one assist.
The 2012/2013 championship was the most successful for Nikita Zaitsev. In 49 matches of the regular draw, he managed to score 18 (7 + 11) points, becoming a permanent player of the main team, and at the end of the season he tried on the captain's armband.
In 2013, Zaitsev moved to the capital team of HC CSKA. In the first championship Nikitaplayed for the “army” 33 fight, scored 4 goals and gave 8 assists. In the next two seasons with CSKA, Zaitsev increased his skill and performance. The talented defender became a member of the KHL All-Star Game twice in a row and received the prestigious Golden Slam award the same number of times.
In 2016, Nikita Zaitsev moved to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs club, which plays in the strongest hockey league on the planet - the NHL. In the 2016/17 season, the Russian defender played 82 fights, in which he scored 4 goals against opponents and helped his teammates score more than thirty times. However, this performance did not help the “Maple Leaves” to go beyond the first stage of the playoffs of the Stanley Cup. At the end of the season, Zaitsev extended his contract with his club for 7 years. His average annual salary will now be around $4.5 million.
Games for the national team
And the highlight. For the first time, Nikita Zaitsev was called up to the junior team in 2009. Then the Russian team took second place in the World Championship. Zaitsev played in 7 matches, scoring 5 (1+4) points and serving 14 pen alty minutes.
Two years later, Nikita as part of the Russian youth team became the world champion. Starting in 2013, Zaitsev began to be attracted to the games of the national team. In his debut match against the Austrian national team at the 2013 World Cup, he scored an abandoned puck. Zaitsev took part in two world championships, and in 2016 won a bronze medalWorld Cup.
