Nikita Gusev: PyeongChang’s main hero
KHL.ru continues on talking about the players who became legends for the league. Today, the talk is about Nikita Gusev, who had a long path towards a great career and the 2018 Olympic Games triumph.
Currently, Nikita Gusev is an Olympic champion and silver medalist, twice a bronze medalist in World Championships, Russian champion, and a Gagarin Cup recipient. However, many no longer remember the difficulties he faced at the beginning of his career. Like many others, the challenges started when he made the transition from junior to senior hockey.
In 2011, CSKA’s junior team won the Kharlamov Cup, with many players who would become notable masters in the future. Among them were Nikita Kucherov and Gusev, who, essentially, never got a chance to play for CSKA. Despite Gusev’s phenomenal performance as the top scorer of the junior team in the victorious playoffs with 17 goals and 10 assists in 16 matches, he only played 18 games for the senior team. The following season, he played 15 games and one in the playoffs. In the fall of 2012, Gusev was sent to the Higher League, to THK Tver, which was then CSKA’s farm club. Shortly after, he moved to Amur.
28.11.2010 First KHL game as CSKA faced Amur.
22.04.2011 Kharlamov Cup triumph with CSKA’s junior team.
10.09.2013 Move to Yugra, where in 2014-2015 he became the team’s top scorer.
In the offseason, Gusev returned to CSKA. However, he still couldn’t break into the KHL squad’s lineup. Then, Andrei Potaichuk, then Yugra’s GM, traded for him from CSKA, giving up their first-round draft pick in a strong draft for the future hero of the Russian national team.
“I don't hold any grudges. It was meant to be. CSKA didn’t give me a chance, but they let me go, and I got that chance in other clubs,” Gusev said in an interview with Sport-Express.
Gusev’s first year in Khanty-Mansiysk was pretty average, with 8 goals and 6 assists in 44 games. However, in the following season, he scored 21 goals and had 16 assists in 55 matches. It was evident that the forward would soon move up to a higher level, and it happened in October 2015.
Recognition
In the offseason, Artemy Panarin left SKA for the NHL. Vadim Shipachyov and Evgeny Dadonov needed a new left winger, and that’s when the famous trio of Gusev, Shipachyov, and Dadonov was formed. Yugra received financial compensation for their leading player.
Gusev immediately adapted to SKA’s game, which was not surprising. He perfectly complemented Shipachyov and Dadonov. He was a technically skilled and intelligent forward with smooth hands. His right-handed shot also added versatility to the troika with two left-handed players. Winning two Gagarin Cups in a row was an extremely tough task. After the triumph in 2015, SKA took a step back in the following season, with a semifinals defeat. However, they repeated their success in 2017, and the trio of Gusev, Shipachyov, and Dadonov was instrumental. The forwards became the team’s most productive players in the playoffs. Considering both the regular season and the Gagarin Cup, Gusev accumulated 94 points – the second highest after Shipachyov (95).
In 2017, Gusev made his debut in the IIHF World Championship and won a bronze medal. In 10 games, he scored seven tallies and had seven assists. With 14 points, he became the team’s third-highest scorer, trailing only Kucherov and Panarin, and was among the top five scorers in the tournament. It became clear then that a new star had emerged in Russian hockey.
In the next two seasons, SKA lost to CSKA in the semifinals. However, there were hardly any complaints about Gusev. In both championships, including the playoffs, he was the team’s most productive player, surpassing the impressive milestone of 100 points in the 2018-2019 campaign.
Olympics gold
In Pyeongchang, the Russian national team headed to the Olympics as favorites. Well before the Games, it was clear that NHL players would not be able to participate for the first time since 1994. Meanwhile, several notable players from the KHL, such as Vyacheslav Voynov, Nikita Nesterov, Ilya Kovalchuk, Pavel Datsyuk, Kirill Kaprizov, Mikhail Grigorenko, and others, were competing. The Russian team boasted a remarkable roster with many strong players, a level of talent that other teams did not possess. However, the status of the tournament didn't guarantee an easy stroll, as evidenced from the start when the Russian team suffered a 2-3 defeat to Slovakia.
As the tournament progressed, the Russian team won all five games. The semifinal against Team Czechia was a challenging match, and the grand final against Team Germany was even more demanding. In the semifinal, Gusev netted the decisive tally. But it was the final game that made him the hero of the tournament.
“It was an intense game. I thought it would be much easier. But it’s another confirmation that you don’t get to the Olympic final easily. We are, of course, happy, but on the other hand, we must understand that we were 55 seconds away from disgrace. The magic and immense desire of the players turned into a fairy tale, which, I’m sure, will be written in books and portrayed in movies,” said two-time Olympic champion Vyacheslav Fetisov in an interview following the game.
20.10.2015 Traded to SKA.
16.04.2017 Gagarin Cup triumph.
25.02.2018 Olympics gold medal.
Gusev was involved in all of Team Russia’s goals. He scored four points, including two goals and two assists. When Team Germany took the lead (3:2) with only 3 minutes and 16 seconds left in the closing frame, it seemed like it would be very difficult for the Russians to come back. And when Sergei Kalinin was sent to the penalty box at two minutes and 11 seconds to the final hooter, it seemed like a death sentence. But in the final minute, it was Gusev who equalized the score. And in OT, he made a laser-like pass to Kirill Kaprizov, who netted the game-winner. Russia won its first Olympic gold since 1992.
“It was an extraordinary event and a drama that deserves to be made into a movie. We achieved victory when defeat seemed imminent. The Germans were already preparing to celebrate, but everything turned upside down. I often rewatch the coverage of that match, that goal by Nikita Gusev. It still brings tears to my eyes,” said Vladislav Tretiak, the president of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation, at one of the press conferences.
Overall, in Pyeongchang, Gusev scored 12 (4+8) points in six matches and became the top scorer of the tournament. He was also named the best forward of the Olympics.
NHL, SKA, and another Olympic medal
After the Olympic season, Gusev fulfilled his existing contract with SKA for another year. He then won another bronze medal at the IIHF World Championship. In Slovakia, he scored 16 (4+12) points in 10 games, sharing the title of top scorer for Team Russia with Kucherov and being among the top three most productive players of the tournament. After that, he signed a two-year contract with the New Jersey Devils.
Debuting in the NHL at the age of 27, Gusev had a relatively successful first season, playing 66 games and amassing 44 (13+31) points. However, in the next season, he stopped making it into the lineup. In April, the Russian forward was placed on waivers, and soon after that, his contract with the New Jersey Devils was terminated. As a free agent, Gusev joined the Florida Panthers, where he finished the season. Before the start of the next campaign, he was on a trial with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but didn’t secure a full agreement, so he returned to SKA in October.
22.02.2019 Became the KHL top scorer with 82 points and established a KHL record for the most assists in a single regular season with 65.
02.03.2022 Established a record for the most single-game points in the KHL playoffs, with 6 (1+5).
02.11.2022 Conquered the top place in SKA’s all-time scoring list in the KHL.
Four-time All-Star Game participant (2015, 2016, 2018, 2019).
Best sniper at the IIHF World Championship (2017).
Olympic champion (2018), also top scorer and best forward of the tournament.
MVP of the KHL regular season (Golden Stick award, 2018).
KHL All-Star team (Golden Helmet award, 2018).
KHL most assists (2018, 2019).
Gusev’s decision to play in Russia again was also important for the national team, which had to defend its title as Olympic champions in February. The tournament proved challenging for all participants due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation impacting preparations and the event itself. Team Russia placed special emphasis on defense, which naturally affected their attacking play. Nevertheless, Gusev once again emerged as the most productive player, providing six assists in as many games. The team reached the finals again, but ultimately lost 1:2 to Team Finland.
After the Olympic season, Gusev initially intended to have another try in the NHL. However, in the end, he once again donned SKA’s jersey in the fall and helped the team win the regular season and secure bronze in the Russian championship, tallying 49 (23+26) points in just 37 games.
Gusev’s career has seen so many events that it gives the impression he has been playing hockey for a long time. In reality, he has just turned 31. Ahead of him lie several bright seasons that will undoubtedly bring both individual accolades and team trophies, providing countless emotions for the fans. And with his move to Dynamo Moscow, another chapter of his career has opened.
Dossier
Nikita Andreyevich Gusev
Born Jul 8, 1992, in Moscow.
Career: CSKA – 2010-2012; THK Tver – 2012; Amur – 2012-2013; Yugra – 2013-2015; SKA – 2015-2019, 2021-2023; New Jersey Devils – 2019-2021; Florida Panthers – 2021; Dynamo Moscow – 2023-today.
Honors: Olympic games gold (2018) and silver (2022) medal, IIHF WC bronze medal (2017, 2019), Gagarin Cup and Russian champion (2017).
