| Born: | Dec 27, 1971 | Draft: | 2000 Lightning, 8th Overall |
| Hometown: | Murmansk, Soviet Union | Position: | Right Wing |
| Known For: | 2x KHL Gagarin Cup Champion | Shoots: | Left |
| National Team: | Russia | Current Status: | Retired |
Nikita Alexeev (born December 27, 1971) is a former Russian ice hockey player, having played his final year in the NHL split between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2006-2007 season. Drafted 8th overall by Tampa Bay in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, Alexeev was expected to be the top-six winger the Lightning needed. After putting up 72 points in 64 games in his final season with the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Alexeev joined the Lightning, splitting time between the NHL and the American Hockey League (AHL). His first two seasons were underwhelming, as he failed to produce at both the NHL and AHL level, and his 2003-04 season was cut short due to a major shoulder injury, the same year the Lightning won the Stanley Cup. He returned for the 2004-05 season, amassing an AHL career-high 22 points in 72 games.
Alexeev got his shot as an NHL regular in the 2006-07 season after spending one year in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He registered 10 goals and 21 points in 63 games, but was traded to the Blackhawks after management grew impatient with the lack of growth for a player they selected in the top ten. He appeared in 15 games with Chicago, scoring two goals and finishing with a minus-3 rating, bringing his tenure in the NHL to an end. In 156 career games over three seasons, Alexeev managed just 20 goals and 37 points, adding one goal in 11 post-season games.
Alexeev played in four seasons with Ak Bars Kazan, capturing back-to-back KHL Gagarin Cup Championships in 2009 and 2010, before completing his career in 2013 after playing two seasons for Severstal Cherepovets. He never lived up to his offensive potential showcased in the OHL, and his short-lived run in the NHL is remembered as one of the biggest busts in Tampa Bay history.
Nikita Alexeev Statistics
Deeper Dive
Achievements
- CHL Top Prospects Game (2000)
- Continental Cup Champion (2008)
- 2x KHL Gagarin Cup Champion (2009, 2010)