Nikita Krivokrasov has Russian roots, an American passport and NHL bloodlines.
So when he became available to the Prince George Cougars, they jumped at the chance to add the 2000-born right winger to their roster, acquiring his rights Monday in trade for a conditional eighth-round bantam draft pick in 2020.
In 11 games this season for the Americans, Krivokrasov had two goals and two assists with 13 penalty minutes and a minus-1 ranking.
“With 16 forwards on the roster we needed to reduce numbers,” said Americans General Manager Bob Tory, on whl.ca. “This gives Nikita an opportunity to play in the Western Hockey League. We wish him nothing but the best.”
Born in Westminster, Colo., on Dec. 23, 2000, Krivokrasov grew up in Woodbury, Minn., and played midget hockey in Colorado for the Rocky Mountain Roughriders.
He started his WHL career with the Prince Albert Raiders and in 2017-18 he picked up three goals in 34 regular season games and also played seven playoff games. The following year he scored one goal in 10 games in the USHL for the Omaha Lancers and finished the season in the North American Hockey League with the Corpus Christi IceRays, totalling seven goals and 13 points in 34 games, along with 86 penalty minutes
Nikita is the son of former NHL right winger Sergei Krivokrasov, who scored 86 goals and had 198 points in 450 games over 10 seasons from 1992-02 with Chicago, Nashville, Calgary, Minnesota and Anaheim. He also played professionally in Russia for eight seasons before he retired in 2008.
Listed as five-foot-10, 200 points, the Cougars hope to have Krivokrasov in the lineup Tuesday (7 p.m.) when they face off at CN Centre against the Edmonton Oil Kings. The Oil Kings (13-4-3-2) currently rank second overall in the Eastern Conference, one point back of the Raiders.
The Cougars (4-15-0-2) rank 10th in the Western Conference. Coming off back-to-back shutout losses, they’ve lost seven in a row and have just one win in their last 10 games.
The Cougars host the Kamloops Blazers Friday and Saturday at CN Centre.
