Nikita Sergeyevich Artamonov

 

“When I was drafted, Igor Larionov congratulated me and said:
“It’s a good organization, they love Russians.”

By Anna (aka @Uggg_uggg)

 

Profile: Born on November 17, 2005 in Nizhnekamsk.
Career: 202/22 – “Reactor” (MHL), 2022/23 – “Chaika” (MHL), 2023-present. – “Torpedo” (KHL).
Achievements: Kharlamov Cup winner (2023).

Background

Nikita used to live in the village of Kamskie Polyany as in his childhood. At the age of 3, he started skating, and for four years he practiced there with children born in 2002 and 2003. At the age of 8, he moved to Neftekhimik-2005[2]. In the 2021/22 season, he made his debut for Reactor, playing five games in the MHL.

On September 23, 2022, he was traded for goalie Andrei Tikhomirov to Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. He made his KHL debut on February 20, 2023, playing his only league game of the season in an away game against CSKA (3:8). On October 27, 2023, in a home game against Avtomobilist (4-2), he had four (2+2) points and set a KHL record for players under the age of 18. On December 24, he signed a new contract until the end of the 2025/26 season. He finished the 2023/24 season with 23 points (7+16) in 54 regular season games.

In the 2023/24 season, the 18-year-old forward had 23 (7+16) points in 54 games, and now he is the Nizhny Novgorod team’s top scorer. During the first half of this regular season, the forward has already broken his own scoring record with 27 (13+14) points in 37 games. Artamonov is a consistent top-three offensive player and is considered one of the best Russian hockey players born in 2005.

At this age, hockey players most often play in the MHL, while Nikita takes to the ice against grown men. In general, playing at this age in the KHL is an indicator of trust from the coaching staff.

Nikita Artamonov broke into the second place among players in terms of points scored under 18 in KHL history. And to make it clear just how big of an accomplishment this is, here are the Top 7 players by points under 18 in the KHL:

No. 7: Anton Silayev. The current Torpedo defenseman has 8 (2+6) points at age 17.
No. 6: Kirill Kaprizov. Until the age of 18, the forward played for Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Then Kirill got 8 (4+4) points.
No. 5: Vitaly Kravtsov. At the age of 17-18 Kravtsov played for Traktor. Then he recorded 8 (5+3) points on his account.
No. 4: Evgeny Kuznetsov. Kuznetsov played for Traktor until the age of 18. In the team he has 9 (3+6) points.
No. 3: Valery Nichushkin. Another young hockey player of “Traktor” under 18 years old got 9 (6+3) points.
No. 2: Nikita Artamonov. Torpedo forward has 13 (4+9) points.
No. 1: Vladimir Tarasenko. Before coming of age, Tarasenko played in Siberia. There the forward recorded 28 (17+11) points.
To be among such names is already quite an achievement for such a young player.

Nikita is a pretty humble guy and it shows well in his reaction when he was named the top rookie of the week: “Being named the top rookie of the week was nice. It’s a small bonus that shows that you are moving in the right direction, doing what the coaches ask you to do. Plus, it’s also an incentive to strive for new achievements”.

Draft and Carolina Hurricanes

It is important how Torpedo General Manager Alexander Kharlamov commented on the results of the NHL draft for the hockey players of the Nizhny Novgorod team “The fact that in recent seasons Torpedo hockey players are annually picked at the NHL draft is a pleasant assessment of our course in working with young players. Our players are considered as the best in the entire hockey world, thus popularizing the Torpedo brand and the attractiveness of our school, youth and main team at the highest level. On top of that, the guys who were drafted get an additional incentive and motivation, while the younger ones realize what they can achieve as a result of their hard work and diligence”.

It’s not just words. In recent years, it has been Torpedo that has shown that the organization cares and helps its players achieve their goals. For Carolina fans, suffice it to remind that it was after finishing the contract with Torpedo Pyotr Kochetkov came to the AHL/NHL.

Also Nikita Artamonov revealed what Torpedo head coach Igor Larionov told him when the forward was picked by the Carolina Hurricanes at the draft 2024 in the 2d round at No. 50 overall.
“When I was drafted, Igor Larionov congratulated me and said: “It’s a good organization, they love Russians.” [1]

About the draft “It was a little bit of a shock that I got picked in the draft. I’m very pleased to be in an organization like that. Being picked in the draft is a big deal in a hockey player’s life.”
“It’s good to be picked. But the most important thing in this matter is how you’re going to work from here on out. You have to prove with your play that you can perform there.”
“I was supposed to fly to the U.S., but suddenly there were problems with the documents. It’s a pity that it happened like that.” – Nikita Artamonov told in an interview for soprts.ru.

Have you had a conversation with representatives from Carolina yet?
Yes, they called me. First they congratulated me, then we discussed a couple things, and that was it.
What do you know about the team?
A lot, actually. I know all the Russians there: Kuznetsov, Orlov, Kochetkov, Svechnikov. But I really like Czech forward Nečas from their team, he’s a very good player. [2]

Nikita Artamonov: The Person

To understand what kind of person Nikita is, about his priorities and personal qualities, I offer you a translation of his recent interview from January 4, 2025 for sports.ru.

What did you do during the break for the First Channel Cup?
We had three days off, I was at home in Nizhny Novgorod, walking in the evenings. Then we went back to training.

Does your leisure time always look like this?
I really often go for a walk in the evening, I also like to go to the movies, but it has to be planned a day in advance. I can also spend a couple of hours playing computer games in my spare time.

At the time November 2023 you had time to compete in cyber sports skills only with Atanasov. Have you played with everyone now?
A lot of them. Gino Svechnikov is also into computer games, I remember how we played in the summer with his brother Andrei, who is now in Carolina.

Which of the Svechnikovs is better at computer games?
Andrei (smiling).

Do your parents still live in Nizhnekamsk?
Yes. At first there were thoughts of moving, but six months after my move to Torpedo I decided that I needed to learn to live alone. My parents have a house and a job in Nizhnekamsk, I enjoy visiting them in the summer.

Did you quickly get used to independent life?
At first, it was really hard in everyday life, but I was always on the phone with my mom, she helped me a lot. In the 2024/25 season it became much easier.

Your mom’s a chef, how’s your cooking?
– I’m not very good at it. When I was a kid, my mom used to call me to help her cook so that I could learn something, but it’s not my thing. I can cook the most trivial things, but I will not even try to start something more difficult.

What is your favorite dish?
My mom’s pilaf and laghman.

Your father is a truck driver, does he watch your games even on the road?
Yes. Since we mostly play in the evenings, my dad stops somewhere in a parking lot and watches the broadcast, and after the game he continues on his way. I call my parents after the games. Mom definitely needs me to call her. It takes about an hour after the game to wait for my call, so my parents sometimes just fall asleep.

During the off-season you added muscle mass, how did you work on your physique?
I trained every day in the gym, I worked very hard. I ended up adding one kilogram over the summer, but at the same time my fat percentage dropped and I added muscle mass. Back in the 2023/2024 season, I started to think about getting bigger.

Do you feel more confident on the ice now?
Yes, I feel much more confident. Now I know that I won’t give in in any fight, regardless of the size of the opponent. Before, there were cases when physically strong guys hit me and I immediately fell down. Now this is not the case.

Now to one of the main questions: have you smiled more often?
I’ve always smiled, it’s just that not everyone noticed it. On many videos and photos it looks like I have the same face, but everyone in the team knows that I often joke. In certain moments seriousness is necessary, and somewhere before the match I want to smile and go out on the ice with a positive mood.

You are Torpedo’s top scorer and have already broken your personal record in points. What helped you to add so much in your second year in the KHL?
Probably, at some points I just acted more confident, although I had no doubts in my abilities before. I feel as comfortable as I did a year ago. I just added to my shot realization and started to play more correctly.

When things are going so well, a young player can “catch a star”. Have you ever noticed that about yourself?
No, putting a crown on myself is definitely not for me. Igor Nikolayevich (Larionov) doesn’t accept it, he doesn’t like people who rise above others because of their successes. You have to remain a humble person and a hard-working player.

In November, the KHL compared you and Ivan Demidov as two top young forwards born in 2005. How do you feel about such parallels?
Neutral. Vanya Demidov is very talented. I watched the 3-on-3 tournament at the First Channel Cup. When he took out our defenseman Dima Breus and scored, I was just stunned. I think he will make a great player.

Evgeny Kuznetsov is one of your favorite hockey players. Was it especially exciting to play against him?
Yes. I knew who I was playing against, but during the game I tried not to look at the opponents’ names. I still can’t get a picture with him after the game. At the post-match handshakes, I told everyone: “Thanks for the game,” but to Kuznetsov – I said it from the bottom of my heart. [3]

Nikita Artamonov is generating a lot of interest and for good reason. His professionalism at such a young age is admirable. Yes, he has some work to do, but it will all come with age. Just as the Canadiens are waiting for Demidov, Carolina should be no less excited and eager for Nikita’s arrival. Nikita is already playing a game worthy of the NHL. With the right development and motivation, we will get one of the most gifted hockey players under 20 years old from Russia.

[1]https://www.championat.com/hockey/news-5805334-artamonov-raskryl-chto-emu-skazal-larionov-kogda-forvarda-zadraftovala-karolina.html

[2]https://m.sports.ru/hockey/1116217033-artamonov-o-karoline-byl-nebolshoj-shok-chto-menya-vybrali-na-drafte-o.html

[3]https://m.sports.ru/hockey/blogs/3289134.html?p_a=click&p_n=tag__161138448&p_p=post__3289134&p_c=post