Nikita Tolopilo
| Nikita Tolopilo | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Tolopilo with the Abbotsford Canucks in 2025. | |||
| Born |
6 April 2000 Minsk, Belarus | ||
| Height | 6 ft 6 in (198 cm) | ||
| Weight | 229 lb (104 kg; 16 st 5 lb) | ||
| Position | Goaltender | ||
| Catches | Left | ||
| NHL team (P) Cur. team Former teams |
Vancouver Canucks Abbotsford Canucks (AHL) HC Dinamo Minsk | ||
| NHL draft | Undrafted | ||
| Playing career | 2020–present | ||
Nikita Tolopilo (born 6 April 2000) is a Belarusian professional ice hockey goaltender. He currently plays for the Abbotsford Canucks in the American Hockey League while a prospect for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Tolopilo made his NHL debut on 14 April 2025, against the San Jose Sharks.
Personal life
[edit]Tolopilo was born on 6 April 2000, in Minsk, Belarus.[1] His younger brother Maxim also plays ice hockey.[2]
Playing career
[edit]As a free agent, Tolopilo signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL) on 15 May 2023.[3] After attending the training camp of Vancouver's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks,[4] Tolopilo was named to their 2023-24 season opening night roster.[5] He stopped 41 shots in his league debut to earn his first AHL win on 14 October 2023 against the Laval Rocket.[6] Tolopilo began the season sharing the starting goaltending position with Artūrs Šilovs, but took over as the team's full-time starter once Šilovs was recalled to the NHL.[7] He maintained a 5–3–0 record through the first two months of the season, along with a .906% save percentage.[8]
Tolopilo was named the Abbotsford Canucks opening night roster after attending their 2024–25 training camp.[9][10] He started the season with two wins through his first two starts and a .925% save percentage.[11] He earned his first career AHL shutout on 23 November against the Henderson Silver Knights.[12] He then became the first goaltender in franchise history to earn back-to-back shutouts following two weekend games against the Manitoba Moose in mid-December.[13][14] By January, Tolopilo had a 2.67 goals-against average and .915% save percentage through 14 games.[15] He earned his first NHL recall on 8 March as an emergency backup for Kevin Lankinen[16] but was returned to the AHL the following day.[17] Shortly after returning to Abbotsford, Tolopilo earned his fourth career shutout on 16 March against the Calgary Wranglers.[18] By mid-April, Tolopilo had maintained a winning 18–14–2 record and a 2.68 goals against average.[19] He was called up to the NHL on 12 April 2025 under emergency conditions[20] and made his NHL debut on 14 April 2025.[21] Tolopilo made 15 saves in his debut to lead the Canucks to a 2–1 win over the San Jose Sharks.[22] Following Abbotsford's 2025 Calder Cup win, the Vancouver Canucks extended a qualifying offer to Tolopilo to retain his negotiation rights.[23]
Awards and honours
[edit]| Award | Year | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| AHL | ||
| Calder Cup Champion | 2025 | [24] |
References
[edit]- ^ "Nikita Tolopilo". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
- ^ "Maxim Tolopilo". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
- ^ "Canucks sign goaltender Nikita Tolopilo to two-year, entry-level contract". Sportsnet. 15 May 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
- ^ "Canucks Release 2023 AHL Training Camp Roster". Abbotsford Canucks. 3 October 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
- ^ "Canucks Announce 2023-24 AHL Opening Night Roster". Abbotsford Canucks. 12 October 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
- ^ Righetti, Ben (14 October 2023). "Tristen Nielsen Grabs Hat Trick To Help Canucks Defeat Laval 4-3". Abbotsford Canucks. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
- ^ Faber, Chris (25 April 2024). "Abbotsford Canucks Take Game One as Their Quest for the Calder Cup Commenced in Colorado". National Hockey League. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
- ^ Faber, Chris (8 December 2023). "Building Blue: The Developing Duo of Young Goaltenders in Abbotsford". National Hockey League. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
- ^ "Canucks Announce 2024.25 AHL Opening Night Roster". Abbotsford Canucks. 11 October 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
- ^ "Canucks Announce 2024 AHL Training Camp Roster". Abbotsford Canucks. 2 October 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
- ^ Faber, Chris (24 October 2024). "Get to Know Your Abbotsford Canucks Ahead of Friday's Home Opener". National Hockey League. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
- ^ "The Canucks Shut Out The Henderson Silver Knights In A 2-0 Victory". Abbotsford Canucks. 23 November 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
- ^ "The Canucks Record Back To Back Shutouts Against The Manitoba Moose". Abbotsford Canucks. 15 December 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
- ^ Kierszenblat, Adam (15 December 2024). "Canucks Goaltending Prospect Records Franchise First In The AHL". The Hockey News. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
- ^ Faber, Chris (1 January 2025). "Building Blue: Early Insights of 12 Canucks' Prospects from the 2024-25 Season". National Hockey League. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
- ^ "Canucks' Nikita Tolopilo: Summoned from AHL". CBS Sports. 8 March 2025. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
- ^ "Game Notes: Canucks vs. Canadiens". National Hockey League. 11 March 2025. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
- ^ Cheung, Izzy (16 March 2025). "Abbotsford Canucks' Nikita Tolopilo Records Fourth Shutout Of The Season". The Hockey News. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
- ^ McGoey, Steven (12 April 2025). "Vancouver Canucks Recall Nikita Tolopilo And Ty Mueller From Abbotsford Canucks". The Hockey News. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
- ^ "Game Notes: Canucks vs. Wild". National Hockey League. 12 April 2025. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
- ^ MacIntyre, Iain (15 April 2025). "'It was a long journey': Canucks' Tolopilo caps NHL debut with win over Sharks". Sportsnet. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
- ^ Woodley, Kevin (15 April 2025). "DeBrusk scores late in OT, Canucks rally past Sharks". National Hockey League. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
- ^ "Canucks Extend Qualifying Offers To Players". National Hockey League. 30 June 2025. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
- ^ Kuzma, Ben (23 June 2025). "Abbotsford Canucks: The journey really was the adventure to capture 2025 Calder Cup crown". The Province. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
External links
[edit]- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database