Georgii Merkulov (born October 10, 2000) is a Russian professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

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currently playing for the

Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...

of the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

(NHL). He previously played

college ice hockey College ice hockey is played principally in the United States and Canada, though leagues exist outside North America. In the United States, competitive "college hockey" refers to ice hockey played between colleges and universities within the g ...

for

Ohio State University The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...

of the

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

(NCAA).

Playing career

Collegiate

Merkulov committed to play

for the

during the 2021–22 season. In his freshman year, he led all NCAA freshmen with 20 goals, and was named to the All-

Big Ten The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...

Freshman Team and the All-Big Ten

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Professional

Boston Bruins

On 9 April 2022, Merkulov concluded his collegiate career after he was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract with the

, and was assigned to their AHL affiliate, the

Providence Bruins The Providence Bruins are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL), and are the primary development team for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). They play at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, Rh ...

, where he would play for the remainder of the season. On 12 April 2023, after his first full professional season with the Providence Bruins, Merkulov was named to the AHL All-Rookie Team. He was second among AHL rookies in points with 55, which also led the Bruins, as well as leading the Bruins with 23 goals. Once again impressing in Providence during the 2023–24 season, Merkulov earned a call-up to the NHL club on 29 December 2023. He would make his NHL debut the next day against the

New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional sports, professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern ...

. Merkulov played four games with the team before being sent back to Providence on 5 January 2024. He did not record a point in his first stint. On 10 January 2024, Merkulov was named as Providence's representation in the 2024 AHL All Star Classic. Merkulov had yet another successful season in the AHL, as he led the P-Bruins with goals and points, with 30 and 65, respectively. He was also second on the team in assists. His 30 goals were tied for sixth in the AHL, and his 65 points had him tied for fifth in the league. Although Merkulov would score three assists in four games in the team's first round matchup in the

2024 Calder Cup playoffs The 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the American Hockey League (AHL) to determine the winner of the Calder Cup, which is awarded to the AHL playoff champions. All teams except the bottom two teams of the Atlantic, Nort ...

against the

Hartford Wolf Pack The Hartford Wolf Pack are a professional ice hockey team based in Hartford, Connecticut. A member of the American Hockey League (AHL), they play their home games at the XL Center. The team was established in 1926 as the Providence Reds. After a ...

, the Bruins would fall to the Wolf Pack in four games for the second straight year.

Career statistics

Awards and honors

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Merukulov, Georgii 2000 births Living people Boston Bruins players Kapitan Stupino players Ohio State Buckeyes men's ice hockey players Providence Bruins players Russian ice hockey forwards Sportspeople from Ryazan Undrafted National Hockey League players Youngstown Phantoms players