Nikita Igorevich Kucherov (Russian: Никита Игоревич Кучеров; born 17 June 1993) is a Russian professional ice hockey player who is a right winger and alternate captain for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). Regarded as one of the best players in the world, Kucherov is a two-time recipient of the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player in 2019 and 2026, and twice was voted the winner of the Ted Lindsay Award as players' choice for the best player in the NHL in 2019 and 2025. He has led the league in scoring three times, thus earning the Art Ross Trophy in 2019, 2024, and 2025, and was the runner-up for the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy as the league's goal-scoring leader in 2017.
Kucherov won the Stanley Cup twice with the Lightning, in 2020 and 2021, leading the playoffs in scoring both times. Kucherov holds the record for most points by a Russian-born player in a single season (144), as well as Lightning franchise playoff records for most points, most goals, and most assists.
Kucherov played for Krasnaya Armiya of the Russian Junior Hockey League, the junior team of CSKA Moscow starting in the 2009–10. He spent three seasons with the team and made his professional debut in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) during this time, playing 27 KHL games over the 2010–11 and 2011–12 seasons. In the 2011 NHL entry draft, he was selected 58th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning. In an attempt to transition to the North American style, Kucherov played major junior hockey with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Lightning on 10 September 2012 while playing in the QMJHL.
Tampa Bay Lightning (2013–present)
Early years, "The Triplets" era (2013–2015)
Kucherov made his NHL debut on 25 November 2013 against the New York Rangers. He scored a goal on his first shot, on his first shift, against Henrik Lundqvist; he was the seventh player in Lightning history to score a goal in his NHL debut. On 23 December 2013, Kucherov recorded his first NHL assist on a goal by J. T. Brown. His rookie season would end with Kucherov playing in 52 games with nine goals and nine assists for 18 points. Kucherov made his playoff debut in the opening game in the opening round of the 2014 playoffs against the Montreal Canadiens on 16 April 2014, where he would score his first career playoff goal on goaltender Carey Price.
During the 2014–15 season, Kucherov's sophomore NHL campaign, Kucherov had a breakout season and spent the bulk of the season playing on the second line with Tyler Johnson and Ondřej Palát (later dubbed as the "Triplets" line by Lightning head coach Jon Cooper and the media). On 28 October 2014, he recorded his first career hat trick in a game against the Arizona Coyotes. Kucherov played in all 82 games in the season, posting 29 goals, 36 assists and 65 points. Kucherov also tied for the NHL lead in plus-minus with Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty at a +38 rating. The +38 rating also set the Lightning single-season franchise record for +/- rating. On 18 April 2015, Kucherov recorded his first career playoff assist on a goal by Tyler Johnson in the second game of the opening round of the 2015 playoffs in a 5–1 win over the Detroit Red Wings. On 20 May, Kucherov joined Martin St. Louis as the only players in Lightning history to record two game-winning goals in overtime in a single playoff year, having scored a winner that evening in game three of the Eastern Conference finals against the Presidents' Trophy-winning New York Rangers on goaltender Henrik Lundqvist; he had scored one in game one of the prior round against the Montreal Canadiens on goaltender Carey Price. After defeating the Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers in the first three rounds, Kucherov and the Triplets would prove to be one of the most dangerous lines in the NHL as Lightning clinched a spot in the 2015 Stanley Cup Final, in which they would lose to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games. Kucherov would finish the Lightning's lengthy playoff run with 10 goals and 12 assists for 22 points in all 26 contests played.
Rise to stardom, first Hart Trophy, back-to-back Stanley Cups (2015–2022)
On 26 March 2016, in a 7–4 win over the New York Islanders, Kucherov sustained a foot injury while blocking a shot, resulting in him missing the next two games. Kucherov led the team in points (66) and was second in assists (36) and goals (30), playing in 77 games during the 2015–16 season while playing most of the season on the first line with Alex Killorn and captain Steven Stamkos. Kucherov's thirty goals also set a new career-high in goals (30), power-play goals (nine) and game-winning goals (four). Kucherov also tied his top mark for assists in a season (36), ranked second on the team in shots (209) and power-play goals, while also leading the team with 19 multi-point games. He also skated in all 17 Stanley Cup playoff games with the Lightning last season in their run to the Eastern Conference finals where the Lightning would fall to the Pittsburgh Penguins in seven games, coming just one win short from a second straight appearance in the Stanley Cup Final, scoring 11 goals, eight assists and 19 points to go along with a +13 rating. He led the team during the 2016 playoffs in goals and points.
On 11 October 2016, the Lightning re-signed Kucherov to a three-year, $14.3 million contract. On 27 October, in a 3–1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens, Kucherov tumbled into the boards while handling the puck preparing to make a pass to linemate and captain Steven Stamkos with Canadiens' forward Torrey Mitchell in close pursuit, resulting in a shoulder injury that would sideline Kucherov for the next game two days later against the New Jersey Devils, which ended in another 3–1 loss before returning to the lineup the following game the following day against the New York Rangers, where the Lightning lost 6–1. On 29 December, Kucherov recorded his 100th assist on a goal by Ondřej Palát in a 3–2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. On 10 January 2017, Kucherov was named to the 2017 NHL All-Star game as a member of the Atlantic Division team. On 21 February, Kucherov recorded his 200th career NHL point with an assist on a goal by Ondřej Palát. On 27 February, Kucherov recorded his second career hat-trick against the Ottawa Senators, which was the 10th natural hat-trick in Lightning history. It was also the first ever in team history to have all three goals scored during the power plays. On 18 March, Kucherov recorded his 100th career NHL goal in a 5–3 loss to the Washington Capitals on goaltender Braden Holtby. On 23 March, Kucherov also recorded his second hat trick in less than a month apart from his first in the 2016–17 season against the Boston Bruins. This also became his third hat trick in his NHL career. On 27 March, Kucherov had two assists on goals by Ondřej Palát and Jonathan Drouin in a 5–4 overtime win over the Chicago Blackhawks, setting a Lightning record for most points in a single month with 22. On 7 April, Kucherov scored his 40th goal of the season against Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens, setting a new career high in goals. With his 40th goal, Kucherov joined Steven Stamkos, Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, and Brian Bradley as the only players in Lightning history with 40-goal seasons. Additionally, Kucherov joined Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Ilya Kovalchuk, Pavel Bure, and Alexander Mogilny as the only Russian-born players with a 40-goal season at age 23 or younger. Kucherov finished the 2016–17 season with 40 goals, 45 assists and 85 points in 74 contests played as the Lightning missed the 2017 playoffs by one point in the league standings, marking the first time in Kucherov's career where he missed the playoffs. His 40 goals led the team in goals and tied Toronto Maple Leafs rookie forward Auston Matthews as the runner-up to the Rocket Richard Trophy only behind the league-leading 45 goals by Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby. On 21 June, Kucherov was named an NHL second team All-Star for the 2016–17 season.