Zhilkin fired up to face Oilers in NHL debut

The topic nearly brings a tear to the eyes of Danny Zhilkin and it’s easy to understand why, once you peel off a few layers of his back story.

Making sacrifices are an essential part of the long and winding journey for every player that realizes the dream of making it to the NHL, but it doesn’t often include moving to a foreign land at a young age just to enhance your opportunity.

That’s part of why Zhilkin couldn’t wipe the smile off his face as he prepared to make his NHL debut for the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday against the Edmonton Oilers.

Zhilkin was recalled from the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League on Monday and the first call he made after hearing the news was to his parents.

“It was awesome. They work so hard for my siblings and I. Just to move over here (to Canada) from Russia at the age of nine,” said Zhilkin. “They left everything over there. It was super emotional. I’m very thankful.”

Moving to another country at such a young age brought some challenges, but Zhilkin did his best to roll with the punches and adapt.

“Well, I’m not going to lie, when I was just nine years old and I was just doing what my parents told me. I was just along for the ride,” said Zhilkin, whose younger brother Dima is a forward with the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League. “But just leaving all my friends over there and my grandparents are still back home. Moving over here I didn’t speak a single word of English. So that was pretty cool, to learn the language.”

Zhilkin’s family moved to Ontario and, after working his way up the minor hockey ranks, the smooth-skating centre played one U16 AAA season for the Toronto Marlboros before joining the Guleph Storm of the OHL in the fall of 2019.

Chosen by the Jets in the third round of the 2022 NHL draft, Zhilkin was a productive player in the OHL, spending the bulk of three seasons with the Storm before a trade sent him to the Kitchener Rangers to close out his junior career.

He also had a lost season during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the OHL didn’t play any games, though he suited up for the Canadian team that won a gold medal at the U18 World Championship in Frisco, Texas.

During his first two professional seasons, Zhilkin’s development was stunted a bit by injuries, but after a strong summer of training, he arrived for the prospects tournament in Montreal and made an immediate impact.

Zhilkin carried over that momentum into having a strong showing during training camp and the exhibition season before he was eventually assigned to the AHL.

Clearly, he had made an impression on head coach Scott Arniel and the Jets coaching staff and now it’s up to Zhilkin to show what he can do.

“I don’t think it’s really sunken in yet,” said Zhilkin, noting he’s fired up to play against Oilers captain Connor McDavid. “Just being out there (for) the morning skate, coming out of the other door and not the Moose side, it’s special.

“Morgan Klimchuk, an assistant coach with the Moose, told me to take a moment in warmup to soak it all in because you only get one (first) NHL game.”

By his own admission, it’s been an emotional few days for Zhilkin, who received word of his recall from Moose head coach Mark Morrison after getting a haircut on Wednesday.

“I was actually sitting in a barber chair and I missed his first phone call,” said Zhilkin. “I was getting up to pay and he called me again. Just overwhelmed with emotion, I just started crying while paying for my haircut. It was great.”

At a time when the Jets are looking for a spark, Zhilkin immediately jumped into the lineup as a fourth-line centre and he could be given some runway to show what he can do.

“It’s always fun to see guys playing their first game or getting their first goal,” said Jets centre Jonathan Toews. “It’s always a reminder to you as well, that you were there once and to never take it for granted and try and go out there with that same energy that they have.”

Arniel has been impressed by the growth in Zhilkin’s game during his third professional season.

“We talked to the coaches with the Moose and this was the No. 1 name,” said Arniel. “He’s really recognized that it’s (about) more than scoring goals or more than just being a one-way player. He’s really taken it upon himself to be good in all areas and thinking the game and recognizing that he has to do certain things every night to be successful.”

Zhilkin, who turned 22 last month, is a strong skater that can play a two-way game and over time might be able to contribute on the penalty kill as well.

“I worked really hard this past summer and just tried to show up every day after a couple tough seasons with the Moose. Just being hurt a couple times,” said Zhilkin, who has seven goals and 14 points in 30 AHL games this season. “Just tried to keep positive, play as hard as I can. Obviously, when I got the call it was a dream come true.”

With Vladislav Namestnikov in the midst of a deep offensive funk — with no points in 18 games and just one assist in the past 29 — there’s a chance he could be moved to the wing if Zhilkin shows he can handle the responsibilities.

Even with a number of Jets forwards going through offensive slumps, Zhilkin wasn’t spending a lot of time wondering when his first NHL recall would come.

“I’ve been just focused on the Moose. I’ve been working hard with them and it’s been going pretty good so far. I was surprised when I got the call,” said Zhilkin, who was asked about how he’s taking a step forward in his game this season.

“I think just experience in the league as well. It was the same thing when I was playing junior, the first couple years were tough and the game’s kind of fast for you, and then it just slows down as you get older and bigger and stronger and you get more confidence with the puck. I think confidence was one of the major things.”

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