Nikita Klepov is headed back to Saginaw. The Anaheim Ducks reassigned the 18-year-old right wing to the Saginaw Spirit on Friday, ending an NHL stint that lasted four games.
Klepov made his NHL debut Oct. 7 against Edmonton at 18 years, 102 days old, and averaged 13:03 of ice time in his four appearances with Anaheim. The Ducks took him 15th overall in the 2026 NHL Draft, using a pick acquired from St. Louis on draft day, and signed him to a three-year entry-level contract in July.
His return gives the Spirit back the most productive rookie in franchise history. In 2025-26, Klepov led the OHL with 97 points (37 goals, 60 assists) in 67 games, winning the Eddie Powers Trophy as scoring champion, the Emms Family Award as rookie of the year, and the Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy as the league’s top-scoring right winger. His 60 assists and 97 points set Saginaw records for a first-year player, and he earned a spot on the OHL First All-Star Team.
Because Klepov is a junior-age player drafted out of the CHL, Anaheim’s choices were to keep him in the NHL or send him back to Saginaw; he is not yet eligible for the AHL. The Deerfield Beach, Florida, native had been committed to Michigan State before signing with the Ducks, and he scored the gold-medal-clinching goal for Team USA at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Klepov rejoins a Spirit team that is 6-6-2-1 and leaning heavily on Dima Zhilkin, who entered Friday tied for the OHL scoring lead. The team did not say when Klepov will make his season debut. Saginaw hosts the Guelph Storm at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Dow Event Center.
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