Anton Silayev (Russian: Антон Силаев; born 11 April 2006) is a Russian professional ice hockey defenceman for Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He was drafted tenth overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 2024 NHL entry draft.
| Anton Silayev | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
11 April 2006 Sarov, Russia | ||
| Height | 6 ft 7 in (201 cm) | ||
| Weight | 207 lb (94 kg; 14 st 11 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| KHL team | Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod | ||
| NHL draft |
10th overall, 2024 New Jersey Devils | ||
| Playing career | 2023–present | ||
Playing career
editSilayev began playing hockey at four years old, and became a defenceman at eight when a coach told him he was "too big" to play forward. In 2017, he moved to Nizhny Novgorod to play in the farm system of Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) club Torpedo.[1]
Playing in the Russian Junior Hockey League (MHL) during the 2022–23 season, Silayev recorded eight points in 41 games, playing in first and second pair roles for championship-winning Chaika Nizhny Novgorod.[2][3]
Initially attending 2023 training camp in the MHL, Silayev was called up to Torpedo's KHL team for the preseason and earned a roster spot to start the 2023–24 season. In his KHL debut at 17 years old, the season opener against Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, he recorded nearly 20 minutes of time on ice, a significant display of trust from coach Igor Larionov in a league where young players typically begin their careers with extremely limited minutes. With his first KHL goal, scored against Ak Bars Kazan, he became the youngest goal scorer in Torpedo history.[4] By the end of September, he had tallied one goal and six points in 12 games, averaging over 17 minutes per game and winning rookie of the month honours.[5]
Although his rate of scoring cooled significantly as the season progressed, his 11 points and 63 games played were enough to break the league's records for points by an under-18 player, points by an under-19 defenceman, and games played by an under-18 defenceman. He would also lead Torpedo with 98 hits and earn a nomination for KHL rookie of the year.[1][6] In five playoff games, he added two assists in Torpedo's first round exit at the hands of SKA Saint Petersburg. Upon Torpedo's elimination, he was reassigned to Chaika, where he tallied three more assists in ten games en route to a semifinal exit.[7] Following the season, he was drafted tenth overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 2024 NHL entry draft.[8]
Career statistics
edit| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2022–23 | Chaika Nizhny Novgorod | MHL | 41 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 28 | 17 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 29 | ||
| 2023–24 | Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod | KHL | 63 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 2023–24 | Chaika Nizhny Novgorod | MHL | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 22 | ||
| KHL totals | 63 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||||
References
edit- ^ a b Morreale, Mike G. (13 June 2024). "Silayev brings size, mobility to 2024 NHL Draft". National Hockey League. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
- ^ Pronman, Corey (13 May 2024). "Anton Silayev is no longer a secret. How high could he go at the 2024 NHL Draft?". The Athletic. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
- ^ Horn, Logan (21 March 2024). "Anton Silayev - 2024 NHL Draft Prospect Profile - The Hockey Writers NHL Entry Draft Latest News, Analysis & More". The Hockey Writers. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
- ^ "Антон Силаев: « У нас сильнее всех любят хоккей»" (in Russian). Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. 27 September 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ "Антон Силаев - лучший новичок сентября!" (in Russian). Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. 1 October 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ Wheeler, Scott (19 October 2023). "Meet Anton Silayev, the 2024 NHL Draft's 6-foot-7 unicorn with 'elite skating'". The Athletic. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
- ^ Present, Patrick (15 May 2024). "Anaheim Ducks 2024 Draft Target: Anton Silayev". The Hockey News. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ Flannery, Kristy (17 July 2024). "2024 NHL Draft Spotlight, Brought to You by Upper Deck: Anton Silayev". The Hockey News. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
External links
edit- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or ESPN.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database