Kirill Kaprizov facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kirill Kaprizov
Kaprizov with the Minnesota Wild in 2023
Born	(1997-04-27) 27 April 1997 (age 28) Novokuznetsk, Russia
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight	202 lb (92 kg; 14 st 6 lb)
Position	Left wing
Shot	Left
NHL team Former teams	Minnesota Wild Metallurg Novokuznetsk Salavat Yulaev Ufa CSKA Moscow
National team	Russia
NHL Draft	135th overall, 2015 Minnesota Wild
Playing career	2014–present

Kirill Olegovich Kaprizov (Russian: Кирилл Олегович Капризов; born 26 April 1997) is a professional ice hockey player from Russia. He plays as a left winger and is an alternate captain for the Minnesota Wild in the National Hockey League (NHL). Before joining the Wild, Kaprizov played for teams like Metallurg Novokuznetsk and CSKA Moscow in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). In 2021, he won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's best rookie, becoming the first Wild player to earn this award. Fans sometimes call him "Dollar Bill Kirill" or "Kirill the Thrill."

Kirill Kaprizov's Early Life

Kirill Kaprizov grew up in a small village about 60 miles (97 km) from Novokuznetsk, Russia. He started playing hockey when he was just four years old. Every day, he traveled between his village and the city for practice. Later, he moved to Novokuznetsk to focus more on his hockey dream. As a child, Kaprizov played in the Metallurg Novokuznetsk hockey school. He then moved up to the Kuznetskie Medvedi junior team before starting his professional career in 2014.

Playing Hockey: From KHL to NHL

KHL Career (2014–2020)

Kaprizov playing for Metallurg Novokuznetsk in 2015

Kaprizov began his professional career in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) with his hometown team, Metallurg Novokuznetsk, during the 2014–15 KHL season. He was the first player picked in the 2014 KHL Junior Draft. In August 2015, he signed a new three-year contract to stay with Metallurg Novokuznetsk.

In May 2016, he was traded to Salavat Yulaev Ufa. He played one season there, scoring 42 points in 49 games. In 2017, he was traded again, this time to CSKA Moscow. He played in the KHL championship finals, called the Gagarin Cup, in 2018 and won it in 2019.

During his last season with CSKA in 2019–20, Kaprizov had his best year yet. He scored 33 goals, 29 assists, and 62 points. He also tied his record for most games played with 57. On October 15, 2019, he scored his 100th KHL goal. This made him the youngest player in KHL history to reach 100 goals, at 22 years and 172 days old. The KHL season was later stopped because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Kaprizov and his CSKA team were still named KHL champions based on their regular season performance. During his time in the KHL, Kaprizov was chosen for the KHL All-Star Game five times, every year from 2016 to 2020.

Minnesota Wild (2021–Present)

The Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL) picked Kaprizov in the fifth round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. He was the 135th player chosen overall. The Wild's owner, Craig Leipold, said their scouts found Kaprizov by chance. Smoke from wildfires delayed their flight home from Russia, which allowed them to watch one of Kaprizov's games. Kaprizov learned about Minnesota from his teammate, Ryan Stoa, who was from Minnesota. Stoa also helped him learn English to get ready for his NHL career.

Starting Strong: Calder Trophy and New Records

On July 13, 2020, Kaprizov signed a two-year contract with the Minnesota Wild. He played his first NHL game on January 14, 2021, against the Los Angeles Kings. In that game, he scored three points, including the winning goal in overtime! This made him the first player in NHL history to score three points and an overtime goal in his very first game. He was also named the NHL's First Star of the Week for his amazing start.

On March 12, Kaprizov scored his first NHL hat trick (three goals in one game) in a 4–0 win. By April 19, he had 37 points, breaking the Wild's record for most points by a rookie. That record was previously held by Marián Gáborík. Even though the 2020–21 NHL season was shorter due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kaprizov set new Wild records for goals (27) and points (51) by a rookie. He won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the best rookie, becoming the first Wild player ever to win it. He received almost all the first-place votes, showing how impressive his season was.

On September 21, 2021, Kaprizov signed a big five-year, $45 million contract with the Wild. This made him the highest-paid second-year player in NHL history. After a great start to the next season, he was chosen for his first NHL All-Star Game. At the All-Star weekend, he even paid tribute to another famous Russian player, Alexander Ovechkin, during a skills challenge.

On April 2, 2022, Kaprizov broke Marián Gáborík's team record for most points in a single season, reaching 84 points. Later that month, he also broke Gáborík's record for most goals in a season, with 43. By the end of the season, Kaprizov had set new Wild franchise records for goals (47), assists (61), and total points (108).

Kaprizov and Vince Dunn during a game in 2023

In the summer of 2022, Kaprizov went back to Russia to visit his family. He successfully returned to the United States in August 2022.

Kaprizov started the 2022–23 season strong, scoring 8 goals in the Wild’s first 10 games. He was named to his second straight All-Star Game. In March, he got a lower-body injury that made him miss 13 games. Even with the injury, he still scored 40 goals for the second season in a row. This made him the first Wild player to have multiple 40-goal seasons. In the playoffs, the Wild lost to the Dallas Stars.

After the 2024 NHL All-Star Game break, Kaprizov played on the Wild's top line with Joel Eriksson Ek and Matt Boldy. On February 19, 2024, Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek both scored hat tricks in the third period! This helped the Wild win 10–7 against the Vancouver Canucks. Their hat tricks helped set a new team record for most goals in a game and matched the franchise record for points in a game.

International Play

Kaprizov with the Russian national team at the 2017 Channel One Cup
Medal record
Ice hockey
Representing  Olympic Athletes from Russia
Olympic Games
Gold	2018 Pyeongchang
Representing  Russia
World Championships
Bronze	2019 Slovakia
World Junior Championships
Silver	2016 Helsinki
Bronze	2017 Canada

Kaprizov has played for the Russian national team in many big tournaments. These include the IIHF World U18 Championship, IIHF World Junior Championship, senior Ice Hockey World Championships, and the Winter Olympics.

At the 2017 World Junior Championship, Kaprizov was one of the top scorers. He had nine goals and three assists in 12 games. Russia won a bronze medal in this tournament.

He was the youngest player on the team that won the gold medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Kaprizov scored the winning goal in overtime of the final game against Germany. This was the first gold medal for the Russian ice hockey team since 1992. He scored five goals during the Olympics, tying for the most in the tournament.

In 2019, he won a bronze medal at the 2019 IIHF World Championship.

Personal Life

Kirill Kaprizov is a Russian Orthodox Christian. He is the godfather to his former teammate Nikita Nesterov's son, who is also named Kirill.

Kaprizov enjoys playing video games like Counter-Strike and Dota. When he is back home in Novokuznetsk, he likes to go fishing and play soccer.

Career Statistics

Regular Season and Playoffs

International Play Statistics

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2015	Russia	WJC18	5th		4	1	3	4	2
2015	Russia	IH18	5th		4	5	2	7	0
2016	Russia	WJC			7	1	2	3	2
2017	Russia	WJC			7	9	3	12	2
2018	OAR	OG			6	5	4	9	2
2018	Russia	WC	6th		8	6	2	8	2
2019	Russia	WC			9	2	0	2	2
Junior totals					22	16	10	26	6
Senior totals					23	13	6	19	6

Awards and Honors

Minnesota Wild Records