Nail Yakupov facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nail Yakupov
Yakupov with the Edmonton Oilers in 2015
Born	(1993-10-06) 6 October 1993 (age 31) Nizhnekamsk, Russia
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb)
Position	Right wing
Shoots	Left
KHL team Former teams	Avangard Omsk Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk Edmonton Oilers St. Louis Blues Colorado Avalanche SKA Saint Petersburg Amur Khabarovsk Kunlun Red Star
NHL Draft	1st overall, 2012 Edmonton Oilers
Playing career	2012–present

Nail Yakupov (born 6 October 1993) is a professional ice hockey player from Russia. He plays as a forward for Avangard Omsk in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

Nail Yakupov was chosen as the very first player in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers. This is a big deal in hockey, as it means he was considered the top young player available that year. He also played for the St. Louis Blues and Colorado Avalanche in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Yakupov grew up playing hockey in Russia. He later moved to North America to play for the Sarnia Sting, a major junior team. He was known as the "Yak Attack" because of his great scoring skills. He also played for the Russian national junior team and won several medals.

Hockey Journey

Junior Hockey Years

Nail Yakupov was picked second overall by the Sarnia Sting in the 2010 Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Import Draft. Before this, he played in Russia. He hoped that joining the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) would help him reach his dream of playing in the National Hockey League (NHL) faster.

Yakupov scored his first OHL goal on September 24, 2010. He was named the OHL Rookie of the Month twice. He also played for Team Russia in the Subway Super Series.

Yakupov being checked by Colton Sissons during the CHL Canada/Russia Series

At the end of his first season, Yakupov won the Emms Family Award as the OHL Rookie of the Year. He was the first player from the Sarnia Sting to win this award. He was also named the CHL Rookie of the Year, which means he was the top rookie in all of Canadian junior hockey.

On March 19, 2011, Yakupov reached 100 points in a single season. This was a big achievement for a rookie player. In the next season (2011–12), he started strong, leading the league in scoring early on.

Before the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, many experts believed Yakupov would be chosen first overall.

Professional Hockey Career

Joining the Edmonton Oilers

On June 23, 2012, the Edmonton Oilers picked Nail Yakupov as the first overall player in the NHL Draft. A month later, he signed his first professional contract with the Oilers.

Because of a lockout in the NHL in 2012, Yakupov went back to Russia to play for HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He had played for their junior teams before. After some rules were sorted out, he was allowed to stay and play in Russia during the lockout.

When the NHL lockout ended in January 2013, Yakupov came back to North America to play for the Oilers. He chose to wear jersey number 64 because the digits (6+4) add up to 10. This was a tribute to his favorite player, Pavel Bure, who wore number 10.

Yakupov played his first NHL game on January 20, 2013. He scored his first NHL goal two days later against the San Jose Sharks. On April 27, 2013, he scored his first career hat trick (three goals in one game) against the Vancouver Canucks. He finished his first NHL season as the top rookie in goals, with 17. He also tied for the most points among rookies with 31.

Time with the St. Louis Blues

In October 2016, Yakupov was traded to the St. Louis Blues. He played his first game with the Blues on October 12, 2016. In his second game, he scored his first goal and added an assist for the team.

He started well with the Blues, but his playing time became limited. He often didn't play in games, which is called being a "healthy scratch." His season ended early in March 2017 due to a knee injury that needed surgery. He finished the season with 3 goals and 6 assists in 40 games.

Playing for the Colorado Avalanche

After his contract with the Blues ended, Yakupov wanted to stay in the NHL. On July 4, 2017, he signed a one-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche. He played 58 games with the Avalanche, scoring 9 goals and 7 assists.

Returning to the KHL

After his time in the NHL, Yakupov decided to go back to Russia to play in the KHL. In July 2018, he signed a two-year contract with SKA Saint Petersburg. In his first season back in the KHL (2018–19), he had a good year, scoring 23 goals and 33 points in 47 games.

He signed another contract extension with SKA Saint Petersburg in 2019. However, his production dropped in the next season.

Yakupov was traded several times within the KHL. He played for HC Vityaz and Amur Khabarovsk. In October 2020, he was traded to Avangard Omsk. He played well for Avangard Omsk, scoring 6 goals and 4 assists in 22 games. He later got sick with COVID-19 and couldn't play for the rest of the season. Even though he couldn't play, his team, Avangard Omsk, won the Gagarin Cup, which is the KHL championship.

In April 2021, Yakupov signed a new two-year contract to stay with Avangard Omsk. After his contract ended, he returned to his original club, HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk, in July 2023. He later signed with the Chinese-based team, Kunlun Red Star, in August 2024, before being traded back to Avangard Omsk in November 2024.

International Play

Medal record
ice hockey
Representing  Russia
World Junior Championships
Bronze	2013 Russia
Silver	2012 Canada
World Junior A Challenge
Bronze	2009 Summerside
World Junior U18 Championships
Bronze	2011 Germany

Yakupov played for Team Russia in the 2011 World Junior U18 Championship. He scored three goals in the bronze-medal game, helping Russia defeat Team Canada 6–4.

He also played in the 2012 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. His team beat Canada in the semi-finals but lost to Sweden in the final game, earning a silver medal. In the 2013 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, Yakupov helped Russia win a bronze medal.

Personal Life

Nail Yakupov is from the Volga Tatar ethnic group and is a Muslim. He is the first Tatar and the only Muslim player to be chosen first overall in the NHL Entry Draft.

His father, Rail, worked with the HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk hockey team as a coach and executive. Nail started skating when he was four years old. Interestingly, he was more interested in soccer and the English club Chelsea than in hockey when he was younger.

Career Statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2009	Russia	IH18			4	3	2	5	4
2010	Russia	IH18	5th		4	3	2	5	2
2011	Russia	U18			7	6	7	13	6
2012	Russia	WJC			7	0	9	9	6
2013	Russia	WJC			7	3	5	8	0
Junior totals					29	15	25	40	18

Awards and Honours