Nikita Filatov
A dazzling Russian winger whose early promise in the NHL flickered brightly before he carved a long, successful career back home in the KHL.
Born 1990 (age 36)·Russian ice hockey player·Birthday: May 25·Millennials
Biography
Nikita Filatov's story is one of transatlantic promise and recalibrated success. Drafted sixth overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2008, the Moscow-born forward arrived in North America with electric speed and slick hands that had scouts buzzing. His NHL tenure, split between Columbus and Ottawa, was a frustrating mix of flashes of high skill and struggles to find a consistent role, leading him to return to Russia by 2012. Rather than fading, Filatov reinvented himself as a cornerstone for CSKA Moscow in the Kontinental Hockey League. He became a point-per-game fixture, a respected veteran leader, and a multiple-time Gagarin Cup champion, proving his elite talent was best expressed on home ice where he played for over a decade before retiring.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Nikita was born in 1990, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Nikita Was Born
The biggest hits of 1990
#1 Movie
Home Alone
Best Picture
Dances with Wolves
#1 TV Show
Roseanne
Nikita's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1990Born
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1995Started school
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2003Became a teenager
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2006Could drive
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2008Could vote
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2011Turned 21
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2020Turned 30
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 36 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Selected 6th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.
- Won the Gagarin Cup twice with CSKA Moscow in the KHL (2019, 2022).
- Represented Russia at multiple World Championships, winning a gold medal in 2014.
Did You Know?
He scored his first NHL goal on his very first shot, in his first game, for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Filatov was known for wearing the unusual sweater number 42, a tribute to his birth year of his father.
He played junior hockey for the Sudbury Wolves in the Ontario Hockey League, leading the team in scoring.
“In Russia, I am a star; in the NHL, I was just a player.”
