Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Alex Vasko was at a spring hockey tournament in Toronto with a Pennsylvania youth team when he first laid eyes on Nikita Klepov.
The talented forward, playing for a team from his home in Russia, immediately impressed the Ukrainian-born Vasko, who learned the sport at the former Soviet Union Hockey Training School.
Vasko, whose Russian ties have helped him recruit players from the country for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights, felt Klepov would be a good fit for the program. And while Klepov didn't cross the ocean until his U-15 year in 2023-24, the connection that day was the start of a journey that now sees the OHL's 2025-26 scoring champ as a first-round prospect for this year's NHL Draft after a fabulous season with the Saginaw Spirit.
"It’s different hockey, all different things. He came at the right time because he needed time to adjust to North America," Vasko said in a telephone interview. "Usually it takes two years from players from Europe to figure out how the North American (game) works but he really (excelled) in one year. He had a good level.”
Klepov actually was born in the Miami area in June 2008 while his parents were visiting relatives, but moved back with his family to Russia before he turned one.
Returning to North America for his pre-draft years made sense to Klepov and his family, and there was extra comfort working with Vasko and several other Russian players.
The five-foot-11 Klepov has followed a similar path to Russian defenceman Ivan Provorov, who spent parts of three years in Pennsylvania with Vasko, one year in the USHL and then two years with the Brandon Wheat Kings after the WHL team selected him in the CHL Import Draft. The Philadelphia Flyers took Provorov seventh overall in the 2015 NHL Draft and he now has 778 career games under his belt.
“It was kind of smooth for me, had good friends there (in Pennsylvania)," Klepov said in a telephone interview from his home near Moscow. "I played with some of the guys there back in Russia. It was really fun for me. I really enjoyed my first year in the U.S., liked it a lot. I think because of the friendship I had there with Russian guys and the U.S. guys as well, it was pretty easy for me."
The USHL's Sioux City Musketeers tendered Klepov for the 2024-25 season. He finished with 12 goals and 19 assists in 51 games before the Spirit selected Klepov 35th overall in the 2025 CHL Import Draft.
Spirit general manager Dave Drinkill loved what he saw of Klepov while scouting him in Wilkes-Barre and said he wanted to draft him high in the 2024 OHL Draft, but Klepov was ruled an import, presumably because of his parents' residence. Players aren't eligible for the Import Draft until a year later.
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The NCAA rule change allowed Klepov, a Michigan State commit, to have a real choice of where to play.
"I know he liked where he was in the USHL and there was a consideration whether to come here or not, but ultimately he decided to come here and the rest is history," Drinkill said of Klepov, who played for Team USA at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup U-18 tourney in the summer before reporting to Saginaw.
Klepov, who is now taking a break from international hockey as he awaits word on any changes to Russia's eligibility, became just the third CHL rookie to lead a member league in scoring since 2000 — the others were Patrick Kane in 2006-07 with London and Sidney Crosby in 2003-04 with Rimouski.
Playing on a young team in Michigan that ended up in the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, Klepov put up 37 goals and 60 assists in 67 games to earn the OHL rookie of the year award.
"I talked to the coaching staff there (led by Chris Lazary) and thought they were going to trust me this year, and they definitely did," Klepov said. "Just a good program, very special, especially for the offensive players."
Klepov finished 13 points ahead of Brantford Bulldogs star Caleb Malhotra in the OHL rookie scoring race. Malhotra, a centre, is projected as a top-five pick in the NHL Draft.
Klepov was 18th in Sam Cosentino's draft rankings for Sportsnet last week.
"He was against teams' best D pairing every game. He wasn't insulated on the third line, you know what I mean. He was always pushed against other teams' best players and he succeeded," Drinkill said. "He really took off as a young player. For him to lead the league in scoring and be rookie of the year and put up 97 points in our league as a first-year player in the league is extremely tough to do."
Drinkill says Klepov's IQ and vision are the biggest strengths of his game.
"He kind of can create from nothing. Sometimes I feel like you're in the o zone, he's got great hands, he hangs on the puck and kind of finds a way to make a play or gets to the middle of the ice to get a better opportunity for a shot off. He seemingly can score from anywhere. ... I really think his ability and IQ to create and play when you think maybe there's nothing there kind of brings you out of your seat as a fan or even as a GM watching from above."
Vasko said Klepov's work ethic stands out. He remembers a couple years ago when Klepov came to visit him for some extra practice during a break in the USHL schedule.
"He’s always working ... He’s not a guy who just sits and does nothing," Vasko said. "He’s always looking to do something — stickhandling, shooting, something.”
Klepov, who still is deciding whether to start at Michigan State next season or return to Saginaw, isn't one of those guys losing sleep ahead of the draft.
The winger, who is coming to Buffalo for the weekend, figures to get an early birthday present. He turns 18 on June 27, Day 2 of the draft.
"I just want to play in the NHL," Klepov said. "It's doesn't matter where or when I’m going to get picked."
