Future NHL stars are developing in the Canadian Hockey League this season. Each week, NHL.com will highlight a few of the top NHL-affiliated prospects in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League and the Western Hockey League.
Danil Zhilkin understands the pressure that comes with trying to become an NHL player, and he’s doing what he can to help others.
Zhilkin and his girlfriend, Lauren Shoss, created Zhilkin’s Vision to help raise awareness about mental health in the sports community by taking the stigma away from conversations about mental health, as well as promoting the accessibility of mental health resources for athletes of all ages and levels of sports. Shoss is studying toward her Master of Education degree in counseling and sports psychology at Boston University.
“There’s pressure coming out of the COVID season and all the pressure to be able to perform,” Zhilkin said. “Lauren and I wanted to do something … wanted to take out the stigma of athletes speaking up.”
Zhilkin experienced those pressures firsthand. The forward lost a full season of development with Guelph of the OHL when the league canceled the 2020-21 season because of concerns surrounding the coronavirus.
From the end of the 2019-20 season to the start of the 2021-22 season, his NHL Draft season, the only organized hockey Zhilkin played was seven games for Canada at the 2021 IIHF World Under-18 Championship.
Zhilkin persevered, had 55 points (23 goals, 32 assists) in 66 games, and was chosen by the Winnipeg Jets in the third round (No. 77) of the 2022 NHL Draft.
He said working with a sports psychologist the summer ahead of the season helped him learn how to handle the ups and downs.
“I think the biggest thing for me is points and stuff like that… I’d get down on myself and get into that spiral, thinking, ‘Am I good enough?'”
That positive experience led him and Shoss to create Zhilkin’s Vision, to help direct others to positive outcomes.
This season, Zhilkin has 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) in 19 games for Guelph.
As impressive as he’s been on the ice, the Jets have been even more impressive with the person Zhilkin is becoming.
“He’s a tremendous kid,” Jets director of player development Jimmy Roy said. “He’s very mature for his age … he probably seems like he’s 25 years old when you talk to him because he is so mature. And that’s probably why he’s able to do this and have the maturity to want to help people or make it available to people that need help and I think that’s pretty cool by him.”
Roy said the Jets like the skill set Zhilkin brings, especially his skating, puck handling and decision making; it just needs to happen at a higher pace for him to be ready for the NHL.
And the Jets are hoping he makes it not just because of what he can supply on the ice.
“Developing a hockey player is one part of it, maybe helping them present with maturity, but he’s miles ahead already,” Roy said. “And the character that this shows, to be able to want to reach out to people and help people and give them options or … anything that they need to help them, that is character.
“Mike (Keane, Jets player development coordinator) and myself, we always talk about the player, but developing the person is just as if not more important sometimes. … The people skills and team environment, stuff like that, understanding what they need to do away from the rink and how to treat people, stuff like that, is just as important. And Danny is one of these people, because of his maturity level; he has a lot of those traits kind of already instilled in him, which is awesome.
“He’s a terrific person that people want to be around. So I think that’s a quality that’s hard to find.”
OTHERS TO WATCH
Matthew PoitrasC, Guelph (Boston Bruins): In his second OHL season, Poitras had his first four-point OHL game (four assists) in a 6-4 win against Niagara on Nov. 18. One day later, he had his second with two goals and two assists, including the game-winner in Guelph’s 5-3 win against Kitchener. The offensive outburst gave the 18-year-old 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) during a seven-game point streak, prior to Friday. Selected by the Bruins in the second round (No. 54) of the 2022 draft, Poitras has 24 points (six goals, 18 assists) in 17 games this season.
Zach DeanC, Gatineau (Vegas Golden Knights): Dean matched his QMJHL-best with five points in Gatineau’s 7-5 win against Drummondville on Nov. 18. He scored three power-play goals and two assists, including one on the game-winning goal. The 19-year-old had 16 points (nine goals, seven assists) during a seven-game point streak, with multipoint games in five of them, ending Friday. Selected by the Golden Knights in the first round (No. 30) of the 2021 NHL Draft, Dean has 31 points (16 goals, 15 assists) in 22 games.
Jagger FirkusC, Moose Jaw (Seattle Kraken): Firkus had 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) during a 16-game point streak that is the second-longest in the WHL, and is the longest by a Moose Jaw player since Jayden Halbgewachs’ 17-game run in 2017-18. Selected by the Kraken in the second round (No. 35) of the 2022 draft, the 18-year-old has 27 points (12 goals, 15 assists) in 21 games this season.
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