Nick Merkley

Nicholas Merkley
Nicholas Merkley
Born	May 23, 1997 (age 29); Canada
Occupation	Professional ice hockey right wing
Years active	2013–present
Known for	Playing in the NHL and KHL

Nicholas Merkley (born May 23, 1997) is a Canadian professional ice hockey right wing currently signed with Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Regarded as a leading prospect expected to be chosen in the first round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, Merkley was ultimately picked 30th overall by the Arizona Coyotes, marking the final selection of that round.

Playing career

Merkley was selected ninth overall by the Kelowna Rockets during the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft. Following an impressive debut season, he received the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as the WHL Rookie of the Year. In the 2014–15 campaign, Merkley earned spots in both the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game and the WHL (West) Second All-Star Team after tallying 20 goals and accumulating 90 points over 72 games.

On September 3, 2015, Merkley inked a three-year entry-level contract with the Arizona Coyotes. He made his NHL debut on December 19, 2017, facing off against the Florida Panthers, logging 13 minutes in a 3–2 defeat before returning to AHL play. Subsequently, on January 4, 2018, he was named to participate in the 2018 AHL All-Star Classic.

During the 2019–20 AHL season, Merkley was involved in a trade to the New Jersey Devils on December 16, 2019, which included star forward Taylor Hall. Assigned to New Jersey’s AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Devils, he notched 8 goals and amassed 19 points across 28 games. Later recalled by New Jersey, Merkley contributed one goal and one assist in four NHL appearances prior to the season’s suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a restricted free agent without a qualifying offer amid pandemic-related uncertainties, Merkley agreed to a one-year contract with Finnish Liiga team Ässät on August 27, 2020. The deal included an NHL-out clause for the postponed North American season.

On July 26, 2021, Merkley was traded to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Christián Jaroš and subsequently signed a one-year contract three days afterward. He made his debut for San Jose on October 30, 2021, quickly registering his initial point and goal soon thereafter.

At the NHL trade deadline on March 21, 2022, Merkley was dealt by the Sharks to the New York Rangers in return for Anthony Bitetto.

Following his tenure with the Rangers as a free agent, Merkley signed a one-year contract with Belarusian KHL side HC Dinamo Minsk for the 2022–23 KHL season on August 1, 2022.

Most recently, on July 8, 2024, Merkley secured a two-year deal with KHL club Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg.

International play

Merkley played an instrumental role in helping Team Canada capture gold at the 2014 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.

Regular season and playoffs

			Regular season					Playoffs
Season	Team	League	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2012–13	Calgary Buffaloes	AMHL	30	14	19	33	95	11	4	6	10	16
2012–13	Kelowna Rockets	WHL	1	0	0	0	0	7	0	3	3	0
2013–14	Kelowna Rockets	WHL	66	25	33	58	46	14	4	13	17	12
2014–15	Kelowna Rockets	WHL	72	20	70	90	79	19	5	22	27	18
2015–16	Kelowna Rockets	WHL	43	17	31	48	44	—	—	—	—	—
2016–17	Kelowna Rockets	WHL	63	23	40	63	73	17	6	13	19	22
2017–18	Tucson Roadrunners	AHL	38	18	21	39	22	—	—	—	—

Season

Team

League

GP

G

A

Pts

PIM

GP

G

A

Pts

PIM

NHL totals !41 !4 !11 !15 !11 ! — ! — ! — ! — ! — |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

KHL totals !191 !47 !45 !92 !183 !18 !5 !4 !9 !36 |}

International

Year	Team	Tournament	Outcome	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2014	Canada Pacific	U17	Template:Silver2	6	2	3	5	14
2014	Canada	IH18	Template:Gold1	5	0	4	4	8
Aggregate junior statistics				11	2	7	9	22

Awards and honours

Distinctions	Season/Year
Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy – WHL Rookie of the Year	2013–14
Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament Gold Medal	2014
CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game	2015
WHL (West) Second All-Star Team selection	2015
CHL Memorial Cup All-Star Team inclusion	2015
American Hockey League All-Star Game participant	2018