Danil Zhilkin
Winnipeg Jets centre who debuted in the 2025–26 season.
Danil (Danny) Zhilkin (born December 19, 2003) is a Canadian-Russian ice hockey player who currently plays for the Winnipeg Jets. He made his NHL debut on January 8, 2026, and earned his first career NHL point with a wraparound assist on March 31, 2026. Zhilkin has split the 2025–26 season between the Jets and their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose.
Quick Facts
- Born
- 19 December 2003
- Birthplace
- Moscow, Russia
- Position
- Centre
- Shoots
- Left
- League
- NHL
- Team
- Winnipeg Jets
Facts from the source article.
Early life and junior career
Danil Zhilkin, originally from Moscow, Russia, relocated to Canada to advance his hockey career. In the 2019 OHL Priority Selection, he was taken 14th overall in the first round. During his major junior tenure in the Ontario Hockey League, he recorded 96 points across 151 games with the Guelph Storm and netted 17 goals in 35 appearances for the Kitchener Rangers. He served as an alternate captain for Guelph during the 2022-23 season. The Winnipeg Jets selected him in the third round, 77th overall, at the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. Internationally, Zhilkin earned a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2021 U18 World Championship and also suited up for Canada at the U17 level, choosing to represent Canada despite his Russian birth and upbringing. Earlier, he played for Team Ontario at the 2015 Canada Winter Games, securing a silver medal after a loss to Quebec in the final.
Professional career
After signing with the Winnipeg Jets organization, Zhilkin spent time developing with their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose. During the 2025–26 season, he posted a career-best line with 14 points in 30 games before his recall to the NHL. On January 8, 2026, Zhilkin made his NHL debut with the Winnipeg Jets in a game against the Edmonton Oilers. He was loaned back to the Moose after playing 4 games with the Jets, and scored the game-tying goal against the Grand Rapids Griffins in his second game back from his stint in the NHL.
Personal life
Danil Zhilkin is publicly dating Lauren Shoss, a doctoral candidate in clinical and school psychology at James Madison University. She also works as a mental performance specialist in amateur scouting for the Toronto Blue Jays. Together, they run Zhilkin's Vision, a nonprofit focused on mental health awareness in sports. His younger brother, Dima Zhilkin, plays wing for the OHL's Saginaw Spirit and is expected to be selected high in the 2027 NHL draft.
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