Pavel Alexeyevich Mintyukov (; born November 25, 2003) is a Russian professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

defenseman Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from Goal (ice hockey), scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the l ...

for the

Anaheim Ducks The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Ducks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Confere ...

of the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

(NHL). He was drafted 10th overall by the Ducks in the 2022 NHL entry draft.

Playing career

Amateur

As a youth, Mintyukov played in his native Russia, featuring within the junior ranks of

HC Dynamo Moscow HC Dynamo Moscow () is a professional ice hockey club based in Moscow, Russia. It is a member of the Tarasov Division in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Dynamo has won the Gagarin Cup twice, in 2011–12 KHL season, 2011–12 and 2012–13 ...

. Following a single season in the MHL with MHC Dynamo Moscow, Mintyukov was drafted in the 2020 CHL Import Draft in the first round, 52nd overall, by the

Saginaw Spirit The Saginaw Spirit are a Junior ice hockey#Major junior, major junior ice hockey team based in Saginaw, Michigan, Saginaw, Michigan. They are members of the West Division of the Western Conference of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), one of the ...

of the

Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League (OHL; ) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League, alongside the Western Hockey League and the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. The league is for players ag ...

(OHL). Mintyukov signed to a contract with the Spirit on 7 July 2020. With the 2020–21 season cancelled due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

shutdown, Mintyukov returned for the following 2021–22 season, and impressed in showing his offensive acumen from the blueline in posting 17 goals and 45 assist for 62 points in 67 regular season games. He was named to the OHL Third All-Star Team. Mintyukov began the 2022–23 season with the Spirit, notching 16 goals and 54 points in just 37 regular season games before he was traded to contending OHL club, the

Ottawa 67's The Ottawa 67's are a major junior ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, that plays in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Established during Canada's centennial year of 1967 and named in honour of this, the 67's currently play thei ...

, in exchange for nine draft picks on 10 January 2023. He was the first defenseman to be named OHL defenseman of the month, for three months consecutively (October–December). He helped lead the 67's to the top of the league, winning the Hamilton Spectator Trophy. He scored 24 goals and 88 points, best among all OHL defensemen, which led to him winning the

Max Kaminsky Trophy The Max Kaminsky Trophy is an annual award presented by the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Originally (1961–1969) awarded to the most gentlemanly player in the league, since 1970 it is awarded to the OHL's most outstanding defenceman. The award ...

as the league's best defensemen. However, the 67's were eliminated in the second round of the OHL playoffs.

Professional

Mintyukov was selected by the

of the

(NHL) in the first round, 10th overall, of the 2022 NHL entry draft. He was soon signed to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Ducks on 16 July 2022. Mintyukov made his NHL debut in the Ducks 2023–24 season opener on the third defence pair alongside Ilya Lyubushkin in a 4–1 loss to the

Vegas Golden Knights The Vegas Golden Knights are a professional ice hockey team based in the Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Golden Knights compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division ...

on 15 October 2023. He scored his first NHL goal against

Antti Raanta Antti Raanta (born 12 May 1989) is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender who currently plays for Lukko in the Finnish Liiga. He last played with Genève-Servette Hockey Club, Genève-Servette HC of the National League (ice hockey), Nationa ...

in Anaheim's 6–3 win over the

Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Hurricanes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Con ...

on 16 October.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Awards and honours

References

External links

2003 births Living people Anaheim Ducks draft picks Anaheim Ducks players Ice hockey people from Moscow NHL first-round draft picks Ottawa 67's players Russian ice hockey defencemen Saginaw Spirit players 21st-century Russian sportsmen {{Russia-icehockey-player-stub