Valentin Zykov

History

2010-11: Valentin Zykov skated for CSKA-Red Army's junior team and represented Russia in the U17 Four Nations Tournament in Podolsk – playing for the U16 team in the tournament. He scored 50 goals with 39 assists and had 34 penalty minutes in 55 regular season games. In the U17 national championship tournament he scored 5 goals with 3 assists and was plus-six with 2 penalty minutes. Zykov played in 2 of 3 games in the Four Nations tournament and had 1 assist.

2011-12: Zykov played for CSKA-Red Army the U22 MHL and played for Russia in the 2011 U19 Junior A Challenge and 2012 U17 World Hockey Challenge tournaments. In 52 MHL games he scored 5 goals with 6 assists and was minus-four. Zykov's 105 penalty minutes were second-most for CSKA-Red Army. He had 2 assists and was minus-five with 4 penalty minutes in the playoffs; playing in 18 of 19 games as CSKA reached the Kharlamov Cup finals. Zykov was selected by Baie-Comeau (QMJHL) in the second round (76th overall) of the 2012 CHL Import Draft.

2012-13: Zykov skated in 67 games for Baie-Comeau in his first season in North America. He was the second-leading scorer for the Drakkar behind Petr Straka (CBS), scoring 40 goals with 35 assists in 67 games, and was plus-29 with 60 penalty minutes. Baie-Comeau had the league's second best mark; finishing first in the East Division. The Drakkar won its first ten playoff games, with Zykov posting a plus-eight plus/minus and scoring 4 goals with 5 assists. Zykov was ranked eighth amongst North American skaters in Central Scouting's mid-term rankings prior to the 2013 NHL Draft, and seventh in the CSS final rankings.