Nikita Zadorov, otherwise known as "Zaddy" among Boston Bruins fans, team, and TV commentators, has been in the NHL since 2013. Being only 18 when he was first picked up by the Buffalo Sabres, he has had an extensive career in the NHL already, as well as building a reputation for being a missile on the ice and someone not to mess with.
Time in Colorado
After two seasons with the Buffalo Sabers, where he was suspended for not reporting to the team on time, he was sent to Colorado. With Colorado, he started to find his place in the hockey world, not only with how he plays, but also in growing as a person off the ice. He spent 5 years with the Avalanche, earning them 18 goals and 41 assists.
While he also gained some penalty minutes back in Buffalo, he also added a healthy dose of time in the box here, earning the team 328 penalty minutes. Unfortunately, he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2020-21 season. In exchange, Avalanche received both Brandon Saad and Dennis Gilbert.
During the 20-21 season, the Blackhawks traded Zadorov for a draft pick, and he found himself in Calgary.
Contract in Calgary
His contract went up in flames....well, more like without flames. After spending two seasons in Buffalo, five seasons in Colorado, and one in Chicago, Zadorov ended up in Calgary. Calgary traded with Chicago, giving the Blackhawks a third-round pick in the 2022 NHL draft. The Flames' goal was to enhance their defense line, and he was perfect for the team. He contributed 19 goals, 30 assists, and 180 penalty minutes. He was with Calgary only three seasons, until the 2023 offseason hit.
"“I wanted to stay there, but I did not get an offer… But everybody else did get offers, all the other UFA. So by that time, I think it was time to move in because we knew there were other teams that were super interesting.”"Nikita Zadorov
While other members of the Calgary team seemed to get offers to stay, it seems as though Zaddy was stuck on the outs, with no contract to keep Zadorov around. Along with other changes for the Flames that season, they also had a coaching change, as well as wanting to keep "bigger players", it's possible that those actions have also led Nikita out of Calgary.
After a brief stay in Vancouver during the 2023-2024 season, he came to Boston and was given a $30 million, 6-year contract in July of 2024.
Zaddy in Boston
Zadorov came to the Bruins during a time when the team was in desperate need of enforcers and heavy hitters on the ice. His speed and enforcer-like defensive tactics and play style have developed very well by this time, and made a quick and exciting impact on the Boston ice.
In the 2024-25 season alone, he led the team in both penalty minutes, which totaled 145. He was also number one in plus/minus, having a plus-25. During the 2025-26 season so far, he's leading the team in penalty minutes, assisting the Bruins to be, as of right now, number one in the NHL for it. His presence on the ice demands attention, having humorous moments on ice, like fighting Florida Panthers Sam Bennett, and pulling a Pittsburgh Penguins player out of the crease by his sweater this past Sunday.
Overall, the addition of Nikita on the ice has greatly improved how our guys play and defend. He is passionate about what he does, and he shows us that every time he plays. We are definitely grateful to have him with us. He's grown quite a bit during his time in the NHL, and it only goes up from here!