Canadian forward Nick Merkley, 27, has signed a two-year contract with Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, the KHL club recently announced. For the past two seasons, Merkley played for Dinamo Minsk, the KHL’s Belarusian-based club.
Originally from Calgary, Alberta, Merkley played junior hockey for the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets, where in 2014-15 he produced 90 points in 72 regular-season games and then 32 points in 24 post-season games as the Rockets advanced to the Memorial Cup final. Following that, Merkley was drafted 30th overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft by the Arizona Coyotes.
Between 2017 and 2022, Merkley recorded 15 points in 41 NHL games for the Coyotes, New Jersey Devils and San Jose Sharks. He also had 13 points in 19 games for Finnish Liiga club Ässät Pori early in the 2020-21 season before the NHL belatedly commenced its season amid Covid restrictions.
Over the past two seasons in Minsk, Merkley has recorded 79 points in 143 KHL regular-season and playoff games combined.
Internationally, Merkley had four assists in five games for Canada at the 2014 Ivan Hlinka Memorial.
Merkley is the second Canadian NHL first-rounder to join a KHL team this summer following 2011's Nathan Beaulieu, who signed with Barys Astana.