Cheveldayoff happy to select Chibrikov in second round

WINNIPEG - As the Russian captain at the 2021 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, Nikita Chibrikov was a force.
His nine assists (part of a 13-point performance in seven games) led the tournament and he was named one of the Top 3 Players on his squad, which earned the silver medal in the event - held in Frisco, TX.
The Winnipeg Jets are hopeful he can do the same thing wearing a Jets jersey in the National Hockey League.
The 5'10" right-winger was Winnipeg's first pick on the second day of the NHL Draft, officially making him the 50th overall selection.
Chibrikov was thrilled to get the call informing him he'd been picked.

"I thought maybe they'd pick me," said Chibrikov, who said he had some conversations with Jets scouts during the season. "But I can't say 100 percent that I know Winnipeg will pick me. I like it. So thankful they trust me."
His name was one that stood out on the Jets draft list after night one had concluded - literally.
"We regrouped and looked at our list and saw a player (Chibrikov) sitting there without a line, or without a highlight mark on it, surrounded by players that had already all been drafted," said Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff.
"We talked and said 'this might stare us in the face tomorrow, what are we going to do? Are we looking to take a player like that?'
"The resounding remarks from all our scouts was 'you can't pass this guy by if he's there.'"

He turned 18 in February, and also got his first taste of the Kontinental Hockey League in 2020-21 with SKA St. Petersburg. He scored once and added an assist in 16 games. He has two more years left on his contract with the club, and he plans to use that time wisely.
"Two years is a long time. I need time to become a good NHL player," said Chibrikov. "My decision is to work in Russia these next two years to progress. Right now I'm with this team. I know Winnipeg picked me, so now I'm working for the future."
The left-handed winger describes himself as a team player with good hockey sense. He considers himself a playmaker, but can also win one-on-one battles and score goals.
Although he stops short at comparing his game to anyone in the NHL.
"I'll work so that in the next years you'll know Chibrikov's style," he said, saying he likes how Nikita Kucherov and Kirill Kaprizov play.
"I saw how Kaprizov played KHL and how he progressed in Russia. He's a good player. He's a good style of player. I like styles like him," he said. "I like his style, but I want to be my own style on the ice. I watch all good players and take the best from them."
He's only going to get bigger and stronger as well, says Cheveldayoff.
"When we went through the interview process with him, he's a very serious player," said Cheveldayoff. "He looked like a very driven kid in the conversations we had prior to the draft with him. I spoke with his agent shortly after I spoke with the player. He was excited for his player to come to Winnipeg and certainly shocked at the value we got him at."
Clearly Chibrikov's work caught the attention of the management team that put together Russia's U18 team.
Wearing the captain's 'C' was an honour for Chibrikov.
"I learned more about leadership, how I need to be good in the team, how I need to talk to guys," said Chibrikov.
"I showed good hockey from me, good leadership, and I really worked at it."