Bruins' Nikita Zadorov names Canadian Red Wings legend as his favorite player growing up

By Zachary Roberts

Modified Jul 08, 2024 19:07 GMT

Nikita Zadorov is one of the best hockey players in the NHL right now. The Boston Bruins star is an excellent player, and of course, he had someone he grew up watching and wanted to be like. Most players have a childhood favorite, and in an Instagram story for the Bruins, a fan asked the Russian defenseman who his was.

He said:

"My favorite hockey player growing up was Steve Yzerman, man. Because of the Russian vibe and because I've been a big Red Wings fan. Now, I'm standing beside the statue of Bobby Orr, who's one of the GOATs for sure."

Zadorov is one of the newest Bruins, and he made sure to give a shoutout to one of the sport's most decorated players and a Bruins legend: Bobby Orr. He happened to be right beside the statue when he was recording the video. While Orr wasn't his favorite, he did give evidence to his knowledge of Bruins history.

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Nikita Zadorov details reason behind Bruins move

Nikita Zadorov was one of the best players on the Calgary Flames last season. The same was true of the Vancouver Canucks, the other team he spent time with last year because of a trade.

Nikita Zadorov joined the Boston Bruins in free agency

Those teams did not have what the Boston Bruins do: a good chance at winning it all. He cited a desire to win a Stanley Cup Final as the reason he opted to sign a six-year, $30 million deal with Boston, via NHL:

“I want [to have] my best chance to win a championship. I’m really [invested] in what I do, and I’m putting all my heart into everything, and right now I’m here for six years and I want to put my heart into [being] a Bruin and to try to win a Stanley Cup in here.”

The Bruins are routinely one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, and Zadorov may be a key piece in taking them to the next level. They have some work to do to surpass the Edmonton Oilers in the conference as well as the Florida Panthers overall.