Like father, like son for Colorado Avalanche forward Nikolai Kovalenko.
The 24-year-old made his NHL debut on Sunday in Game 4 against the Winnipeg Jets, becoming the sixth player in Avalanche/Nordiques history to debut in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Russian followed in the footsteps of Sampo Ranta, Cale Makar, Joey Hishon, Mike Hough and Randy Moller.
Kovalenko was a sixth-round draft pick by the Avalanche in 2018. The son of former NHL winger Andrei Kovalenko, he has stayed in Russia and played in the KHL since the 2018-19 season. Interest in the youngster increased when he scored 21 goals and 54 points in 56 games with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod during the 2022-23 season.
Since moving to North America this season, he recorded three points in four regular-season games with the Colorado Eagles — the Avalanche’s AHL affiliate — and one point in two playoff games.
Andrei played for the Avalanche/Nordiques from 1992-93 to 1995-96. With Nikolai’s debut, they became the fourth father-son duo to dress in at least one regular season or playoff game with the franchise, following Paul and Kurtis MacDermid, Ron and Jon Grahame and Peter and Paul Stastny.
