Long way from home: Nikita Pavlychev reflects on Penn State hockey career cut short 

From Yaroslavl, Russia, to Scranton, to Des Moines, Iowa, to State College, then back to Scranton with his host family, Nikita Pavlychev has been able to stand out in any setting.

The 6-foot-7 forward for the Penn State men’s hockey team was having a strong senior season that seemed destined for a deep postseason run. But like so many other senior athletes around the country once the coronavirus pandemic arrived, he is now heartbroken.

He and nine other seniors all played important roles in helping to lead Penn State to its first-ever regular season Big Ten championship this season. Pavlychev knew just how capable his team was of making a run for the Frozen Four, and how much was at stake when the season got shut down.

“We still had a lot to prove,” Pavlychev said. “We knew that the farther we’d go in the NCAA tournament and in the Big Ten tournament, more people were gonna see us and a lot more things could have changed.”

He also said that some of his teammates, especially the seniors, were very upset and disappointed that their season came to a screeching halt in the fashion that it did. After winning the conference regular season title, the Nittany Lions were set for a semifinal matchup with Minnesota in the Big Ten tournament on March 14 at Pegula Ice Arena when the season was canceled.

“I think that we’re all disappointed. It was heartbreaking,” Pavlychev said. “You never know when something like that is gonna happen and never expect it to happen.”

The 23-year-old Pittsburgh Penguins prospect has been taking the pandemic with serious caution, but has still been able to get his workouts in and keep up on his studies while also following safety guidelines such as social distancing.

“I’m still able to get in my exercise and you know still have to do the school work,” said Pavlychev, a management major, in a teleconference call on March 26. “Obviously, it’s a little weird not being able to go to any public places right now.”

Pavlychev has given fans a lot to remember during his four years in Happy Valley wearing No. 13, and was part of a senior class that put the Penn State hockey program into the national spotlight.

Pavlychev finished his Penn State career with 70 points, 36 of which were goals. At the professional level, Pavlychev has the potential to become a two-way forward.

Although he is grateful for his time in the blue and white, he still thinks about what could have been.

“Not being able to play with that team, that group, for Penn State again is kinda,” Pavlychev said before pausing, “sad.”

This story was originally published April 5, 2020 at 8:00 AM.