By: Camryn Meece | Follow me on Twitter / X @MeeceCamryn
Nikita Zadorov has become quite familiar with the penalty box since joining the Boston Bruins. The 6-foot-7 defenseman has never shied away from physical play, whether that means delivering a big hit, sticking up for a teammate, or dropping the gloves. Of course, that style of play comes with its fair share of penalty minutes. Zadorov recorded 145 penalty minutes during his first season in Boston before recording 152 in 2025-26 to lead the National Hockey League (NHL). He’s already added another 47 minutes through the first 16 games of the 2026-27 season. At this rate, the Bruins defenseman might as well have his own reserved seat in the penalty box.
Zadorov’s physical style was nothing new when he arrived in Boston. The Buffalo Sabres selected him 16th overall in the first round of the 2013 NHL Draft, and he made his NHL debut that season. After two seasons in Buffalo, Zadorov was traded to the Colorado Avalanche, where he continued to build a reputation as a physical defenseman. During the 2017-18 season, he recorded 103 penalty minutes and led the NHL with 278 hits, establishing himself as one of the more physical players at his position.
“He’s big, he’s mean, he’s angry. He’s a predator out there. I absolutely loved playing against him, and I hated it.”
– Brad Marchand, 2024
His career continued with stops in Chicago, Calgary, and Vancouver before he signed with Boston in July 2024. His penalty-minute totals varied along the way, recording 36 with Chicago in 2020-21, 77 in his first season with Calgary, and 80 the following year. After being traded to Vancouver during the 2023-24 season, Zadorov recorded 23 penalty minutes in Calgary before adding another 102 in Vancouver. His combined total of 125 was a career high at the time, giving Boston plenty of reason to know what they were getting themselves into.
The Bruins made Zadorov one of their biggest additions during the opening day of free agency on July 1, 2024, signing the defenseman to a six-year contract worth $30 million. General manager Don Sweeney saw Zadorov as a good fit for Boston’s blue line, citing his experience playing top-four minutes against difficult opponents in the playoffs. That experience, combined with his physical style, made him an appealing addition to the Bruins.
Zadorov seemed to step up his game with his first season with the Bruins. Playing in all 81 games during the 2024-25 regular season, Zadorov tallied four goals and added 22 points, all while racking up 145 penalty minutes. This surpassed his previous career high of 125 between Calgary and Vancouver. He also took the crown for most penalty minutes as a Bruin this season, beating Mark Kastelic with 106 minutes.
The numbers kept climbing during Zadorov’s second season in Boston. He finished the 2025-26 regular season with 152 penalty minutes in 81 games, leading the entire NHL. He was assessed 51 penalties, including 41 minors and six majors. His physical play showed as well, with 196 hits to match his league-leading penalty total. Once again, Zadorov and Kastelic are neck and neck, with Kastelic finishing second among Bruins players with 140 penalty minutes, leaving just 12 minutes between the two teammates.
Zadorov is not always the big, brash Bruin. On November 29, 2024, during a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Zadorov sat on the Bruins’ bench, reached over the boards, and jabbed Evgeni Malkin in the back with his stick. The fellow Russian turned around and swung his stick toward the Boston bench, striking defenseman Mason Lohrei. Zadorov received a two-minute unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, while Malkin was called for slashing. The NHL later fined both players $5,000.
The aggressive approach also showed up during the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. In Game 4 of Boston’s first-round series against the Buffalo Sabres, he received a five-minute major and a game misconduct for cross-checking defenseman Rasmus Dahlin in the third period. The NHL later fined him $5,000 once again for the incident.
Through his first 16 games of the 2026-27 season, Zadorov has already accumulated 47 penalty minutes, putting him at the top of the NHL leaderboard once again. If the early pace continues, he could be on track for another season of getting comfy in the penalty box.
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