Alex Nedeljkovic
2019 Calder Cup finals (game 4)(48039134142).jpg
Nedeljkovic with the Charlotte Checkers in 2019
Born (1996-01-07) January 7, 1996
Parma, Ohio, U.S.
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 189 lb (86 kg; 13 st 7 lb)
Position Goaltender
Catches Left
NHL team
Former teams		 Pittsburgh Penguins
Carolina Hurricanes
Detroit Red Wings
National team  United States
NHL Draft 37th overall, 2014
Carolina Hurricanes
Playing career 2015–present

Alexander Nedeljkovic (/ˈnɛdɛlɪkəvɪtʃ/ NED-eh-lik-ə-vich, born January 7, 1996) is an American professional ice hockey goaltender for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nedeljkovic was selected by the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round (37th overall) of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.

Playing career

Junior

Nedeljkovic grew up in Cleveland, where he played for the Cleveland Barons bantam AAA team,[1] and played with them in the 2009 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament.[2]

Nedeljkovic at the 2014 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.

Nedeljkovic started his major junior play in 2012 in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Plymouth Whalers, where in his rookie season he posted a goals against average of 2.28 to win the F. W. "Dinty" Moore Trophy,[3] and was also named to the 2012–13 OHL First All-Rookie Team.[4] The following season, Nedeljkovic was selected to play in both the CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game[5] and the 2014 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.[6]

Professional

Carolina Hurricanes

At the conclusion of the 2014–15 season with the Whalers, Nedeljkovic signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Carolina Hurricanes on March 27, 2015. He was assigned to the ECHL affiliate, the Florida Everblades, to make his professional debut in the final regular season games.[7]

During his final season of junior in the 2015–16 season, Nedeljkovic was traded by the Flint Firebirds, along with fellow Hurricanes draft pick Josh Wesley, to the Niagara IceDogs in exchange for goaltender Brent Moran in November 2015.[8]

Nedeljkovic in a game against Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2018

In his rookie professional season in 2016–17, on December 30, 2016, while playing for the Florida Everblades, Nedeljkovic became the 12th ECHL goaltender to score a goal.[9] On January 17, 2017, Nedeljkovic played his first NHL game, in relief of starter Cam Ward against the Columbus Blue Jackets.[10]

During the 2017–18 season, on March 10, 2018, while playing for the Charlotte Checkers in a game against the Hartford Wolf Pack, Nedeljkovic became the 13th goaltender in the American Hockey League (AHL) history to score a goal.[11]

After starting the 2018–19 season with the Checkers, Nedeljkovic was recalled to the NHL on January 17, 2019.[12] On January 23, against the Vancouver Canucks, he made his first NHL start in which he made 24 saves on 26 shots to secure his first win in the NHL.[13]

On June 28, 2019, Nedeljkovic signed a two-year contract extension with the Hurricanes.[14]

In the pandemic-delayed 2020–21 season, Nedeljkovic remained with the Hurricanes due to the expanded roster, and responded with a break-out season in the NHL. On February 20, 2021, in a 4–0 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning, Nedeljkovic recorded his first career NHL shutout.[15] On April 1, Nedeljkovic was named NHL's Rookie of the Month for games played in March.[16] In 23 regular season games, he posted a 15–5–3 record for the division-leading Carolina and tied for the NHL rookie lead in shutouts alongside Ilya Sorokin with three. Nedeljkovic recorded a 1.90 goals-against average and .932 save percentage to led all NHL goaltenders who played at least 20 games. On May 17, Nedeljkovic got his first Stanley Cup playoffs win with a 5–2 win over the Nashville Predators.[17] On May 19, Nedeljkovic recorded his first Stanley Cup playoffs shutout with a 3–0 victory over the Predators.[18] He collected four wins in nine postseason games, unable to help propel the Hurricanes past the second-round. In June 2021, Nedeljkovic was a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy, given to the NHL's rookie of the year, placing third behind Kirill Kaprizov and Jason Robertson, and was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team.[19]

Detroit Red Wings

As a restricted free agent, unable to agree to terms on a new contract with the Hurricanes, Nedeljkovic was traded to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for Jonathan Bernier and a third-round pick in 2021 on July 22, 2021. He was immediately signed to a two-year, $6 million contract by the Red Wings.[20]

Nedeljkovic would record his first shutout as a member of the Red Wings on January 15, 2022, over the Buffalo Sabres with several family members in attendance at Little Caesars Arena. After a strong fall start to his first season with the Red Wings, Nedeljkovic struggled in the New Year, having gone 2–5–1, with a 4.64 goals against average and .849 save percentage in his previous nine appearances by the beginning of March.[21] He made headlines on March 10, when he accidentally scored an own goal by sweeping into the net a puck that had been traveling wide of it, dubbed a "gaffe for the ages" by the Detroit Free Press.[22]

Pittsburgh Penguins

On July 1, 2023, Nedeljkovic signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins.[23] On November 17, during a rehab stint with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Nedeljkovic scored his second goal at the AHL level in a 4–2 road win over the Providence Bruins. He became the first goaltender in AHL history to score two or more career goals.[24]

International play

Nedeljkovic won a silver medal with the United States under-18 team at the 2013 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.[25]

Personal life

Nedeljkovic is of Serbian descent. His grandparents are from a village near the town of Ljubovija, Serbia.[26] The back plate of his mask has a Serbian cross, an homage to both his Serbian descent and his Orthodox faith.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GPWLT/OTMINGASOGAASV% GPWLMINGASOGAASV%
2012–13 Plymouth Whalers OHL 2619221,3715222.28.923 15948643912.71.908
2013–14 Plymouth Whalers OHL 61262773,43616512.88.925 5142722004.41.905
2014–15 Plymouth Whalers OHL 55202873,20616753.13.916 ————————
2014–15 Florida Everblades ECHL 32101781003.38.841 ————————
2015–16 Flint Firebirds OHL 199721,1226013.21.907 ————————
2015–16 Niagara IceDogs OHL 30151321,7668012.72.907 171241,0264802.81.903
2016–17 Charlotte Checkers AHL 2581411,2877313.40.881 ————————
2016–17 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 100030000.001.000 ————————
2016–17 Florida Everblades ECHL 126405652812.97.903 7154061301.92.930
2017–18 Charlotte Checkers AHL 49311252,72611652.55.903 8445411912.11.919
2018–19 Charlotte Checkers AHL 5134952,91711042.26.916 151048973512.34.916
2018–19 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 110060202.00.923 ————————
2019–20 Charlotte Checkers AHL 29161021,6616942.49.906 ————————
2019–20 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 41212171103.05.887 ————————
2020–21 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 2315531,3934431.90.932 9456082212.17.920
2021–22 Detroit Red Wings NHL 59202493,23117843.31.901 ————————
2022–23 Detroit Red Wings NHL 155728334903.53.895 ————————
2022–23 Grand Rapids Griffins AHL 2613931,4596612.71.912 ————————
NHL totals 1034238155,76228472.96.907 9456082212.17.920

International

Year Team Event Result GPWLTMINGASOGAASV%
2014 United States U18 1st place, gold medalist(s) 65103601111.84.902
2016 United States WJC 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 7420420911.66.943
Junior totals 139307802021.54.923

Awards and honors

Nedeljkovic winning the Calder Cup with the Checkers.
Award Year Ref
OHL
First All-Rookie Team 2012–13 [27]
F. W. "Dinty" Moore Trophy 2012–13 [28]
CCM/USA Hockey All-American Top Prospects Game 2013 [29]
CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game 2014 [30]
Goaltender of the Year 2013–14 [31]
First All-Star Team 2013–14 [32]
AHL
Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award Top goaltender 2018–19 [33]
First All-Star Team 2018–19 [34]
Calder Cup champion 2019 [35]
All-Star Game 2020 [36]
NHL
Rookie of the Month, March 2021 2020–21 [16]
All-Rookie Team 2020–21 [37]
International
Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament silver medal 2013 [38]

References

  1. ↑ "Alex Nedeljkovic". October 13, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 6, 2019. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
  3. ↑ "Nedeljkovic Has Been A Rock For The Whalers". JuniorHockey.com. April 1, 2012. Archived from the original on September 22, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Plymouth Whalers goalie Alex Nedeljkovic quickly gaining notice". sport195.com. March 28, 2013. Archived from the original on March 25, 2014. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Prospector Files: OHL draft-eligible All-Star team". Prospector Files.com. August 14, 2013. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Team Orr edges Team Cherry in CHL Top Prospects Game". CBC Sports. January 2, 2014. Retrieved January 2, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Canes agree to terms with Alex Nedeljkovic". Carolina Hurricanes. March 27, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Firebirds Trade Nedeljkovic and Wesley to Niagara". flintfirebirds.com. December 7, 2015. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
  9. ↑ Toohey, Ryan (January 10, 2017). "ECHL hockey: Blades goalie Alex Nedeljkovic relishing scoring goal on Dec. 30". naplesnews.com. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
  10. ↑ Smith, Michael (January 18, 2017). "Nedeljkovic Makes NHL Debut in Home State". NHL.com. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
  11. ↑ Niedzielski, Nicholas (March 10, 2018). "GOALIE ALEX NEDELJKOVIC SCORES IN CHARLOTTE'S 7-3 WIN OVER HARTFORD". gocheckers.com. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
  12. ↑ Nicholas Niedzielski (January 17, 2019). "CANES RECALL ALEX NEDELJKOVIC". gocheckers.com. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  13. ↑ RotoWire Staff (January 24, 2019). "Hurricanes' Alex Nedeljkovic: Secures first NHL win". cbssports.com. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  14. ↑ "Canes Re-Sign Alex Nedeljkovic to Two-Year Deal". Carolina Hurricanes. June 28, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  15. ↑ Smith, Michael (February 20, 2021). "Recap: Nedeljkovic, Canes Shut Out Lightning". NHL.com. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  16. 1 2 "Nedeljkovic of Hurricanes leads NHL Rookies of Month". NHL.com. April 1, 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  17. ↑ Smith, Michael (May 17, 2021). "Game 1 Recap: Staal Leads Canes Past Predators". NHL.com. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  18. ↑ Smith, Michael (May 19, 2021). "Game 2 Recap: Nedeljkovic, Canes Shut Out Predators". NHL.com. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  19. ↑ Satriano, David (June 3, 2021). "Kaprizov, Robertson, Nedeljkovic named Calder Trophy finalists". National Hockey League. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  20. ↑ "Detroit acquires Nedeljkovic from Hurricanes for Bernier, 3rd-round pick". Detroit Red Wings. July 22, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  21. ↑ Khan, Ansar (March 3, 2022). "Red Wings' Alex Nedeljkovic confident his game will 'pick up'". MLive.com. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  22. ↑ Clarke, Mary (March 10, 2022). "Detroit Red Wings goalie Alex Nedeljkovic scores into own net in gaffe for the ages". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  23. ↑ "Penguins Sign Alex Nedeljkovic to a One-Year Contract". NHL.com. Pittsburgh Penguins. July 1, 2023. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  24. ↑ "Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic scores goal on AHL conditioning assignment". triblive.com. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. November 17, 2023. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  25. ↑ "Canada's National Men's Summer Under-18 Team wins gold medal at 2013 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka tournament". hockeycanada.ca. August 10, 2013. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  26. ↑ "He is proud of his Serbian origin: He is a goal keeper for America". Telegraf.rs. February 15, 2016.
  27. ↑ "Whalers Conclude 2012-13 Season with Awards Banquet". Plymouth Whalers. May 2, 2013. Archived from the original on July 23, 2013. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
  28. ↑ "Whalers Vincent Trocheck, Alex Nedeljkovic Win OHL Awards". Plymouth Whalers. March 28, 2013. Archived from the original on March 26, 2014. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  29. ↑ "Alex Nedeljkovic, Connor Chatham Selected for 2013 CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game". OurSportsCentral.com. April 1, 2013. Retrieved June 21, 2014.
  30. ↑ "Alex Nedeljkovic prospect profile". Hockey'sFuture.com. February 13, 2014. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
  31. ↑ "Alex Nedeljkovic is OHL goalie of the year". Ontario Hockey League. April 1, 2014. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
  32. ↑ "2013-14 OHL All-Star Teams announced". Ontario Hockey League. April 13, 2014. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
  33. ↑ "NEDELJKOVIC NAMED AHL'S TOP GOALTENDER FOR 2018-19". AHL. April 17, 2019.
  34. ↑ "2018-19 American Hockey League First and Second All-Star Teams Named". OurSports Central. April 11, 2019.
  35. ↑ "Check and mate! Charlotte wins Calder Cup". American Hockey League. June 8, 2019. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  36. ↑ "Bracco, Liljegren added to All-Star roster". American Hockey League. February 1, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  37. ↑ "NHL Announces 2020-21 All-Rookie Team". National Hockey League. June 29, 2021. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  38. ↑ "USA Hockey names team for Ivan Hlinka Tournament". National Hockey League. August 1, 2013. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
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