VEGAS (April 14, 2019) - Vegas Golden Knights General Manager George McPhee announced today, April 14, that the team has signed forward Nikita Gusev to a one-year, entry level contract.

McPhee will address the media at 5 p.m. PT at T-Mobile Arena in the press conference room. Gusev is expected to report to the Golden Knights and practice with the team on Monday, April 15. He will wear jersey No. 17.

The Moscow, Russia native wrapped up his last season in the Kontinental Hockey League after leading SKA St. Petersburg to a Western Conference Final appearance. Gusev, 26, finished the season with a league-high 82 points (17G, 65A) in 62 regular-season games and also led the league in assists. During the KHL playoffs, he recorded 19 points (9G, 10A), which ranked second in the league.

In nine seasons in the KHL, Gusev is 10th all-time with 332 points (119G, 213A) in 391 games played. He helped lead St. Petersburg to the Gagarin Cup in 2017 and was awarded the Golden Stick in 2018, which is given to the league's most valuable player.

Gusev has also seen time at the international level playing for Team Russia. In 2018, he helped lead the Olympic Athletes of Russia (OAR) to a gold medal during the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. Gusev was named the "Best Forward" after posting a tournament-best 12 points (4G, 8A) in six games. He also led Team Russia to a bronze medal during the 2017 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship and a silver medal during the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championship.

The Golden Knights acquired Gusev's rights during the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft from the Tampa Bay Lightning.