Biography

BIOGRAPHY

Dmitry Kulikov was born on October 29th, 1990 in Lipetsk, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union. He is a defenseman in the National Hockey League.

After his rookie year with the Voltigeurs, Kulikov was drafted by the Florida Panthers 14th overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, and was later signed to a professional contract the club on 29 September 2009.

Despite his age, Kulikov managed to play in 68 games with Florida in his rookie season, 2009–10, displaying high levels of skill and confidence. Panthers General Manager Dale Tallon expressed that the Panthers organization had high expectations of Kulikov for the future.

On 18 July 2014, Kulikov signed a three-year, $13 million contract extension with the Panthers, worth $4.3 million annually.

On 3 March 2023, the Ducks traded Kulikov to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Brock McGinn and a third-round pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.

As a free agent from the Penguins, Kulikov opted to return to his original club after seven season away, signing a one-year, $1 million contract with the Florida Panthers for the 2023–24 season on 1 July 2023.