OHL Mourns the Loss of Vladimir Nikiforov

The Ontario Hockey League is saddened by news of the loss of former Barrie Colts and Sarnia Sting forward Vladimir Nikiforov who passed away on Thursday at the young age of 34.

A shifty winger at just 5-foot-6, Nikiforov played the game at high speed and had no shortage of offensive tools in his arsenal. He racked up 173 points including 63 goals and 110 assists over 179 career regular season games between the Colts and Sting from 2005-08. Nikiforov enjoyed a standout rookie showing in the 2006 OHL Playoffs, recording 17 points (3-14–17) in 14 games as the Colts reached the Eastern Conference Final.

Born in Lithuania, Nikiforov played much of his youth hockey on Long Island, New York, being selected by Barrie in the ninth round of the 2005 OHL Priority Selection from the New York Bobcats Jr. B program. He quickly became a fan favourite in Barrie, scoring at least 19 goals in each of his three seasons with the Colts. His 159 career points in a Colts uniform place him 20th in franchise scoring.

After completing his OHL tenure with the Sarnia Sting, Nikiforov embarked on a 10-year professional career that included stops at several different levels, most prominently featuring 255 career contests in the ECHL. He retired after spending the 2018-19 season with the SPHL’s Quad City Storm.

Nikiforov leaves behind a 10-year-old son named Max. Donations can be made in support of Max’s future, with more details available at GoFundMe.com.

The entire Barrie Colts family is saddened to hear of Vlad’s passing.

He will be fondly remembered by the Colts organization and fans.

Our thoughts are with his family at this time. pic.twitter.com/3cFOPyJJvD

— Barrie Colts (@OHLBarrieColts) February 20, 2022