Nic Kerdiles

Nicolas Kerdiles (January 11, 1994 – September 23, 2023) was an American professional ice hockey forward. He played briefly in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Anaheim Ducks. Kerdiles was selected by the Ducks in the second round (36th overall) of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Nic Kerdiles
Kerdiles with the Norfolk Admirals in 2014
Born (1994-01-11)January 11, 1994
Lewisville, Texas, U.S.
Died September 23, 2023(2023-09-23) (aged 29)
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 196 lb (89 kg; 14 st 0 lb)
Position Left wing
Shot Left
Played for Anaheim Ducks
NHL Draft 36th overall, 2012
Anaheim Ducks
Playing career 2014–2019

Early life

Nicolas Kerdiles was born January 11, 1994, in Lewisville, Texas.[1] The Kerdiles family moved frequently due to his father's job in medical equipment sales before settling in Irvine, California, where Nicolas began playing roller hockey.[2] He transitioned to ice hockey at the age of eight, playing with the Los Angeles Kings youth affiliate.[3] In 2007, Kerdiles participated in the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Los Angeles Hockey Club.[4]

Career in ice hockey

U.S. National Team Development Program

Kerdiles moved to Michigan and joined the USA Hockey National Team Development Program for the 2010–11 season. At the 2011 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, he was named as a forward on the tournament's All-Star team as Team USA claimed a silver medal.[5][6] Later that year, he moved up to the under-18 age-group and helped Team USA win gold in the 2011 IIHF World U18 Championships.[7] The following year, he led Team USA with 4 goals and 9 points in 6 games and captured another gold medal in the 2012 IIHF World U18 Championships.[8][9]

A few months afterwards, the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League selected him 36th overall in the 2012 entry draft.[10][11]

College

Kerdiles attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he played two seasons of NCAA Division I hockey with the Wisconsin Badgers. During his freshman season, his 11 goals and 22 assists[12] helped the Badgers capture the Broadmoor Trophy as the WCHA playoff champion, and he was recognized for his outstanding performance by being voted the most valuable player of the 2013 WCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.[13]

While at university, Kerdiles represented his country in the world stage again, and was the leading scorer (7 points in 5 games) for Team USA in the 2014 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Sweden. Despite his goal against Andrei Vasilevskiy giving his team a lead, they were eliminated by Team Russia in the quarter-finals.[14][15]

Anaheim Ducks (2014–2018)
Kerdiles with the Norfolk Admirals in 2014

On April 5, 2014, Kerdiles forfeited his final two seasons of college hockey eligibility to sign a three-year entry-level contract with the Anaheim Ducks.[16] He made his professional debut with the Ducks' American Hockey League affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals, during the 2014 Calder Cup playoffs.[17] After the 2014–2015 season, the Admirals moved to the West Coast, bringing Kerdiles along for the San Diego Gulls' first three seasons.[18][19]

In the 2016–2017 season, Kerdiles suffered a concussion in a game in September, and was unable to play till January 2017; four goals and five assists in 10 games upon his return had him called up by the Ducks from the Gulls.[18] On February 22, 2017, he made his NHL debut in a 5–3 victory against the Boston Bruins, becoming the first player raised in Orange County to play for the Anaheim Ducks.[20] After that season, the club re-signed him to a one-year, two-way extension worth $650,000 on June 17, 2017.[21][22] He then played two more NHL games for the Ducks, but otherwise spent most of the 2017–2018 season with the Gulls.[18]

Winnipeg Jets (2018–2019)

As an impending restricted free agent, Kerdiles was traded by the Ducks to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for Chase De Leo on June 30, 2018.[23] He was later signed to a one-year, two-way contract with the Jets on August 21, 2018.[24] Due to injuries, he was only able to suit up for three games for the Jets' farm team, the Manitoba Moose, in the 2018–2019 season.[25]

Post-playing career

After his contract with the Jets, Kerdiles started a new career as a real estate broker in the Nashville area.[26][27]

Personal life and death

Born to a French father and a French-Canadian mother, Kerdiles was a native French speaker.[2][3] Kerdiles began dating reality television star Savannah Chrisley in November 2017, and the couple became engaged in 2019.[28] Kerdiles and Chrisley separated in September 2020.[29]

Kerdiles died in a motorcycle accident on September 23, 2023, in Nashville, Tennessee, at age 29.[30][31] According to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, Kerdiles was driving his Indian Motorcycle when he allegedly drove through a stop sign and hit the driver's side of a BMW SUV at approximately 3:30 a.m. Police confirmed that Kerdiles was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he later died from his injuries. Police stated that the SUV's driver immediately stopped and there were no signs of impairment in either driver. Additionally, police did not anticipate any criminal charges being filed related to the crash.[32][33][34]

Professional and amateur career statistics

Regular season and playoffs
Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2010–11 U.S. National Development Team USHL 321282052 —————
2011–12 U.S. National Development Team USHL 18491318 —————
2012–13 University of Wisconsin WCHA (NCAA) 3211223337 —————
2013–14 University of Wisconsin B1G (NCAA) 2815233833 —————
2013–14 Norfolk Admirals AHL 61342 103142
2014–15 Norfolk Admirals AHL 519172643 —————
2015–16 San Diego Gulls AHL 4515122770 —————
2016–17 San Diego Gulls AHL 27781525 84486
2016–17 Anaheim Ducks NHL 10000 40112
2017–18 San Diego Gulls AHL 4915193434 —————
2017–18 Anaheim Ducks NHL 20000 —————
2018–19 Manitoba Moose AHL 30114 —————
NHL totals 30000 40112

[12]

International
Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2011 United States U17 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 5 2 2 4 4
2011 United States U18 1st place, gold medalist(s) 6 0 2 2 2
2012 United States U18 1st place, gold medalist(s) 6 4 5 9 2
2014 United States WJC 5th 5 2 5 7 4
Junior totals 22 8 14 22 12

[12]

Awards and honors
Award Year
College
WCHA Most Valuable Player in Tournament 2013 [13]
WCHA All-Tournament Team 2013 [35]

References
  1. "Nicolas Kerdiles Stats and News". National Hockey League. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  2. Miller, Jeff (July 4, 2012). "Ducks head home to find a piece of their future". The Orange County Register. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  3. Burnside, Scott (June 23, 2012). "Nic Kerdiles on a worldly journey". ESPN. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  4. "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. p. 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 6, 2019. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  5. "Team Ontario into World U-17 playoff round". SooToday.com. January 3, 2011. Retrieved September 26, 2023. 2011 WORLD UNDER-17 HOCKEY CHALLENGE ALL-STAR TEAM ... Forward – Andreas Athanasiou (Ontario / London Knights) Forward – Nicolas Kerdiles (United States) Forward – Hunter Shinkaruk (Pacific)
  6. Wiebe, Ken (January 4, 2011). "Ontario crowned U17 Challenge champions". Winnipeg Sun. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  7. "U.S. Men's National Under-18 Team Edges Russia, 4–3, at 2011 IIHF World Men's U18 Championship". U18 Men's World. USA Hockey. April 17, 2011. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  8. "U18s Roll to Gold Medal Over Sweden". U18 Men's World. USA Hockey. April 22, 2012. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  9. Peters, Chris (2012). "Four of a Kind – U.S. Sets The Gold Standard At IIHF Under-18 World Championship". USA Hockey magazine. Vol. 2012, no. 6. USA Hockey. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  10. "Nic Kerdiles leaves Wisconsin, signs NHL contract with Anaheim Ducks". Buckys5thQuarter.com. April 5, 2014. Retrieved April 5, 2014.
  11. "2012 NHL Entry Draft". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  12. "Nic Kerdiles". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  13. Gilbert, John (March 23, 2013). "WISCONSIN CLAIMS WCHA FINAL FIVE TITLE WITH 3–2 WIN OVER COLORADO COLLEGE Freshman forward Nic Kerdiles named MVP of the 2013 Red Baron WCHA Final Five". Western Collegiate Hockey Association. Archived from the original on June 29, 2021. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  14. Podnieks, Andrew (January 2, 2014). "USA vs RUS – 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship". www.worldjunior2014.com. International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  15. Johnson, Andy (January 2, 2014). "Nic Kerdiles, USA eliminated at WJC by Russia". Bucky's 5th Quarter. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  16. "Nic Kerdiles leaves Wisconsin, signs NHL contract with Anaheim Ducks". Buckys5thQuarter.com. April 5, 2014. Retrieved April 5, 2014.
  17. "Kerdiles makes professional debut with Admirals". Norfolk Admirals. April 16, 2014. Archived from the original on May 29, 2014. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  18. "Former Gulls Forward Nic Kerdiles Killed in Nashville Motorcycle Crash". Times of San Diego. September 24, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  19. "Former San Diego Gulls winger Nicolas Kerdiles, 29, dies in Nashville motorcycle crash". San Diego Union-Tribune. September 24, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  20. Brady, Adam (February 23, 2017). "Orange County's Kerdiles Makes History with the Ducks". NHL.com. Anaheim Ducks. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  21. "Ducks Ryan Kesler to undergo surgery, sidelined months". The Province. June 17, 2017. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
  22. "Ducks Sign Kerdiles to One-Year Contract Extension". NHL.com. Anaheim Ducks. June 17, 2017. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  23. "Jets acquire Nicolas Kerdiles". Winnipeg Jets. June 30, 2018. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
  24. "Jets sign Kerdiles to one-year contract". NHL.com. August 21, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  25. Minuk, David (March 20, 2019). "Injury News: Manitoba Moose forward Nic Kerdiles is done for the season". Illegal Curve Hockey. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  26. "Former Anaheim Ducks forward Nicolas Kerdiles passes away at 29 in motorcyle accident". Daily Faceoff. September 23, 2023. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  27. "Nic Kerdiles". NASHKAP Group. Archived by the Wayback Machine: Compass Tennessee, LLC. Archived from the original on June 15, 2023. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  28. Ramirez, Christina Dugan (April 3, 2019). "Savannah Chrisley Is Engaged to Nic Kerdiles! All About Her Surprise Proposal". People. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  29. Ramirez, Christina Dugan (September 15, 2020). "Savannah Chrisley and Nic Kerdiles Split Nearly 2 Years After Getting Engaged". People. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  30. "Former Ducks forward Kerdiles dies at age 29". TSN.ca. September 23, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
  31. Podnieks, Andrew (September 24, 2023). "Nic Kerdiles, 1994–2023". International Ice Hockey Federation. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  32. Jones, Alexis. "Nic Kerdiles, Savannah Chrisley's Ex-Fiancé, Dies at 29 in Motorcycle Accident". People.com. People Magazine. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  33. "Former NHL player Nicolas Kerdiles dies after a motorcycle crash in Nashville. He was 29". Associated Press. September 24, 2023. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  34. Levenson, Eric (September 24, 2023). "Nic Kerdiles, former NHL player and Savannah Chrisley's ex-fiancee, dies in motorcycle crash". CNN. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  35. "History and Championships". Western Collegiate Hockey Association. April 5, 2013. Archived from the original on July 2, 2014. Retrieved April 5, 2013.
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