Georgii Merkulov’s path to the pros has been far from easy.
Despite being born in Ryazan, Russia, Merkulov spent most of his childhood growing up in Moscow — with his father, Gennady, selling the family’s apartment and moving to the sprawling city in search of greater on-ice opportunities for his son.
While his development in the Russian junior leagues stalled out, a 19-year-old Merkulov made the decision to pack his bag and fly to North America — spending two seasons with the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms.
Amid the expected adjustments of settling in a new country nearly 5,000 miles from home, Merkulov elevated his stock as a viable NHL prospect.