Gushchin, 19, was expected to play in the Ontario Hockey League with the Niagara IceDogs this past season but was loaned back to Muskegon due to COVID-19. Over his three-year career in the USHL, the play-making winger has appeared in 139 games, totaling 147 points (70 goals, 77 assists), 114 penalty minutes, and a plus-42 rating.
Internationally, Gushchin has represented Team Russia on multiple occasions, including the 2019 U-18 World Junior Championships (silver medal), the 2018 and 2019 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, (bronze, 2018), and the 2018 World U-17 Hockey Challenge.
The five-foot-ten, 178-pound native of Yekaterinburg, Russia was originally selected by San Jose in the third round (76th overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft. His final NHL Central Scouting ranking was 41st amongst North American skaters.
