Former NHL forward Nic Kerdiles, 29, has died, the Anaheim Ducks announced Saturday. Kerdiles’ passing came as the result of injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident in Nashville.
Metro Nashville police responded to a crash at 3:30 a.m. ET. Kerdiles, on his motorcycle, allegedly ran a stop sign and hit the driver’s side of an SUV, according to WSMV-TV. He was taken to a local hospital where he later died.
The Ducks, in their statement, highlighted Kerdiles as the first locally grown player to suit up for the franchise.
“We’re heartbroken to hear the news about Nic Kerdiles, who died in a motorcycle accident this morning. An Irvine native, Nic became the first player from Orange County to play for the Ducks, in 2017. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to his family and loved ones.”
Kerdiles and his family moved to California when he was a child, and he went on to play Division I hockey at Wisconsin. In 60 games with the Badgers, he totaled 26 goals and 55 assists.
The Ducks selected Kerdiles with the No. 36 overall pick in the 2012 NHL Draft. In 2017, Kerdiles made his NHL debut, playing in one regular season game with the team. He did appear in four playoff games that year when the Ducks made their run to the Western Conference Finals, tallying one assist.
The following season, Kerdiles saw action in two games with the Ducks but spent most of the season with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls.
