Nick Bailen

Nick Bailen (born December 12, 1989) is an American-Belarusian professional ice hockey defensemen. He is currently playing for Kölner Haie of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).

Nick Bailen
Bailen in 2023
Born	(1989-12-12) December 12, 1989 (age 35) Fredonia, New York, U.S.
Height	5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight	179 lb (81 kg; 12 st 11 lb)
Position	Defense
Shoots	Left
DEL team Former teams	Kölner Haie Rochester Americans Tappara HC Dinamo Minsk Växjö Lakers Traktor Chelyabinsk
National team	Belarus
NHL draft	Undrafted
Playing career	2013–present

Playing career

Undrafted, Bailen played collegiate for RPI Engineers men's ice hockey of ECAC Hockey, an NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conference that compete in NCAA Division I ice hockey. After a short stint with the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League in 2013,^[1] Bailen took his game overseas, spending the 2013–14 season with Tappara of the Finnish top-flight Liiga.

His next stop was Belarusian club, HC Dinamo Minsk of the KHL, where he played from 2014^[2] to December 2016.^[3] On December 21, 2016, he was released to contract with the Växjö Lakers of the Swedish Hockey League.^[4]

Bailen returned to the KHL for the following 2017–18 season, after an initial try-out, he secured a two-year deal with Russian club, Traktor Chelyabinsk on September 5, 2017.^[5]

Following his fifth season with Traktor Chelyabinsk in 2021–22, on July 27, 2022, Bailen was mutually released from the remaining season of his contract with Traktor to hold his KHL rights for three seasons. Bailen left the club as the franchise leader among defenseman and third overall in scoring with 48 goals and 156 points in 254 games.^[6]

On July 31, 2022, Bailen moved to Germany after signing a one-year contract with Kölner Haie of the DEL for the 2022–23 season.^[7]

International play

On December 1, 2014 he received Belarusian citizenship.^[8] Under IIHF rules on nationality, Bailen was eligible to join the Belarusian national team. He received his first cap in 2016.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2005–06	Indiana Ice	USHL		52	1	7	8	73		5	0	0	0	12
2006–07	Indiana Ice	USHL		53	4	9	13	93		7	0	0	0	14
2007–08	Indiana Ice	USHL		58	8	13	21	157		4	1	1	2	0
2008–09	Bowling Green State U.	CCHA		37	6	10	16	56		—	—	—	—	—
2009–10	Indiana Ice	USHL		58	14	27	41	97		9	0	4	4	6
2010–11	R.P.I.	ECAC		38	8	28	36	34		—	—	—	—	—
2011–12	R.P.I.	ECAC		39	7	15	22	24		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	R.P.I.	ECAC		35	12	19	31	18		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Rochester Americans	AHL		9	0	3	3	0		3	0	0	0	0
2013–14	Tappara	Liiga		54	11	21	32	26		17	4	8	12	49
2013–14	LeKi	Mestis		1	0	1	1	0		—	—	—	—	—
2014–15	Dinamo Minsk	KHL		60	11	26	37	49		5	1	2	3	10
2015–16	Dinamo Minsk	KHL		40	6	25	31	34		—	—	—	—	—
2016–17	Dinamo Minsk	KHL		13	4	5	9	2		—	—	—	—	—
2016–17	Växjö Lakers	SHL		20	4	10	14	12		6	0	2	2	2
2017–18	Traktor Chelyabinsk	KHL		56	11	19	30	41		16	3	7	10	38
2018–19	Traktor Chelyabinsk	KHL		62	7	17	24	39		4	0	0	0	6
2019–20	Traktor Chelyabinsk	KHL		36	11	14	25	20		—	—	—	—	—
2020–21	Traktor Chelyabinsk	KHL		51	13	22	35	24		5	1	0	1	0
2021–22	Traktor Chelyabinsk	KHL		49	6	36	42	53		15	4	4	8	27
2022–23	Kölner Haie	DEL		56	19	26	45	29		6	1	4	5	8
2023–24	Kölner Haie	DEL		34	4	20	24	20		3	0	2	2	0
Liiga totals				54	11	21	32	26		17	4	8	12	49
KHL totals				367	69	164	233	262		45	9	13	22	81

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2016	Belarus	OGQ	NQ		3	1	2	3	0
2019	Belarus	WC-D1	18th		5	0	2	2	4
2021	Belarus	WC	15th		6	0	1	1	4
2021	Belarus	OGQ	NQ		3	0	1	1	0
Senior totals					17	1	6	7	8

Awards and honors

Award	Year
USHL
All-Star Game	2010
College
All-ECAC Hockey First Team	2011, 2013	[9]
AHCA East Second-Team All-American	2011
ECAC All-Academic Team	2011
AHCA East First-Team All-American	2012–13
Liiga
All-Star Team	2014
KHL
All-Star Game	2015