The Russian team again captured the bronze medal, this time by defeating Slovakia 5–2. Filatov was named best player of the game for a preliminary round game against Finland and for the bronze medal game against Slovakia, and he was named to the Tournament All-Star Team. After returning to Russia early in the 2009–10 season, Filatov had the opportunity to compete in a third World Junior Championship at the 2010 tournament held in Saskatchewan, Canada. As in 2009, he served as Russia's team captain. During preliminary round play, Filatov was named best player for Russia in their game against Finland. The tournament was a disappointment for the Russians after they lost to Switzerland in the quarterfinals. Prior to the fifth place game against the Czech Republic, Filatov was stripped of his captaincy and replaced by teammate Kirill Petrov after criticizing the team personnel during a media scrum. After participating in three World Junior Championships, Filatov is tied with Evgeny Kuznetsov as Russia's all-time leading scorer at the event—both forwards finished their junior careers with 26 points. Scouting reports on Filatov were mixed in advance of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Sergei Nemchinov, head coach of Russia's national junior team, said of Filatov, "He definitely has an NHL upside because he can score, is a well-rounded player and is responsible in the defensive zone." Independent scouting service Red Line Report at one point declared Filatov "the next best thing to Steven Stamkos" (who was eventually selected first overall in the 2008 Draft). McKeen's Hockey scouts described him as a cross between Ilya Kovalchuk and Maxim Afinogenov. His strengths included his skating and vision, as well as the inclination to play at high intensity. The NHL's Director of European Scouting, Goran Stubb, assessed Filatov's NHL readiness as, "Nikita is a leader, has a great attitude, an excellent work ethic and tons of talent." Other scouts were not as impressed with his defensive game, preferring to focus on his offensive abilities. Off the ice, Filatov does not train in a traditional gym or weight room, preferring to run outside in sand and lift objects such as trees and boulders. Filatov was born in Moscow, Russia, to parents Slava and Yelena. He speaks fluent English due in large part to his mother—an English teacher who used to give him lessons at home. When he started playing professional hockey in North America for Syracuse, his mother stayed for several weeks to help him get acclimated to his new surroundings.