Svechnikov began his junior career in North America with the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the United States Hockey League (USHL).

He signed a tender with the Lumberjacks in May 2016, due in part to proximity to his brother's American Hockey League (AHL) team in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

On 29 October 2019, Svechnikov become the first NHL player to score a Michigan goal, doing so against David Rittich in a 2–1 win over the Calgary Flames.

[17] On 11 March 2023, Svechnikov's 2022–23 season ended when he suffered a season-ending knee injury during a 4–0 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Svechnikov's father, Igor, worked as a pediatrician on Sakhalin Island, but after the 1995 Neftegorsk earthquake gave up the practice and moved his family to Barnaul in Siberia, and sold cakes in the region.

Svechnikov's mother, Elena, worked two jobs: reception at a hockey rink during the day, and cleaning floors at night.