Confirmed Signing with Link: Nikolai Khabibulin signs 1 year contract with Torpedo in the KHL

[Chainshot]

50 years old, hasn't played in almost a decade.

I'm sure he'll be fine

He's watching NHL goaltending and figuring "hey, maybe one more time"?

 

[dirtydanglez]

being a pro goalie at 50 doesn't sound fun. hope he's doing alright

 

[Ginger Papa]

Huzzah for an excuse to share a Khabibulin anecdote that I didn't know until a few years back. I missed most of the 1998 Olympics due to school + time difference + Team USA bowing out early. There was a thread on the history of hockey board with some highlights of the Gold Medal game and I was surprised that Mikhail Shtalenkov was in net for the Russians. Then I was shocked when I looked up the roster and Khabibulin wasn't even on the team.

The story behind that was amusing. In 1992, Khabibulin was the young third string goalie on the post-Soviet breakup unified team which won Gold. Viktor Tikhonov was still the head coach but figured his time with that job would be coming to an end. Coaches don't receive medals and Tikhonov felt like he deserved one, so he essentially took Khabibulin's. Khabibulin was understandably upset about that but didn't speak out since he was young. He'd play for Team Russia at the 1996 World Cup but refused to play in 1998 since most of the old guard still held positions of power.

https://www.seattlepi.com/sports/article/olympics-notebook-after-10-years-khabibulin-1080612.php

Slava Fetisov took over in time for the 2002 Olympics and was able to get Khabibulin back on the team. The IOC also presented Khabibulin with a replacement medal.

@Brodeur , thank you for what you bring to HF. So many gems like this.

 

[TheImpatientPanther]

GM Holland is crushed to hear this news.
Could have been Edmonton, could have been EDM...

 

[Davo Ikinzom]

Jesus Christ, bad look for the KHL but not to be unexpected considering the you know...

 

[Caser]

GM Holland is crushed to hear this news.
Could have been Edmonton, could have been EDM...

Looking at the Oilers GK stats I kind of feel that the fans wouldn't be that opposed to the idea lol.

Jesus Christ, bad look for the KHL but not to be unexpected considering the you know...

Considering that you don't understand the context, yes.

 

[leeroggy]

What's the big deal? He's only a few years older than Tom Brady . . .

 

[Davo Ikinzom]

Considering that you don't understand the context, yes.

Nah, I fully understand the context of why 50 year old Russians are coming out of retirement instead of signing foreigners to play in their league like they used to.

 

[Caser]

Nah, I fully understand the context of why 50 year old Russians are coming out of retirement instead of signing foreigners to play in their league.

No, you don't and just admitted that, as they have Slovakian Adam Huska and Belarussian Ivan Kulbakov ahead of Khabibulin in the pecking order, both non-Russians just in case you didn't notice.

 

[Davo Ikinzom]

No, you don't and just admitted that, as they have Slovakian Adam Huska and Belarussian Ivan Kulbakov ahead of Khabibulin in the pecking order, both non-Russians just in case you didn't notice.

I mean, the fact that you're using a Belarussian as an example of a foreign player in the KHL says it all really.

If you want to pretend there wasn't an exodus of foreign players from the league after the elephant in the room we're not allowed to talk about, then it's obvious you just have your head in the sand.

Not to mention Jokerit and Dinamo dropping out of the league.

 

[xECK29x]

He won't even get a game, he signed on to be their third goalie in an emergency, this will sell tickets though.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

I always used to confuse him and Evegeni Nabakov

I don’t think I did.

But I just did right now.

 

[Caser]

I mean, the fact that you're using a Belarussian as an example of a foreign player in the KHL says it all really.

If you want to pretend there wasn't an exodus of foreign players from the league after the elephant in the room we're not allowed to talk about, then it's obvious you just have your head in the sand.

Not to mention Jokerit and Dinamo dropping out of the league.

Man, are you aware that the Russian KHL teams can't even have more than one foreign (non-Russian, non-Belarus and non-Kazakh) goalie? If you would be, you wouldn't even be writing all that.

 

[Namikaze Minato]

THE BULIN WALL IS BACK!?!?!

 

[Hobnobs]

Soon...

 

[deleted user]

Wait.. what? Lol. Oh my.

 

[Davo Ikinzom]

Man, are you aware that the Russian KHL teams can't even have more than one foreign (non-Russian, non-Belarus and non-Kazakh) goalie? If you would be, you wouldn't even be writing all that.

No, that's why I'd expect someone who's more familiar with the league like yourself to add context.

Anyway, I saw some Tampa fan say he's their goalie coach. That and it being a publicity stunt are the only good explanations.

 

[Namikaze Minato]

He was my older brothers favourite goalie growing up and just looking back at his stats are so crazy.

How you play 70 games with a SV .920%, a GAA of 2.36 and you LOSE MORE GAMES THAN YOU WIN

WHAT THE FLYING F***!?

 

[YP44]

I pulled my groin thinking about playing goal at 50...in a beer league

 

[CaptBrannigan]

Huzzah for an excuse to share a Khabibulin anecdote that I didn't know until a few years back. I missed most of the 1998 Olympics due to school + time difference + Team USA bowing out early. There was a thread on the history of hockey board with some highlights of the Gold Medal game and I was surprised that Mikhail Shtalenkov was in net for the Russians. Then I was shocked when I looked up the roster and Khabibulin wasn't even on the team.

The story behind that was amusing. In 1992, Khabibulin was the young third string goalie on the post-Soviet breakup unified team which won Gold. Viktor Tikhonov was still the head coach but figured his time with that job would be coming to an end. Coaches don't receive medals and Tikhonov felt like he deserved one, so he essentially took Khabibulin's. Khabibulin was understandably upset about that but didn't speak out since he was young. He'd play for Team Russia at the 1996 World Cup but refused to play in 1998 since most of the old guard still held positions of power.

https://www.seattlepi.com/sports/article/olympics-notebook-after-10-years-khabibulin-1080612.php

Slava Fetisov took over in time for the 2002 Olympics and was able to get Khabibulin back on the team. The IOC also presented Khabibulin with a replacement medal.

That was a big deal here in Tampa at the time. I believe it was the first (maybe only) time the IOC had recast a medal from a previous Olympics.

 

[Stealth1616]

This has got to be a joke right ?

That team doesn’t actually plan on playing him to stop pucks right ?

 

[WTFMAN99]

I thought a thread was brought back from the dead.

 

[Caser]

No, that's why I'd expect someone who's more familiar with the league like yourself to add context.

Anyway, I saw some Tampa fan say he's their goalie coach. That and it being a publicity stunt are the only good explanations.

But I did add the context on the first page.

Also that if he actually plays he will be the second oldest player in the KHL history (after Fetisov back in 2009), which obviously also is a publicity thing.

 

[Namikaze Minato]

But I did add the context on the first page.

Also that if he actually plays he will be the second oldest player in the KHL history (after Fetisov back in 2009), which obviously also is a publicity thing.

Don't care about the context. Dont care about the History. Dont care about the politics.


Can I watch the Bulin Wall or not ?!

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Would have been upgrade over Soderblom here in Chicago