Russian goaltenders in spotlight

EDMONTON, Alberta — Nikolai Khabibulin wakes up in Yekaterinburg to watch NHL playoff highlights and beams with pride at the saves made by so many Russian goaltenders.

For the first time, there are three Russian starting goaltenders in the conference finals and two will face off in the final. Sixteen years after Khabibulin became the first Russian goalie to win the Stanley Cup, Anton Khudobin of the Stars, Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Lightning and Semyon Varlamov of the Islanders are following his lead and showcasing the country’s strength between the pipes throughout multiple generations.

“It’s actually quite interesting to experience this because it has never happened before,” Khabibulin said.

From Hall of Famer Vladislav Tretiak in the Red Army days to Khabibulin and Evgeni Nabokov last generation and guys now like Vasilevskiy, Varlamov and Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky, Russia’s hockey history is full of strong goaltending. After a several-year gap caused by the downfall of the Soviet Union, the nation is again producing some of the best in the world with young prospects Igor Shesterkin, Ilya Sorokin, Ilya Samsonov and 2020 draft-eligible Yaroslav Askarov making up the next wave of stars.

“It’s crazy now we have all those goalies because before that was our problem, but now we have so many great goalies,” Capitals winger Ilya Kovalchuk said. “It says that hockey system is growing in Russia. The goaltenders who’s retired, they help the system to grow those young kids as good players. It’s great to see that many guys come to the NHL like Vasilevskiy, Varlamov and all those guys, Bobrovsky. They’re all dominating. It’s great.”

Nabokov credits this success and Russia’s goalie renaissance to a mix of more coaching and pure talent that’s possible now in the decades since the fall of communism there.