Russia is doing something right with development of goaltenders
Quebec once held bragging rights when it came to NHL goalie stars
When it comes to producing elite calibre NHL goaltenders, the province of Quebec was once atop the throne. With the likes of Patrick Roy, Roberto Luongo, J.S. Giguere, Martin Brodeur and Marc-André Fleury, la belle province held bragging rights when it came to the development of future stars.
Of course, goaltending gurus like Francois Allaire and Benoit Allaire were integral in the success of many Quebec-born goalies in the 1980s and ’90s. The Allaire brothers were the masterminds in teaching goalies the butterfly style and enhance their skating and lateral mobility. The talented brothers were also monumental in convincing teams of the benefits of employing goaltending coaches.
Like anything in life, it seems as though there was an expiry date. The times have changed and when it comes to the top goaltenders currently employed in the NHL, Russia is producing them like a welloiled machine.
There is currently a plethora of phenomenal Russian goaltenders in the league. Some of the top names include two-time Stanley Cup winner Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Sergei Bobrovsky of the Florida Panthers, who has resurrected his career since leading the team to the Stanley Cup final last season.
In the State of New York, two of the game’s best play only 32 kilometres apart between Madison Square Garden and UBS Arena — 2022 Vezina winner Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers and his close friend Ilya Sorokin of the New York Islanders.
While it can easily be said that Vasilevskiy, Bobrovsky, Shesterkin and Sorokin are the premier goalies of Russian descent, there is still a long list of more than capable Russians guarding the cage throughout the NHL.
Ilya Samsonov of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Sorokin’s backup on Long Island, Semyon Varlamov, Pyotr Kochetkov, who has had the starting duties for the Carolina Hurricanes at the young age of 24, and Alexandar Georgiev of the Colorado Avalanche, who was born in Bulgaria, but is a dual Russian citizen.
Daniil Tarasov is a 24-year-old goaltender with the Columbus Blue Jackets still getting acclimatized to the NHL, and Yaroslav Askarov was drafted 11th overall by the Nashville Predators in 2020. Askarov has played games with the Predators and is currently seasoning in the American Hockey League with the Milwaukee Admirals. He has all the tools of a prototypical future No. 1 goaltender in the NHL.
Whether it’s the tutelage of legendary Russian goaltenders Vladislav Tretiak, 2004 Tampa Bay Lightning Stanley Cup champion Nikolai Khabibulin or long time San Jose Shark Evgeni Nabokov, Russian goalies have made their presence felt throughout the NHL.
It is currently unknown if Russia will participate in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy; however, if they do, there is no denying they will have a distinguished list of accomplished goaltenders to select from.
Russia is doing something right with the development of their goaltenders. The long list of talented goalies showing off their talents on a nightly basis across the NHL is concrete evidence.
CHRIS HARDILL IS A PETERBOROUGH NATIVE WHO PLAYED GOAL FOR THE OHL’S BARRIE COLTS, KINGSTON FRONTENACS AND OTTAWA 67’S FROM 2000 TO 2003 AND DOES COLOUR COMMENTARY ON PETERBOROUGH PETES RADIO BROADCASTS. HIS COLUMN WILL APPEAR WEEKLY IN THE EXAMINER DURING THE HOCKEY SEASON.