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Khabibulin with the Oilers in 2009
Born	January 13, 1973 (1973-01-13) (age 37), Sverdlovsk, Russian SFSR, URS
Height Weight	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 208 lb (94 kg; 14 st 12 lb)
Position	Goaltender
Catches	Left
NHL team F. teams	Edmonton Oilers Chicago Blackhawks Tampa Bay Lightning Phoenix Coyotes Winnipeg Jets Avtomobilist Sverdlovsk HC CSKA Moscow Ak Bars Kazan
Ntl. team	Russia & Unified Team
NHL Draft	204th overall, 1992 Winnipeg Jets
Career	1994 – present

Nikolai Ivanovich Khabibulin (Russian: Николай Иванович Хабибулин; born January 13, 1973) is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender, who is currently signed to the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played for the Winnipeg Jets, Phoenix Coyotes, Tampa Bay Lightning and Chicago Blackhawks. He is often known by his nickname "The Bulin Wall".^[1] Other nicknames include "The Nyet Minder" and "The First Tsar".^[2]

Khabibulin's abilities have been recognized with four appearances in the NHL All-Star Game and two Olympic medals. He became the first Russian goalie ever to win the Stanley Cup in 2004, winning the title with the Lightning.

Playing career

Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes

He was selected in the ninth round of the 1992 NHL Entry Draft by the Winnipeg Jets. In the 1993–94 season Nikolai played with the touring Russian Penguins and by the start of the NHL season in 1994 was playing in the NHL. In 1996, he moved with the Jets to Phoenix, Arizona, where they became the Coyotes. In his three seasons in Phoenix, he played in seventy games twice and in sixty games the third season, a heavy workload for a goaltender. Although the Coyotes made the playoffs each of these years, some claimed that this heavy workload led Khabibulin to be fatigued for the playoffs, contributing to the team's failure to make it to the second round of the playoffs.

After the 1998–99 season, Nikolai became embroiled in a bitter contract dispute with the Coyotes, and ended up holding out for an entire season. During this year, he played for the Long Beach Ice Dogs of the International Hockey League (IHL), earning the league's MVP trophy.

Tampa Bay Lightning

On March 5, 2001, Khabibulin was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Mike Johnson, Paul Mara, Ruslan Zainullin and NY Islanders' 2nd round choice (previously acquired, Phoenix selected Matthew Spiller). He quickly signed a contract with Tampa Bay and by the next season, he re-emerged as a premier goaltender. Joined by superstars Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis and Brad Richards, Khabibulin helped lead the Lightning back to the playoffs in 2003 (their first appearance since 1996) and then to a Stanley Cup Championship in 2004 – the first championship in franchise history. Khabibulin recorded 5 shutouts in 23 playoff games, including 3 shutouts in the first-round match-up against the New York Islanders (tied for an NHL record for most shutouts in a playoff round).^[3] Unlike his time in Phoenix, Khabibulin could enjoy extended rest when needed due to the skill of his backup, John Grahame.

During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Khabibulin was one of many Russian players to return to their homeland. From November 2004, he played for Ak Bars Kazan in Kazan.

Chicago Blackhawks

Khabibulin with the Blackhawks in 2008

As the NHLPA ratified a new CBA, Khabibulin became a free agent when play was set to resume. Coming off his Stanley Cup win the previous NHL season, the Chicago Blackhawks signed him to a four-year, $27 million deal, making him the highest paid goalie in the league.^[4] But injuries and inconsistent play have plagued him during his tenure in Chicago. In his first season with the Blackhawks, he recorded a 3.35 goals-against-average – the highest of his career since his rookie season in Winnipeg – and Chicago finished second last in the Western Conference.

In July 2008, the Blackhawks signed goaltender Cristobal Huet, previously of the Washington Capitals. The signing of Huet was thought to have effectively displaced Khabibulin as the starting goalie, especially given he was put on waivers on September 29, 2008, but cleared.^[5] In light of Huet and Khabibulin's combined salaries (Huet was signed to a contract averaging $5.6 million per season),^[6] it was speculated Khabibulin would be traded to provide cap space.^[5][7] However, he spent the entire season with the team, playing in 42 games, and by the start of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs had retrenched himself as starting goaltender. Khabibulin and the Blackhawks defeated the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks to progress to the Western Conference Finals against the Detroit Red Wings. During the third game of the series, Khabibulin surrendered three goals in one period, after shutting out the Red Wings in the previous period. He was replaced by Cristobal Huet for the third period due to a lower body injury.^[8] Khabibulin missed the remaining three games of the series because of the injury.^[9]

Edmonton Oilers

On July 1, 2009, he signed a 4 year deal worth $15 million with the Edmonton Oilers,^[10] replacing Dwayne Roloson as the Oilers' starting goaltender.

His Oilers debut on October 3 against the Calgary Flames was a blunder, however. While trying to field a clearing pass in the final minute of the third period, he mishandled the puck and gave up the game-winning goal to Flames' right wing David Moss.^[11]

On January 13, 2010, it was announced that Khabibulin will have surgery to repair a hurniated disk in his back. He is expected to miss about 12 weeks, which would mean he would miss most of the remainder of the regular season.^[12]

International play

Medal record
Ice hockey
Competitor for  Russia
Winter Olympics
Bronze	2002	Salt Lake City
Competitor for  CIS
Winter Olympics
Gold	1992	Albertville
World Junior Championships
Gold	1992	Germany

Khabibulin at the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Khabibulin made his international debut with the Soviet Union at the 1991 European Junior Championships. He appeared in the 1992 World Junior Championships the next year and won a gold medal with the CIS, appearing in six games. Khabibulin and the national team had begun the tournament as the Soviet Union, but the state was dissolved following the round robin on New Year's Day, thus they proceeded to compete as the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

That same year, Khabibulin appeared in the 1992 Winter Olympics with the CIS as the third goaltender. Controversy arose after the CIS captured the gold medal when legendary Russian coach Viktor Tikhonov kept a medal for himself (coaches and management are not awarded medals in Olympic hockey) instead of allowing Khabibulin to have one, as Khabibulin had not played a game in the tournament.^[13] This is speculated to be the reason for Khabibulin boycotting the Russian team in later international tournaments. Ten years later, at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Khabibulin was finally awarded his 1992 Olympic gold medal in a private locker room ceremony with teammates and the Russian Hockey Federation.^[13]

After his second season with the Winnipeg Jets of the NHL, Khabibulin competed with Russia in the 1996 World Cup. He appeared in 2 games.

At the 2002 Winter Olympics, in which the 1992 gold medal conflict was resolved, Khabibulin established himself as the national team's starting goaltender. He helped Russia to a bronze medal while appearing in 6 games. He appeared again in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, but had previously been overtaken as Russia's starting goalie by the San Jose Sharks' Evgeni Nabokov. Khabibulin did not play a game in either tournament as Russia failed to medal.

Awards

• Won the James Gatschene Memorial Trophy (IHL) MVP) in 2000.
• Played in four NHL All-Star Games.

Career statistics

Regular season

*Beginning in the 2005–06 NHL season, regular season games could no longer end in a tie.

Playoffs

International statistics

Year	Team	Event	Place		GP	W	L	T / OT	MIN	GA	SO	GAA	SV%
1992	CIS	WJC	1 		6	6	0	0	289	7	2	1.45	.907
1992	Unified Team	Oly	1 		0	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1993	Russia	WJC	6th		6	2	3	1	340	15	1	2.65	.917
1996	Russia	WCH	SF		2	0	2	0	100	10	0	6.00	—
2002	Russia	Oly	3 		6	3	2	1	359	14	1	2.34	.930

References

External links

• blackhawks at TSN.ca
• Nikolai Khabibulin's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database
• Nikolai Khabibulin's NHL player profile
• Nikolai Khabibulin – player profile and career stats at European Hockey.Net