Nikolai Khabibulin

Last updated

Image taken from Skybox Impact 96-97 #105. Reprinted without permission.

BIOGRAPHY

BORN: Sverdlovsk, U.S.S.R. (now Russia), January 13, 1973.
HOME: Scottsdale, Arizona.
HEIGHT: 6'1"
WEIGHT: 176-195 lbs.
UNIFORM #: 35 (Winnipeg, Phoenix, Tampa Bay), 53 (Chicago 2005-06), 39 (Chicago 2006-present).
CATCHES: Left.
SALARY (1996-97): $910,000

STYLE: Open butterfly
STRENGTHS: Good size, solid fundamentals, plays angles effectively. Has great feet. Tough to beat low.
WEAKNESSES: Poor stickhandling. Inconsistent, perhaps due to fatigue.

HIS MASK: "Someone tabbed me the Bulin Wall [after the Berlin Wall] and it stuck. I told the painter to do something cool. So he did this thing based on The Wall by Pink Floyd. I don't know anything about Pink Floyd. I don't have any of their CDs. I don't even know what some of the things here are. And they spelled my nickname wrong - there shouldn't be an O." (ESPN The Magazine, 1/21/02, p. 104)
Name pronounced Nicol-EYE Hah-bee-BOO-lin

OTHER NIKOLAI KHABIBULIN SITES:

Nikolai Khabibulin - The Website!
The Nikolai Khabibulin Fan Page

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING:

"While [Michal] Grosek and [Ravil] Gusmanov go through the slings and arrows of gaining experience in the AHL, Khabibulin is the guy behind them dealing with their mistakes, trying to keep nightly scores respectable. The 21-year-old Russian-born goalie had plenty of work with a very ordinary Central Army team last year, so at least he's used to work. "The one thing you can say about Nikolai," [Winnipeg director of player personnal Randy] Carlyle said, "is that he's a worker."" (Tim Campbell, The Hockey News Future Watch 1995)

"The Russian [Khabibulin] has quick hands and an ability to get in front of just about everything fired his way. Last year, on a team with a marginal defense and a group of forwards who often forgot to check, Khabibulin had a respectable goals-against average of 3.13." (The Sporting News Hockey Yearbook 1996-97, p. 92)

"In case you didn't believe the numbers goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin put up in Winnipeg last seasn and in the playoffs (when he singlehandedly kept the Jets in their series against the Red Wings), be prepared for more of the same from Khabibulin in Phoenix this season." (The Sporting News Hockey Yearbook 1996-97, p. 13)

"The best Russian goalie since Tretiak. Improved defense will make him better." (ESPN Hockey 96, p. 97)

"Playing in only his second full NHL season, Nikolai Khabibulin kept improving and by starting in 49 straight games to finish the season, also showed his durability. Although his numbers weren't spectacular - he went 30-33-6 with a 2.83 goals-against average - Khabibulin raised eyebrows by posting a club-record seven shutouts." (The Hockey News 1997-98 Yearbook, p. 151)

"Goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin had a good season and is becoming one of the best backstops in the league." (The Sports Forecaster Hockey '97-'98, p. 170)

"Nikolai Khabibulin was one of the NHL's best at times last year, but has to become more consistent." (The Sports Forecaster Hockey '97-'98, p. 171)

"Khabibulin and Darcy Wakaluk are a good tandem, but Wakaluk is basically a spectator as Nikolai is the designated workhorse." (The Sports Forecaster Hockey '97-'98, p. 171)

"Certainly not your typical European goalie. He doesn't sit back in the net. He challenges. Great glove hand. And he's durable. We haven't had much success against him so I really can't tell you how to beat him. If I knew, I'd do it myself." (Theoren Fleury, ESPN Sportszone, April 1998)

"The Russian has emerged as one of the NHL's premier workhorse goalies. A spectacular goalkeeper, Khabibulin needs to cut down on mental lapses in order to take his game to the next level. Known as the "Bulin Wall", the 6-1, 196 pounder covers a lot of the net by himself. His tremendous reflexes make him a force at stealing goals away from opposing players. Now that he has a capable backup, Khabibulin should see fewer minutes during the regular season. It's the Coyotes' hope that this latest strategy will lead to more playoff minutes, as in rounds won." (The Sports Forecaster 1999-2000, p. 210)

"One of the world's finest netminders, Khabibulin's GAA dropped for five consecutive seasons and peaked at an all-time low of 2.13 two seasons ago in 1998-99. A workhorse, the Russian athlete is highly acrobatic. Not able to find common ground with GM Bobby Smith of the Coyotes on the terms of a new deal, he spent half of last season with the Long Beach Ice Dogs of the IHL, with whom he signed in January. Loves to challenge shooters. Khabibulin's shills are still razor sharp. Named the IHL's co-MVP, along with Frederic Chabot of the Houston Aeros, chances are you'll be seeing him in the NHL again this year. However, when is not exactly certain. Numerous clubs have come calling but something tells us that Smith still hopes to iron out a deal and have him do his thing in Phoenix." (The Sports Forecaster 2000-01, p. 208)

"After nearly a two-year absence, Khabibulin finally made his return to the NHL last season. In just two games with the Lightning down the stretch, he showed the ability that once made him a top-notch goaltender in the NHL. However, that was in games that didn't mean anything. Now, the talented Russian must prove that he can give the Lightning the first-rate netminding the team has lacked since Daren Puppa's heyday in 1995-96. Despite Kevin Weekes' claims on the top job, the "Bulin Wall" is entrenched as the starter in Tampa Bay. He should appear in 55-60 games." (The Sports Forecaster 2001-02, p. 132)

"The 32-year-old netminder, who led Tampa Bay to a Stanley Cup triumph in 2003-04, shocked the hockey establishment by bolting to Chicago as an unrestricted free agent. Khabibulin received a better deal from the 'Hawks, but it was still a surprising decision to leave Tampa. The "Bulin Wall" is expected to lead a Chicago revival." (The Sports Forecaster 2005-06, p. 102)

TRANSACTIONS:

ACCOLADES:

VEZINA TROPHY BALLOTING:

PTS1st2nd3rdRANKSHARE
2001-02300380.02
2002-03602070.04

ALL-STAR TEAM BALLOTING:

PTS1st2nd3rdRANKSHARE
1995-96100180.00
1996-97100180.00
2001-02401160.01
2002-03401190.01
2003-041001100.00

INJURIES:

RECORDS:

PENALTY SHOTS:

NHL SHOOTOUTS:

DID YOU KNOW?

SEASON RECORDS:

REGULAR SEASON
Year  Team                        GP    Min   W   L   T  OL     GA    GAA   Shots    Sv%   ShO   G   A   PiM     S/60    PERS
88-89 Avtomo Sverdlovsk USSRJr
      Avtomo Sverdlovsk USSR       1      3   0   0   0          0   0.00                    0
89-90 Avtomo Sverdlovsk USSRJr
90-91 Sputnik Nizhny Tagil USSRJr
      Soviet Union EURO JUNIOR     5    242                     11   2.73
91-92 CSKA Moscow CIS              2     34                      2   3.53
      Russia WORLD JUNIOR          6    289   6   0   0          7   1.45                    2
      Russia OLYMPICS             SPARE GOALTENDER
92-93 CSKA Moscow CIS             13    491                     27   3.30
      Russia WORLD JUNIOR          6    340   2   3   1         15   2.65                    1
93-94 CSKA Moscow CIS             46   2625                    116   2.65                    5
      Russian Penguins IHL        12    639   2   7   2         47   4.41     370   .873     0   0   0     0    34.74  930.88
94-95 Springfield Falcons AHL     23   1240   9   9   3         80   3.87     636   .874     0   0   2     2    30.77  925.50
      Winnipeg Jets NHL           26   1339   8   9   4         76   3.41     723   .895     0   0   1     4    32.40  948.88
95-96 Winnipeg Jets NHL           53   2913  26  20   3        152   3.13    1656   .908     2   0   0    12    34.11  965.06
96-97 Russia WORLD CUP             2    100   0   2   0         10   6.00                    0
      Phoenix Coyotes NHL         72   4091  30  33   6        193   2.83    2094   .908     7   0   3    16    30.71  959.02
97-98 Phoenix Coyotes NHL         70   4026  30  28  10        184   2.74    1835   .900     4   0   2    22    27.35  945.31
98-99 Phoenix Coyotes NHL         63   3657  32  23   7        130   2.13    1681   .923     8   0   0     8    27.58  968.63
99-00 Long Beach Ice Dogs IHL     33   1936  26  11   1         59   1.83     842   .930     5   0   1     2    26.10  973.42
00-01 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL      2    123   1   1   0          6   2.93      69   .913     0   0   0     0    33.66  969.14
01-02 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL     70   3896  24  32  10        153   2.36    1914   .920     7   0   2     6    29.48  969.19
      Russia OLYMPICS              6    359   3   2   1         14   2.33     200   .930     1   0   0     0    33.41  985.68
02-03 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL     65   3787  30  22  11        156   2.47    1760   .911     4   0   3     8
03-04 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL     55   3274  28  19   7        127   2.33    1414   .910     3   0   2    12
04-05 Ak Bars Kazan RUSSIA        24   1457  16   5   3         40   1.65                    5   0   1     4
05-06 Chicago Blackhawks NHL      50   2815  17  26       6    157   3.35    1379   .886     0   0   1    10
06-07 Chicago Blackhawks NHL      60   3425  25  26       5    163   2.86    1668   .902     1   0   0     8
ELEVEN (11) NHL SEASONS          586  33346 251 239  58  11   1497   2.69   16193  0.908    36   0  14   106

POST-SEASON
Year  Team                        GP    Min   W   L   GA    GAA   Shots    Sv%   ShO   G   A   PiM     S/60    PERS
95-96 Winnipeg Jets NHL            6    359   2   4   19   3.18     214   .911     0   0   0     0    35.77  970.82
96-97 Phoenix Coyotes NHL          7    426   3   4   15   2.11     222   .932     1   0   0     6    31.27  984.55
97-98 Phoenix Coyotes NHL          4    185   2   1   13   4.22     106   .877     0   0   1     0    34.38  934.66
98-99 Phoenix Coyotes NHL          7    449   3   4   18   2.41     236   .924     0   0   0     2    31.54  976.29
99-00 Long Beach Ice Dogs IHL      5    321   2   3   15   2.80                    0   0   0     0
02-03 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL     10    644   5   5   26   2.42     299   .913     0   0   0     0
03-04 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL     23   1401  16   7   40   1.71     598   .933     5   0   0     0
SIX (6) NHL POSTSEASONS           57   3526  31  25  131   2.23    1675  0.922     6   0   1     8

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