Nikolai Khabibulin

Nikolai Ivanovich Khabibulin is the first Russian goaltender to have won the Stanley Cup.  Popularly knows as "the Bulin Wall", Khabibulin has several distinctions against his name. On top are four appearances in the NHL All-Star games, and the Olympic gold that he won while playing for CIS countries in 1992.

Khabibulin made his entry in NHL in 1992. But it was in 1996 when he moved with Winnipeg Jets to Phoenix, Arizona, where they became the Coyotes, that he made a name for himself. He was a workhorse and played as many as seventy games twice for Phoenix.
 
For a year Khabibulin played with Long Beach Ice Dogs of the International Hockey League, and helped them win the league's MVP trophy. This happened during the 1999-2000 season when Khabibulin had a bitter contract dispute with Coyotes.

In 2001, Khabibulin moved to Tampa Bay. It was a move that paid off. In 2003, he helped Tampa Bay reach the playoffs and in 2004 he helped them lift the Stanley Cup. Both were noteworthy feats. In July 2005, Khabibulin became a free agent, and signed a four-year $6.25 million deal with the Chicago Blackhawks.Click here to add this page to your favorites

Nikolai Khabibulin wears Nike Bauer equipment.