Sergei Bobrovsky
Encyclopedia
Sergei Andreyevich "Bob" Bobrovsky is a Russian
professional ice hockey
goaltender
currently playing for the Philadelphia Flyers
of the National Hockey League
(NHL).
General Manager Paul Holmgren
has said that the Flyers considered drafting him during the 2006 NHL Entry Draft
, but ultimately decided not to do so given the difficulty of signing Russian players at the time. After playing his first four professional seasons with Metallurg Novokuznetsk
in Russia, Bobrovsky signed a three-year entry level contract with the Flyers on May 6, 2010. He was initially slated to begin his North American career with the American Hockey League
's Adirondack Phantoms
, but after impressing coaches during training camp, Bobrovsky replaced the injured starter Michael Leighton
on the roster. Even after Leighton recovered, Bobrovsky continued to share duties with Brian Boucher
.
Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette
named Bobrovsky the starting goaltender for the opening game of the 2010–11
season against the Pittsburgh Penguins
on October 7, 2010. In his NHL debut, Bobrovsky picked up a 3–2 win and was named the game's first star in the first regular season game at Pittsburgh's Consol Energy Center. At 22 years and 17 days, he became the youngest goaltender to win a season-opening game for the Flyers, eclipsing Ron Hextall
, who started at 22 years and 159 days on October 9, 1986. He was also the first Flyers rookie goaltender to win his NHL debut since Antero Niittymäki
in 2004. Bobrovsky enjoyed a successful rookie season in posting a 28-13-8 record along with a .915 save percentage. However, after a disappointing showing during the playoffs
in which he was often benched in favor of backup Brian Boucher
, the Flyers signed Ilya Bryzgalov
to a nine-year contract to be the new starter. GM Paul Holmgren has stated that he intends to hold onto Bobrovsky, most likely as the backup goaltender.
, an eight-game series between Canadian and Russian juniors commemorating the 35th anniversary of the 1972 Summit Series
, and garnered the most ice-time of any goaltender. At the end of that year, he played in the 2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
, backstopping Russia to a bronze medal.
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
currently playing for the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL).
Playing career
Bobrovsky was never drafted into the NHL. Philadelphia FlyersPhiladelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
General Manager Paul Holmgren
Paul Holmgren
Paul Howard Holmgren is an American former professional ice hockey right winger who played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers and Minnesota North Stars. He moved into coaching after his playing career, serving as head coach of the Flyers and Hartford Whalers...
has said that the Flyers considered drafting him during the 2006 NHL Entry Draft
2006 NHL Entry Draft
The 2006 NHL Entry Draft was the 44th NHL Entry Draft. It was held at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on June 24, 2006.The draft order for the first 14 picks was decided during a lottery held on April 20, 2006....
, but ultimately decided not to do so given the difficulty of signing Russian players at the time. After playing his first four professional seasons with Metallurg Novokuznetsk
Metallurg Novokuznetsk
Metallurg Novokuznetsk is a professional ice hockey team from Siberia based in Novokuznetsk, Kemerovo Oblast, Russia. They are members of the Chernyshev Division in the Kontinental Hockey League.-History:-Champions:...
in Russia, Bobrovsky signed a three-year entry level contract with the Flyers on May 6, 2010. He was initially slated to begin his North American career with the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
's Adirondack Phantoms
Adirondack Phantoms
The Adirondack Phantoms are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League , who began play in the 2009–10 AHL season. The Phantoms are based in Glens Falls, New York, playing home games at the Glens Falls Civic Center. The Phantoms are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers...
, but after impressing coaches during training camp, Bobrovsky replaced the injured starter Michael Leighton
Michael Leighton
Michael "Mike" Leighton is a professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Adirondack Phantoms of the American Hockey League.-Playing career:...
on the roster. Even after Leighton recovered, Bobrovsky continued to share duties with Brian Boucher
Brian Boucher
Brian "Boosh" Boucher is an American professional ice hockey goaltender for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
.
Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette
Peter Laviolette
Peter Laviolette Jr. is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman and is the current head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League...
named Bobrovsky the starting goaltender for the opening game of the 2010–11
2010–11 NHL season
The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech...
season against the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
on October 7, 2010. In his NHL debut, Bobrovsky picked up a 3–2 win and was named the game's first star in the first regular season game at Pittsburgh's Consol Energy Center. At 22 years and 17 days, he became the youngest goaltender to win a season-opening game for the Flyers, eclipsing Ron Hextall
Ron Hextall
Ronald Jeffrey Hextall is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 13 National Hockey League seasons for the Philadelphia Flyers, Quebec Nordiques, and New York Islanders...
, who started at 22 years and 159 days on October 9, 1986. He was also the first Flyers rookie goaltender to win his NHL debut since Antero Niittymäki
Antero Niittymäki
Antero Pertti Elias Niittymäki is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently a member of the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League. He has previously played for the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers and Tampa Bay Lightning, as well as in the SM-liiga and the American Hockey League...
in 2004. Bobrovsky enjoyed a successful rookie season in posting a 28-13-8 record along with a .915 save percentage. However, after a disappointing showing during the playoffs
2011 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 13, 2011, after the conclusion of the 2010–11 NHL regular season. Game 1 of the Finals was held on June 1, while Game 7 was held on June 15...
in which he was often benched in favor of backup Brian Boucher
Brian Boucher
Brian "Boosh" Boucher is an American professional ice hockey goaltender for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, the Flyers signed Ilya Bryzgalov
Ilya Bryzgalov
Ilya Nikolayevich Bryzgalov is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League after being acquired by the team on June 7, 2011. He was selected in the second round of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, 44th overall, by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.In...
to a nine-year contract to be the new starter. GM Paul Holmgren has stated that he intends to hold onto Bobrovsky, most likely as the backup goaltender.
International play
Bobrovsky participated in the 2007 Super Series2007 Super Series
The 2007 Super Series was an eight-game Under-20 ice hockey challenge between Russia and Canada. The series was won by Canada, who shocked the Russians with seven wins and one tie . Over the course of the eight games, Canada outscored Russia 39-13. The Series was held from August 27 to September 9...
, an eight-game series between Canadian and Russian juniors commemorating the 35th anniversary of the 1972 Summit Series
Summit Series
The Summit Series was the first competition between the Soviet and an NHL-inclusive Canadian national ice hockey teams, an eight-game series held in September 1972...
, and garnered the most ice-time of any goaltender. At the end of that year, he played in the 2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 2008 IIHF World U20 Championship, or, as it is commonly referred to in Canada as the 2008 World Juniors and the United States, the 2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships is the 2008 edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships...
, backstopping Russia to a bronze medal.
Regular season
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | W | L | OTL | MIN | GA | SO | GAA Goals against average Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender.... |
SV% Save percentage Save percentage is an ice hockey and lacrosse statistic that represents the percentage of shots on goal a goaltender stops... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–07 | Metallurg Novokuznetsk Metallurg Novokuznetsk Metallurg Novokuznetsk is a professional ice hockey team from Siberia based in Novokuznetsk, Kemerovo Oblast, Russia. They are members of the Chernyshev Division in the Kontinental Hockey League.-History:-Champions:... |
RSL Russian Superleague The Russian Superleague , commonly abbreviated as RSL, was the highest division of the main professional ice hockey league in Russia. It was considered the second best league in the world, after the National Hockey League of North America... |
8 | — | — | — | 280 | 13 | 0 | 2.78 | — |
| 2007–08 | Metallurg Novokuznetsk | RSL | 24 | — | — | — | 1153 | 57 | 1 | 2.97 | .901 |
| 2008–09 2008–09 KHL season The 2008–09 KHL season was the inaugural season of the Kontinental Hockey League. It started on September 2, 2008, and finished on February 26, 2009... |
Metallurg Novokuznetsk | KHL Kontinental Hockey League The Kontinental Hockey League is an international professional ice hockey league in Eurasia founded in 2008. As of 2009, it is ranked as the strongest hockey league in Europe.... |
32 | 7 | 20 | 2 | 1636 | 69 | 1 | 2.53 | .927 |
| 2009–10 2009–10 KHL season The 2009–10 KHL season was the second season of the Kontinental Hockey League. It was held from 10 September 2009 to 27 April 2010, with a break for the Olympic winter games from 8 February to 3 March... |
Metallurg Novokuznetsk | KHL | 35 | 9 | 22 | 3 | 1964 | 89 | 1 | 2.72 | .919 |
| 2010–11 2010–11 NHL season The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech... |
Philadelphia Flyers Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
54 | 28 | 13 | 8 | 3017 | 130 | 0 | 2.59 | .915 |
| KHL totals | 67 | 16 | 42 | 5 | 3600 | 158 | 2 | 2.63 | .923 | ||
| NHL totals | 54 | 28 | 13 | 8 | 3017 | 130 | 0 | 2.59 | .915 | ||
| RSL totals | 32 | — | — | — | 1433 | 70 | 1 | 2.93 | — | ||
Playoffs
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–07 | Metallurg Novokuznetsk | RSL | 1 | — | — | 60 | 4 | 0 | 4.02 | — |
| 2010–11 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 6 | 0 | 2 | 186 | 10 | 0 | 3.23 | .877 |
| NHL totals | 6 | 0 | 2 | 186 | 10 | 0 | 3.23 | .877 | ||
| RSL totals | 1 | — | — | 60 | 4 | 0 | 4.02 | — | ||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Russia | SS 2007 Super Series The 2007 Super Series was an eight-game Under-20 ice hockey challenge between Russia and Canada. The series was won by Canada, who shocked the Russians with seven wins and one tie . Over the course of the eight games, Canada outscored Russia 39-13. The Series was held from August 27 to September 9... |
4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 240 | 21 | 0 | 5.25 | .853 | |
| 2008 2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The 2008 IIHF World U20 Championship, or, as it is commonly referred to in Canada as the 2008 World Juniors and the United States, the 2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships is the 2008 edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships... |
Russia | WJC | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 366 | 15 | 0 | 2.46 | .919 | |
| Junior int'l totals | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 366 | 15 | 0 | 2.46 | .919 | |||