Former Stanley Cup Champ, 4X All-Star Resumes Career At Age 50

In a stunning development, it's emerged today out of Russia that, 10 years removed from active playing, former Stanley Cup champion and four-time NHL All-Star Nikolai Khabibulin has decided to sign a contract with the KHL’s Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod.

This is real, too. https://t.co/B7gWTcSagH pic.twitter.com/q15Dch8a3p

— KHL (@khl_eng) December 27, 2023

Khabibulin is resuming his career at the age of 50, after not having played professionally since leaving the NHL after the 2013-14 season. 

Considered one of the most legendary players in Russian hockey history, the move to sign Khabibulin as a third goalie is partly to "popularize the club throughout the country and abroad," admitted Torpedo General Director Alexander Kharlamov.

Khabibulin also has a gold and bronze medal at the Olympic Games in addition to his Stanley Cup ring, and will now join the team which is coached by another longtime former NHLers Igor Larionov.

The former netminder, after retiring from the NHL in 2014 at the age of 40, was out of hockey for five years, before joining the Russian national team as a goaltending coach in 2019-20. He has also worked with the World Juniors team and other international squads since then.

Khabibulin finished his 18-year NHL career with 799 games, a 2.72 GAA and a .907 Sv%.