Sergei Bobrovsky

Sergei Bobrovsky
Bobrovsky with the Blue Jackets in 2014
Born (1988-09-20) 20 September 1988
Novokuznetsk, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 182 lb (83 kg; 13 st 0 lb)
Position Goaltender
Catches Left
NHL team
Former teams		 Columbus Blue Jackets
Metallurg Novokuznetsk
Philadelphia Flyers
SKA Saint Petersburg
National team  Russia
NHL Draft Undrafted
Playing career 2006–present

Sergei Andreyevich "Bob" Bobrovsky (Russian: Серге́й Андреевич Бобровский; born 20 September 1988) is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). Bobrovsky won the Vezina Trophy for the 2012–13 regular season after posting a 21–11–6 record and a .932 save percentage and again for the 2016–17 regular season where he posted a 41–17–5 record and a .931 save percentage.

Playing career

Philadelphia Flyers

Bobrovsky with the Philadelphia Flyers in October 2010. The Flyers signed Bobrovsky to a three-year, entry-level contract earlier that year.

Bobrovsky was never drafted into the NHL. Philadelphia Flyers General Manager Paul Holmgren has said that the Flyers considered drafting him during the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, but ultimately decided not to given the difficulty of signing Russian players at the time.[1] After playing his first four professional seasons with Metallurg Novokuznetsk in Russia, Bobrovsky signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Flyers on 6 May 2010.[2] He was initially slated to begin his North American career with the American Hockey League (AHL)'s Adirondack Phantoms,[3] but after impressing coaches during training camp, Bobrovsky replaced the injured starter Michael Leighton on the roster.[4] Even after Leighton recovered, however, 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 7 October 2010.[4] 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.[5] 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 9 October, 1986.[5] He was also the first Flyers rookie goaltender to win his NHL debut since Antero Niittymäki did so in 2004.[6] Bobrovsky enjoyed a successful rookie season, posting a 28–13–8 record along with a .915 save percentage. After a disappointing showing during the playoffs, however, in which he was often benched in favor of backup Brian Boucher, the Flyers signed Ilya Bryzgalov to a nine-year contract to be their new starting goaltender.

Columbus Blue Jackets

After a season backing-up Bryzgalov, on 22 June 2012, Bobrovsky was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Columbus' second round draft choice in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft (Anthony Stolarz), a fourth round pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft (Taylor Leier), and the Phoenix Coyotes' fourth round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft (Justin Auger).[7][8]

Bobrovsky signed with SKA Saint Petersburg for the duration of the 2012–13 NHL lockout.

As a result of the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Bobrovsky signed a contract with SKA Saint Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), but returned to the Blue Jackets when the lockout finished. After splitting time early in the season, Bobrovsky supplanted Steve Mason as Columbus's starting goaltender; it was Bobrovsky's first time as a starter since his rookie season in Philadelphia. Bobrovsky was instrumental in the Blue Jackets' push for a playoff spot, which ultimately came up just short, as the team finished in ninth place in the Western Conference. Despite this, however, Bobrovsky had 21 wins, and career bests of a 2.00 goals against average and a .932 save percentage. With this performance, he was awarded the Vezina Trophy, awarded to the league's top goaltender.[9]

On 1 July 2013 he signed a two-year, $11.25 million contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets.[10] On July 3, 2013, he was named to the NHL First All-Star Team.

Bobrovsky with the Columbus Blue Jackets during the 2013–14 season. He signed a two-year contract with the Blue Jackets the previous off-season.

On 3 December 2013, Bobrovsky was injured in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning and would be out for four-to-five weeks. He returned to action on 6 January 2014, against the New York Rangers, earning a shootout victory by the score of 4–3. Bobrovsky also made a robbing glove save in the shootout on former Blue Jackets forward star Rick Nash, which was considered to be the game-saving stop.

Bobrovsky backstopped the Blue Jackets in the 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs, where they played the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference quarter-finals. The Blue Jackets won their first playoff game in franchise history on April 19, 2014, in Game 2 by a score of 4–3, and their second-ever playoff victory in Game 4. Bobrovsky played well in Game 5, saving 48 of 50 shots, posting a 0.960 save percentage. The Blue Jackets, however, ended up losing the game 3–1. The Blue Jackets were eliminated in Game 6 on April 28, 2014, by a score of 4–3.

During the 2016–17 season Bobrovsky posted a record of 41–17–5, good enough for second in the league while also setting a Blue Jackets franchise record for wins in a season by a goaltender, as well as a 2.06 GAA, .931 save percentage (both of which led the league among qualifying goaltenders), and 7 shutouts (third in the league). He, along with Braden Holtby, were the only goaltenders in the league to be in the top 5 in each category. For his efforts, he was rewarded with his second Vezina Trophy.

Bobrovsky's regular season success did not carry over to the postseason, however, as he continued to struggle. Throughout a 4–1 series loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, Bobrovsky won only one game, while posting a 3.88 GAA and an .882 save percentage, with 0 shutouts.

International play


Bobrovsky with the Russia national men's ice hockey team during the 2016 IIHF World Championship.
Medal record
Representing Russia Russia
Ice hockey
World Championships
2014 Belarus
2015 Czech Republic
2016 Russia
World Junior Championships
2008 Czech Republic

Bobrovsky participated in the 2007 Super Series, 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.

Bobrovsky was one of the Russian goalies for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. He and Semyon Varlamov split time tending the net. After a disappointing loss in a shootout to Team USA, the Russian team would end up being eliminated from the tournament by Finland with a 3–1 loss. Bobrovsky saw some action after Varlamov was pulled for letting in a couple of soft goals in the final game.

Bobrovsky participated in the 2014 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship in Belarus as Russia's starting netminder. In his first game at the IIHF, he saved all 27 shots, shutting out the Swiss by the score of 5–0. Russia won a berth in the IIHF Finals against Finland, who eliminated Russia from the Sochi Olympics. Bobrovsky faced-off against fellow NHL goaltender Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators in the gold medal game. Russia went on to win the gold medal game 5–2, with Bobrovsky saving 24 out of 26 shots, backstopping the Russians to their second gold medal in the past three years in the tournament.

Bobrovsky was named the starting goaltender of Team Russia for the 2015 IIHF World Championship. On 9 May, he saved 13 shots including a penalty shot against Belarus in the group stage to help his team to a 7–0 win. On 16 May in the semifinal, Bobrovsky made several outstanding saves against the U.S., and led his team to a 4–0 win. He eventually finished with 35 saves and was named Player of the Game for Team Russia. On 17 May, he allowed 6 goals on 37 shots in the final, and although he made some great saves early on, it was not enough to keep his team from losing 6–1 to Canada.

Personal

Bobrovsky married Olya Dorokova on 16 August 2011.[11] Bobrovsky's nickname is Bob.

Records and achievements

Government

Bobrovsky receiving the Order of Honor at the Kremlin, May 2014

NHL

Columbus Blue Jackets

  • Most wins in a season: 41 (2016–17)
  • Best goals against average in a season: 2.00 (2012–13)
  • Best save percentage: .932 (2012–13)

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP W L OT MIN GA SO GAA SV% GP W L MIN GA SO GAA SV%
2006–07 Metallurg Novokuznetsk RSL 8 — — — 280 13 0 2.78 — 1 — — 60 4 0 4.02 —
2007–08 Metallurg Novokuznetsk RSL 24 — — — 1153 57 1 2.97 .901 — — — — — — — —
2008–09 Metallurg Novokuznetsk KHL 32 6 16 2 1636 68 1 2.49 .927 — — — — — — — —
2009–10 Metallurg Novokuznetsk KHL 35 9 22 3 1964 89 1 2.72 .919 — — — — — — — —
2010–11 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 54 28 13 8 3017 130 0 2.59 .915 6 0 2 186 10 0 3.23 .877
2011–12 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 29 14 10 2 1550 78 0 3.02 .899 1 0 0 37 5 0 8.11 .722
2012–13 SKA Saint Petersburg KHL 24 18 3 2 1420 46 4 1.94 .932 — — — — — — — —
2012–13 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 38 21 11 6 2219 74 4 2.00 .932 — — — — — — — —
2013–14 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 58 32 20 5 3299 131 5 2.38 .923 6 2 4 378 20 0 3.17 .908
2014–15 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 51 30 17 3 2994 134 2 2.69 .918 — — — — — — — —
2015–16 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 37 15 19 1 2116 97 1 2.75 .908 — — — — — — — —
2016–17 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 63 41 17 5 3708 127 7 2.06 .931 5 1 4 310 20 0 3.88 .882
2017–18 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 65 37 22 6 3912 158 5 2.42 .921 6 2 4 416 22 0 3.18 .900
NHL totals 395 218 129 36 22,816 929 24 2.44 .920 24 5 14 1,325 77 0 3.49 .891
KHL totals 91 33 41 7 5019 203 6 2.43 .925 — — — — — — — —

International

Year Team Event Result GP W L OT MIN GA SO GAA SV%
2008 Russia WJC 3rd, bronze medalist(s) 6 4 2 0 366 15 0 2.46 .919
2014 Russia OG 5th 3 1 1 0 157 3 1 1.15 .952
2014 Russia WC 1st, gold medalist(s) 8 8 0 0 480 9 2 1.13 .950
2015 Russia WC 2nd, silver medalist(s) 9 6 3 0 542 21 1 2.32 .906
2016 Russia WC 3rd, bronze medalist(s) 9 7 2 0 521 15 1 1.73 .931
2016 Russia WCH 4th 4 2 2 0 237 10 1 2.53 .930
Junior totals 6 4 2 0 366 15 0 2.46 .919
Senior totals 33 24 8 0 1937 58 6 1.79 .933

Awards and honors

Award Year
NHL
First All-Star Team 2013, 2017
Vezina Trophy 2013, 2017 [9]
All-Star Game 2015†, 2017
International
WJC Top 3 player on Team 2008
WC Top 3 player on Team 2014, 2015, 2016
WC Best goaltender 2014

† Could not play due to injury.

References

  1. ↑ Joe Siville (2010-11-05). "The Story of Bob". "PhiladelphiaFlyers.com". Retrieved 2010-11-07.
  2. ↑ "Flyers Sign Three Prospects". Philadelphia Flyers. 2010-05-06. Retrieved 2010-07-05.
  3. ↑ Adam Kimelman (2010-07-14). "Flyers confident they have a future starting goalie". NHL.com. Retrieved 2010-11-07.
  4. 1 2 Mike G. Morreale (2010-10-07). "Russian rookie Bobrovsky gets nod in Flyers' net". NHL.com. Retrieved 2010-11-07.
  5. 1 2 "Flyers spoil Pens' debut in new home with 3–2 win". NHL.com. 2010-10-07. Retrieved 2010-11-07.
  6. ↑ Frank Seravalli (2010-10-08). "Bobrovsky's play needs no translation as Flyers beat Penguins". philly.com. Retrieved 2015-12-09.
  7. ↑ Mike Brehm (2012-06-22). "Blue Jackets acquire goalie Bobrovsky". USAToday. Retrieved 2012-06-22.
  8. ↑ The National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book/2014. Toronto: Diamond Sports Data, Inc. 2013. p. 593. ISBN 978-1-894801-26-3.
  9. 1 2 "Bobrovsky, Lundqvist, Niemi named Vezina finalists". NHL.com. 2013-05-08. Retrieved 2014-05-08.
  10. ↑ Wyshynski, Greg. "Sergei Bobrovsky's 2-year deal another win for Blue Jackets management". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  11. ↑ Josh Janet (2011-08-16). "Flyers News and Notes: August 16, 2011". gcobb.com. Retrieved 2012-01-08.
  12. ↑ "Бобровский награжден знаком "За заслуги перед городом Новокузнецком"" [Bobrovsky Received the "Badge of Merit for the Town of Novokuznetsk"]. Sports.ru. 2013-06-21.
  13. ↑ "Победители чемпионата мира по хоккею 2014 года в Минске, удостоенные государственных наград Российской Федерации" [The Winners of the 2014 World Ice Hockey Championships in Minsk Received Government Awards of the Russian Federation]. news.kremlin.ru. 2014-05-27.
  14. ↑ "Бобровский награждён орденом "Почёта Кузбасса"" [Bobrovsky Received the "Order of Honor of Kuzbass"]. Championat.com. 2014-06-03.
  15. ↑ "Губернатор Тулеев наградил хоккеиста Сергея Бобровского" [Governor Tuleev Awarded Hockey Player Sergei Bobrovsky]. sport-42.ru. 2014-06-03.
  16. ↑ "Bobrovsky named November's Rookie of the Month". NHL.com. 2010-12-02. Retrieved 2010-12-05.
  17. ↑ "Bobrovsky, Crosby and Carter named 'Three Stars'". NHL.com. 2013-03-11. Retrieved 2013-03-21.
  18. ↑ "Bobrovsky, Kessel and Bachman named 'Three Stars'". NHL.com. 2013-04-15. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
  19. ↑ "Stewart, Turris, Bobrovsky named 'Stars' of week". NHL.com. 2013-03-18. Retrieved 2013-03-21.
  20. ↑ "Crosby, Subban, Bobrovsky are March's 'Three Stars'". NHL.com. 2013-04-01. Retrieved 2013-04-01.

Further reading

  • Farber, Michael (14 February 2011). "What About Bob?". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
Awards and achievements

{{succession box | before = Henrik Lundqvist
Braden Holtby | title = Winner of the Vezina Trophy | years = 2013
2017 | after = Tuukka Rask
Pekka Rinne

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