Ilya Nabokov hoisting the Stanley Cup: Credit: Yuri Kuzmin/KHL
Ilya Nabokov didn't expect to be selected by the Colorado Avalanche in the second round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, saying he was "a little shocked" by the event. The 21-year-old goalie, who won the Gagarin Cup and playoff MVP with Metallurg Magnitogorsk, had flown under the radar in previous drafts but always knew his goals.
"Andrei Vasilevskiy, Sergei Bobrovsky, Igor Shesterkin—these are Russian goalies who have won the Vezina Trophy as the best goalies in the NHL regular season, and I want to join them," Nabokov said to RG. "My goal is to become the best goalie in the world, and I will strive for that. However, first, I must win the award for best goalie in the KHL."
Nabokov was selected 38th overall in the draft. He said he watched the draft with his parents and expected to be selected in the fourth or fifth round. Being selected by a team with such a rich goaltending tradition was a nice bonus.
"Colorado is a good team with strong goaltending traditions. They are a championship team," Nabokov said. "This is a very good organization. I am happy to be there and want to be useful to them."
Nabokov appeared in 43 games, going 23-13-3 during the regular season. He posted a 2.15 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage with three shutouts, winning the Aleksei Cherepanov Award as the league’s best rookie. He continued to excel in the playoffs, going 16-6, helping his team win its third Gagarin Cup. With a 1.82 GAA, .942 SV%, and four shutouts, Nabokov was named playoff MVP.
Nabokov said that after the draft, he received a call from the Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic, with whom the hockey player spoke through an interpreter. "He's a big person," Nabokov said. The goalie does not yet have exact plans for leaving for the NHL. His main goal is to add stability and win another championship in Russia.
"I still have a year left on my contract, so I don't want to rush," Nabokov said. "Yes, I became the playoffs MVP, but it's time to forget. The new season is starting soon. We need to prepare and prove that everything was not a coincidence. This is a very important season for me and the team. We must play well, win the Cup, and then we'll see."
Sergey Demidov
