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Nikolai Khabibulin elected to spend his day with the Cup in Minsk, the capital city of Belarus.
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Another first for Stanley
By Kevin Shea | Special to NHL.com
July 27, 2004
"The Bulin Wall." It was all but impenetrable during the 2004 Stanley Cup Playoffs. And although Brad Richard earned the Conn Smythe as the most valuable playoff performer, there certainly was a case to be made for Nikolai Khabibulin. The Stanley Cup has visited a great number of places, some rustic, others exotic. The trophy is worshipped wherever it goes, but up until Saturday, July 17, the Stanley Cup had never been to Belarus. With Khabibulin part of a championship squad, he elected to spend his day with the Cup in Minsk, the capital city of Belarus. Nikolai was actually born in Sverlovsk, Russia, but his wife, Victoria, is from Belarus and Nikolai, Victoria and their daughter Sasha call Minsk their off-season home. Belarus is a beautiful country; an historic nation landlocked by neighbors Russia, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Ukraine. During World War II, the vast majority of Minsk lay in ruins, destroyed by warring factions, but the city has now been rebuilt to its pre-war opulence and boasts a population of almost 1.8 million. Although Minsk has been restored, the tragedy of war is never to be forgotten by residents, who built the Great Patriotic War Memorial in Skoriny, just outside of Minsk. When the plane touched down at the Minsk Airport, a throng of better than 50 media members awaited the Stanley Cup's first ever moments in Belarus. Also waiting were Nikolai and his daughter Sasha. Khabibulin held a press conference at the airport, welcoming the Stanley Cup, then took the trophy to Junost, an arena in Minsk. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko donned hockey equipment and took to the ice along with members of the national team abetted by Khabibulin in goal to face off against Junost Minsk. Teammates continually fed the president passes on the tape of his stick until at long last, he beat the netminder for Junost Minsk. Nikolai took the Stanley Cup to a private party hosted by his brother-in-law at a legion club nearby, where the evening ended in further celebration. Sunday, the Stanley Cup was taken to picturesque Gorky Park, normally a place of tranquility situated beside the river and Pobedy Square. The solitude evaporated Sunday, though, when the Stanley Cup was displayed for three and a half hours in front of the public, who lined up to see hockey's pre-eminent trophy and one of the games premier goalies. Afterwards, Nikolai and the Cup were guests of honor at a luncheon hosted by the Belarus Hockey Federation. The Stanley Cup was then packed and taken so Khabibulin, his wife and daughter could get photographs taken with parents and grandparents. Sunday night, as Khabibulin's day with the Cup wound down, a reception was held to further celebrate the Tampa Bay's victory, and the first visit of the Stanley Cup to Belarus. Kevin Shea is the Hockey Hall of Fame's Manager of Special Projects and Publishing.
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