The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed goaltender Sergei Ivanov to a two-year, entry level contract through the 2027-28 season, club President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Don Waddell announced today. Ivanov is expected to spend the 2026-27 season in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) before playing in North America.
“We are thrilled to sign Sergei to an entry level contract,” said Waddell. “He possesses great quickness and agility, along with sound positional play, and has performed exceptionally well as a very young goaltender in the KHL over the past four seasons.”
Ivanov, 22, was selected by the Blue Jackets in the fifth round, 138th overall, at the 2022 NHL Draft. He posted a 34-50-8 record with a 2.65 goals-against average (GAA), .923 save percentage (SV%) and eight shutouts in 108 career appearances with SKA St. Petersburg, HK Sochi and Admiral Vladivostok over four seasons in Russia’s top professional league (KHL) from 2022-26. He has also gone 1-1-0 with a 1.52 GAA and .938 SV% in two career KHL playoff games.
A native of Chernushka, Russia, Ivanov posted a 13-11-2 record with a 2.50 GAA, .928 SV% and three shutouts in 29 games with SKA St. Petersburg in 2025-26. He finished sixth-T in the league in save percentage (min. 20 GP) and ranked third-T among netminders 23-years-old and younger in shutouts, fourth in save percentage and sixth in goals-against average (min. 20 GP).
The 6-0, 176-pound netminder compiled a 3.00 GAA and .911 SV% in a KHL career-high 38 games with HK Sochi in 2024-25. He played for three teams during the 2023-24 campaign, including SKA St. Petersburg and Admiral Vladivostok in the KHL. He played for three teams in SKA St. Petersburg’s system in 2022-23, including making his professional debut and posting a 1.12 GAA and .957 SV% in five outings with the KHL club.
Ivanov has registered a 2.81 GAA and .909 SV% in 23 career appearances in Russia’s second professional league (VHL) from 2022-26. He also posted a 2.75 GAA and .921 SV% in 60 contests in the country’s junior league (MHL) from 2020-24.
