Khabibulin is a Stanley Cup champion and an Olympic gold medalist who played for five teams during his 18 seasons in the NHL.

The original Winnipeg Jets selected Khabibulin in the ninth round (No. 204) of the 1992 NHL Draft after he had won a gold medal as the backup goalie for the Unified Team (made up of players from the former Soviet Union) at the 1992 Albertville Olympics.

Khabibulin joined the Jets for the lockout-shortened 1994-95 season. He made his NHL debut in a relief appearance Jan. 21, 1995, got his first NHL start six days later and earned his first NHL victory Feb. 6, 1995.

The Jets relocated in 1996 and Khabibulin emerged as the starter for the renamed Phoenix Coyotes, He won 118 games from 1995-96 through 1998-99, but after sitting out 1999-2000 in a contract dispute (and playing for Long Beach of the International Hockey League), Khabibulin was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 5, 2001.

He blossomed with the Lightning, being selected to play in the 2002 NHL All-Star Game and helping them return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2003, their first postseason appearance since 1996. One year later, his goaltending was a key factor in Tampa Bay's run to its first championship since entering the NHL in 1992. Khabibulin went 16-7 with a 1.71 goals-against average, five shutouts and .933 save percentage.

When the NHL resumed play after the 2004-05 lockout, Khabibulin was a free agent and signed a four-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks on Aug. 5, 2005. He and his new team struggled until 2008-09, when Khabibulin went 25-8-7 with a 2.33 GAA and .919 save percentage. He helped the Blackhawks reach the Western Conference Final but was injured during Game 3 and missed remainder of the series, won by the Detroit Red Wings in five games.

Khabibulin's strong showing in 2008-09 came in his final season before again becoming a free agent, and he signed with the Edmonton Oilers on July 1. But he missed most of 2009-10 with a wrist injury and struggled for the next three seasons, eventually becoming a backup. The Blackhawks signed him to play that role behind Corey Crawford but he was injured in a loss to the Nashville Predators on Nov. 16, 2013 and never played again in the NHL.

He retired 333-334-39 and 58 ties, a 2.72 GAA, .907 save percentage and 46 shutouts. In the playoffs, he was 39-31 with a 2.40 GAA, .917 save percentage and six shutouts.

NOTES & TRANSACTIONS

• James Gatschene Memorial Trophy (IHL - MVP) (2000) (co-winner - Frederic Chabot)
• Played in NHL All-Star Game (1998, 1999, 2002, 2003)
• Transferred to Phoenix after Winnipeg franchise relocated, July 1, 1996.
• Signed as a free agent by Long Beach (IHL) with Phoenix retaining NHL rights, January 14, 2000.
• Traded to Tampa Bay by Phoenix with Stan Neckar for Mike Johnson, Paul Mara, Ruslan Zainullin and NY Islanders' 2nd round pick (previously acquired, Phoenix selected Matthew Spiller) in 2001 NHL Draft, March 5, 2001.
• Signed as a free agent by Kazan (Russia), November 8, 2004.
• Signed as a free agent by Chicago, August 5, 2005.
• Signed as a free agent by Edmonton, July 1, 2009.
• Signed as a free agent by Chicago, July 5, 2013.