Anton Khudobin, who helped the Dallas Stars reach the Stanley Cup Final in the 2019/2020 season, has joined Sibir Novosibirsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). His contract with the club extends through April 30, 2024, and he will wear the number 35 on his jersey.
Khudobin’s career path spans multiple leagues and teams. He spent the 2019/2020 season with Dallas after stints with the Chicago Blackhawks, Minnesota Wild, Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, and Anaheim Ducks in the National Hockey League. Earlier in his career, he began with Metallurg Magnitogorsk in Russia and played 26 games for Atlant Moscow Oblast during the 2012/13 NHL lockout season in North America.
His standout moment came when he helped the Stars reach the Stanley Cup Final, where Dallas ultimately fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the championship series. The following seasons saw Khudobin explore different pathways in professional hockey, including a high level of competition in the Russian leagues.
In 2023, Khudobin appeared for Sokol Krasnoyarsk in the All-Russian Hockey League (VHL), adding another dimension to his diverse professional resume. Earlier in his career, in 2014, he celebrated a world championship title as a member of the Russian national team, underscoring his status as a top goaltender on the international stage.
Khudobin has spoken in the past about the contrast between Russian and American approaches to hockey culture and development, reflecting how diverse training philosophies can shape a player’s approach to competition and endurance on the ice. His journey illustrates the global nature of professional hockey and the ways athletes adapt as they move between leagues and countries [citation].