Man of the Week: Ilya Nabokov

Ilya Nabokov, the talented goalie from Metallurg Magnitogorsk, has left an indelible mark on the leaague with his impressive accomplishments, notably earning the MVP title in the 2023-2024 Gagarin Cup playoffs.

The netminder was just awarded the Most Valuable Player award in the Gagarin Cup playoffs, and he was the youngest player ever to receive the award, with the previous record holder being another goalie, Ilya Sorokin, getting the prize in 2019 as he backstopped CSKA to the title. And if that’s not enough, Ilya Nabokov had all these accolades while being a rookie, as it was his first year with Magnitka, as he won the starting goalie position early in the season from the more experienced Artyom Zagidulin, who was then moved to Neftekhimik to allow more space for the rising star.

Early years

Born on Mar 27, 2003, in Kasli, Russia, Nabokov’s hockey journey began at the age of five when he joined the Mechel Chelyabinsk youth team. Patience and dedication was needed by both the young goalie and his parents, as he every day would make the travel from Kasli south to Chelyabinsk to follow his dream. Defenseman Evgeny Biryukov, who has just hanged them up after a record-breaking 1,001 KHL games, also hails from Kasli. His natural talent quickly propelled him forward, and by the end of 2014, he was already making waves in the junior teams of Metallurg Magnitogorsk at different age categories.

Nabokov’s junior hockey career showcased his growing skills. He had his debut in the JHL in 2019-2020, then went on to play two full seasons as the starting goalie for the Metallurg’s junior team, although the squad – differently from the senior team – always failed to achieve long playoff runs.

In the 2022-2023 season, other than playing in the junior league, he finally had his KHL debut, albeit it was on a very limited role. Earlier in the season, he was also called to the JHL All-Star game, and was awarded with goalie of the month honors in January. His progress continued in the following season – his first full-time campaign in the KHL – where he played 43 games, demonstrating remarkable stats with only 80 goals allowed and three shutouts, boasting an impressive save percentage of 93.0% and achieving 23 wins.

Gagarin Cup glory

However, it was in the 2024 playoffs that Nabokov truly emerged as a star. Throughout 23 games, he allowed only 41 goals and recorded four shutouts, showcasing a remarkable save percentage of 94.2%. His pivotal role contributed significantly to Metallurg’s third triumph in the Gagarin Cup, showcasing exceptional goaltending abilities throughout all the four series.

Nabokov’s outstanding performance in the playoffs earned him the prestigious title of MVP, making him the youngest MVP in the history of the Gagarin Cup playoffs at just 21 years and 32 days old. This achievement surpassed the previous record held by Ilya Sorokin, highlighting Nabokov’s exceptional talent and determination. He outplayed every goalie that he faced in the elimination round, showing composure and exceptional reflexes.

Before taking down Lokomotiv with a commanding 4-0 in the series, Metallurg defeated Amur, Spartak, and Avtomobilist, with Nabokov starting in all the elimination stage’s games for Magnitka, only once being substituted by his backup, Alexander Smolin. With Nabokov between the piping for at least another season, Andrei Razin has a fantastic foundation for starting to dream about a back-to-back triumph in Magnitogorsk.