Bobrovsky thoroughly deserves this NHL triumph!

I always root for Russian players and wish our guys success. Naturally, during the NHL playoff finals, sympathies were on the side of Florida. And most of all I was supporting Sergei Bobrovsky. You understand that I have a particularly warm attitude towards goalkeepers, especially Sergei. We constantly keep in touch, both throughout the regular season and playoffs. I also send certain mascots to Sergei, but I'll leave it to him to reveal what they are!

Of course, I'm incredibly happy for Sergei who has won his maiden Stanley Cup! Here are three reasons why...

Firstly, he is a great athlete, a great goalkeeper who has worked really hard to maintain his incredibly high performance level.

Secondly, Sergei is a wonderful person. Bobrovsky has always been and remains a patriot of Russia, a patriot of our team. When he plays for Russia on the international stage, he always gives 100% - especially at the 2014 World Championship when we won the gold medal.

And thirdly, the 2024 Stanley Cup was won by Bobrovsky. Yes, ice hockey is a team sport, but goalkeepers make the decisive contributions. Don't forget what strong opponents Florida faced in the playoffs, especially in the finals. Connor McDavid alone can beat two or three at any time! And our goalkeeper stopped Edmonton's powerful attacking line almost single-handedly. I won’t lie, it was very pleasant to watch how the Russian goalkeeper stopped the main stars of Canada!

Of course, we shouldn’t forget our other players, Sergei’s teammates. Vladimir Tarasenko and Dmitry Kulikov are also top players, true leaders, and their contribution to the overall victory is also significant.

In my opinion, Sergei was the MVP of these Stanley Cup playoffs. Without Bobrovsky, Florida wouldn't have become champions!

In North America, a lot is written about the fact that Sergei has already done enough to earn a place in the Hockey Hall of Fame. I completely agree with this. Bobrovsky is a world champion, a Stanley Cup champion and a two-time Vezina Trophy winner. It's obvious that he's one of the strongest goalkeepers of his generation.

And, of course, Bobrovsky’s scintillating performances once again showed the strength of the Russian goalkeeping school. We have the best goalkeepers in the world!

President of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation,

Vladislav Tretiak