Lightning's Vasilevskiy pays tribute to former Oilers goaltender

Yesterday afternoon, the Tampa Bay Lightning released a new set of jerseys, going back to black as their primary colours in a throwback to the teams of the early 2000s. With the new black jerseys, Lightning star goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy took the opportunity to pay tribute to a former legendary Russian goalie, Nikolai Khabibulin.

With the new uniforms, Vasilevsky has also created a set of goalie pads that mimic that of Khabibulin's when he worse the similar jersey in Tampa Bay. The new Lightning jerseys made their debut last night against the Colorado Avalanche, take a look below.




Khabibulin was a fan-favourite goaltender who played across the league from 1994-2014, amassing an impressive 799 career games, a .907 save percentage, and a Stanley Cup with the Lightning in 2004. With the Oilers however, Khabibulin was the goaltender through some tough days, playing with the team from 2009-2013 and only recording 33 wins.

Still, it's great to see the legacy of a journeyman favourite goalie live on through his countryman. The Bulin Wall is still relevant!