Goalie Ivan Kulbakov says goodbye to Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod

Goaltender Ivan Kulbakov has bid farewell to HC Torpedo and the city of Nizhny Novgorod as he prepares to join Admiral Vladivostok. He expressed gratitude to the team and fans in a social media post.

Jan 31, 2026

Ivan Kulbakov played as a goaltender for HC Torpedo in Nizhny Novgorod for four seasons before his transfer to Admiral Vladivostok.
Source:
HC Torpedo / Vk.com

Former HC Torpedo goaltender Ivan Kulbakov has written a post bidding farewell to the fans and the team. The athlete thanked the Nizhny Novgorod hockey club for the emotions, the struggle, and the support during difficult times, and wished it «victories, development, and a great future.»

Torpedo conducted a player exchange with the Admiral club from Vladivostok. Goaltender Dmitry Shugayev and forward Igor Geraskin have joined our team, while Ivan Kulbakov has moved in the opposite direction.

The club has made a difficult decision regarding Ivan Kulbakov«s transfer, as he needs consistent playing time, especially considering that on June 1 he will attain Unrestricted Free Agent status. Initially, an exchange with one of the top clubs in the Eastern Conference was considered, but it was not possible to agree on the terms of the transfer,

commented Torpedo»s general director Yevgeny Zabuga.

Ivan Kulbakov spent four years with the Nizhny Novgorod HC Torpedo. According to the athlete, they «truly were one family.»

It was an incredible time that will forever remain in my heart and memory with the warmest feelings. From the bottom of my heart, I wish the city and the hockey club «Torpedo» only victories, development, and a great future. Nizhny Novgorod is not just a hockey city; it is a city of sincere, kind, and truly loving people. Until we meet again at the hockey rink,

Kulbakov wrote on social media.

Ivan«s wife Valeria Kulbakova – a blogger and Torpedo fan – also bid a touching farewell to the Nizhny Novgorod hockey club.

Right now it«s hard to find the words; emotions are overwhelming, my pulse is racing, and in my soul there is both gratitude and pain at the same time. Nizhny Novgorod became a true home for us. Here we met people who gave us sincere love, support, and care. Thank you to everyone who was by our side,

she wrote.

Read more about the changes at HC Torpedo in a separate article.