The Russian Penguins were a professional touring
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...
n
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two o ...
club that competed in the
1993–94 IHL season The 1993–94 IHL season was the 49th season of the International Hockey League, a North American minor professional league. 13 teams participated in the regular season, and the Atlanta Knights won the Turner Cup.
Regular season
Turner C ...
, playing one game against each of the 13 teams involved in the regular IHL season. The results of the games played by the Russian Penguins counted in the standings for that season. The Penguins finished with a record of 2 wins, 9 losses, and 2 overtime losses earning them 6 points.
In 1993,
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have play ...
owner
Howard Baldwin
Howard Lapsley Baldwin[Rose Weld Baldwin obituary](_blank)
ccgfuneralhome.com; acce ...
bought a 50% interest in the struggling
HC CSKA Moscow
HC CSKA Moscow (1946–present, russian: ЦСКА Москва, Центральный Спортивный Клуб Армии, ''Central Sports Club of the Army, Moscow'') is a Russian professional ice hockey club based in Moscow. The club i ...
team and signed a management contract to run that club's
arena
An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectato ...
. The aim was to provide the team with Western sponsorship and much-needed capital, as well as providing the Pittsburgh club with easier access to Russian players. The partnership lasted two years until Baldwin and other sponsors pulled out.
Nikolai Khabibulin
Nikolai Alexandrovich Khabibulin (; rus, Николай Александрович Хабибулин, p=xəbʲɪˈbulʲɪn, born January 13, 1973) is a Russian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Known by the nickname "The Bulin Wall", h ...
was the most notable player on that roster. Other roster highlights included former first-round draft pick
Yan Golubovsky and former
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The club was founded as the Kans ...
forward
Sergei Brylin.
The history of the Pittsburgh Penguins investment in the team is chronicled in
Gabe Polsky
Gabe Polsky (born May 3, 1979) is an American film director, writer and producer.
Early life
Polsky was born to Soviet immigrants, and raised in the Chicago area. He attended the Hotchkiss School. After graduating, he went to Yale University, ...
's critically acclaimed 2019 documentary
Red Penguins. The film features interviews with
Howard Baldwin
Howard Lapsley Baldwin[Rose Weld Baldwin obituary](_blank)
ccgfuneralhome.com; acce ...
, Steven Warshaw, and CSKA General Manager at the time Valery Gushin.
Team statistics
;Players
;Goalkeepers
External links
Russian Penguins roster at Hockey Database
International Hockey League (1945–2001) teams
Ice hockey teams in Russia
1993–94 in Russian ice hockey
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