FLAMES RETOOL TRACKER: Does Kirill Zarubin have a future in Calgary's crease?

Calgary Herald

11-06-2025

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'I talk to him every other day on WhatsApp and he's very accountable, too. If I write him about his game and tell him he had a good game, it's always, 'No, I could be better. I could have stopped one of those.'
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'He played a little bit less this year, just because their 20-year-old, (Ilya) Kanarsky, was back. Kirill played more last year because that kid was hurt. But when he did play, he was outstanding and just got better as the season went on.'
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That didn't go unnoticed.
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As Zarubin was in the midst of posting a 12-9 record, 2.34 goals-against average and .935 save percentage in 21 appearances with AKM Tula, Sigalet's phone continued to buzz — not with curses from his counterparts but rather with reach-outs from recruiters wondering about his plans for the 2025-26 campaign.
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While at least one powerhouse college program had Zarubin earmarked as a could-be starter, there were concerns that he would struggle with classes due to the language barrier.
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The Youngstown Phantoms called his name in the USHL's draft this spring, but he has instead inked an extension at home. Flames fans should not view that as negative news, since Russia is the leading country for developing future crease stars. Some of the best puck-stoppers on the planet — guys like Igor Shesterkin and Andrei Vasilevskiy — honed their skills for multiple seasons in the MHL.
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Leonid Grishukevich, the goaltending coach for AKM Tula, had plenty of praise for Zarubin. In a text message conversation, he described him as an 'excellent student.'
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Listing off some of his strengths, he mentioned he 'perfectly copes with emotions,' 'understands and reads the game well' and 'fights to the end in every moment.'
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According to Grishukevich, who is originally from Belarus and spent one winter in the Alberta Junior Hockey League in the late-90s as the last-line-of-defence for the Olds Grizzlys, Zarubin likes to watch and study Mackenzie Blackwood of the Colorado Avalanche. As Grishukevich summarized: 'Kirill likes his tactics of the game, the use of his own size and the choice of positioning.'
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David Phillips, the chief goaltending scout for FC Hockey, tracked Zarubin through his draft season. In more recent video viewings, he has noticed some significant strides.
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'When he was drafted by Calgary, I could see why they'd want a guy like him because of the raw talent and the size and the athleticism that he does have,' Phillips said. 'And then this year, I was very impressed with how much more refined he became.
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'His footwork looks a lot better. His positioning was always quite good. And then he's done a good job of keeping his athleticism and contesting shots all over the ice with that athleticism by being able to just explode into a save.'