Alexei Kolosov

June 2025 – Kolosov joined Lehigh Valley after his 2023-24 KHL season ended, getting some exposure to the North American game. He struggled in his two games, but earned a win despite an 0.885 SV%. Last season, he reportedly demanded to stay in the NHL due to his discomfort on an AHL team, where he had no friends, a significant language barrier, and the rigors of hotels and riding the bus. The Flyers kept him up with the big club long after they should have sent him down, because his struggles between the pipes were amplified in the NHL, and he posted league-worst numbers in many key stat categories. He’s only 23, so there is no question he needed to play the full season in the AHL. When he finally agreed to go down in January, his confidence was shot, and his struggles continued at that level (0.884 SV%). Kolosov is still signed for another year, but the distaste in his experience was felt both ways. His upside is too good for the Flyers to agree to terminate the contract mutually… but will they, anyway? They couldn’t possibly want him to remain in the NHL and further erode his confidence. On the plus side, he did have five Quality Starts, so he had his moments. He even had a ‘Steal’, which DobberHockey defines as: “when goals saved above expected is greater than the margin of victory in a win”. How things play out between now and October will be interesting, as they can take many different paths. – Dobber

July 2023 – Kolosov signed a three-year, entry-level contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $925,000 with the Philadelphia Flyers. He will play for Dinamo Minsk of the KHL for the entirety of the 2023-24 season.  He has the potential to become an NHL starter, but will need time to develop and improve his game once he transitions to North America. Mark Henry

June 2022 – Playing 22 games for the KHL’s Dinamo Minsk, Kolosov went 11-9-1 with a 2.90 GAA and .906 SV%. Starting the season hot, Kolosov came back down to earth a bit as the season progressed, but still finished with respectable numbers. In addition to playing in the KHL, Kolosov also represented Belarus in the WJC-20 D1A, playing five games and averaging 1.60 goals-against with a .932 save percentage. On top of Belarus winning the Gold Medal, Kolosov was awarded the tournament’s best goaltender and recognized as the top player on his team. John Gove