After a career in Russia, four one-year deals with Arizona, a two-year deal with the Buffalo Sabres and a few trades, Ilya Lyubushkin finally has some long-term stability with the Dallas Stars.
During free agency in July, Lyubushkin agreed to a three-year deal with Dallas once Chris Tanev left Dallas to sign with the Maple Leafs. Lyubushkin and the Stars agreed to a three-year, $3.25 million AAV deal.
“Physical presence defenseman,” Stars GM Jim Nill said in a press conference at the conclusion of free agency day Monday. “It was important to have that different dimension for us. Right-hand shot was important. Very competitive. Good penalty killer.”
Lyubushkin will add a physical and defense-first mindset that Dallas has been lacking, and will be a key part of the Stars’ revamped group of defensemen.
Here are 5 things to know about the Stars’ new defenseman:
1. The basics
Name: Ilya Lyubushkin
Birthday: April 6, 1994
Home: Moscow, Russia
Position: Defenseman
Ht./Wt.: 6-2, 200 pounds
2. Tragedy impacted his early career
He began his career in Russia as a member of Metallurg Novokuznetsk in the Supreme Hockey League (VHL). But he was drafted into the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) when a plane crash in September 2011 killed many players on KHL team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. A draft was held to repopulate the team. He made his KHL debut in the 2012-13 season for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.
He became a free agent after the 2017-18 season and signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Arizona Coyotes to begin his career in North America.
3. A family man
Lyubushkin did everything in his power to contribute to Toronto’s playoff hopes and still be there for his family. Lyubushkin and his wife Diana welcomed their first daughter, Stephania, to the world during the Maple Leafs’ playoff series against the Boston Bruins.
Lyubushkin played in Game 3 of the series that Wednesday, left for Anaheim to be there for his daughter’s birth that Thursday and was available for Game 4 of the Toronto-Boston series that Saturday.
He said he was in California for about 30 hours before getting back to Toronto Friday evening.
He was away from his family in Anaheim for months after being traded to Toronto in late February. Does he believe in the notion of “dad strength”?
“Of course,” he said. “When it happens, you feel a different energy. It’s good emotion.”
His former Coyotes teammate Jason Demers once described him to The Athletic as a “big-time family man.”
“If he wasn’t at the rink, he was with his family,” Demers said.
4. “The Russian Bear”
Hockey is a sport full of fun nicknames. While he is often referred to as “Boosh,” Lyubushkin has an even better name: The Russian Bear.
Stars fans will surely have some fun with that moniker.
During his first stint in Toronto, his physical play earned him the honor of being called “The Russian Bear.” That physical play is the type of thing that is very helpful when playoff time comes around.
His profile picture on his Instagram page is even a large bear wearing a Dallas Stars jersey!
5. A possible construction career?
Lyubushkin showed off his handyman abilities in the summer of 2023.
While that video was just a preview of what he was working on, the final product is what appears to be a structure made to store the firewood on his property.
Not bad for a professional hockey player!
Maybe he’ll put his construction chops towards building a Texas farm.