Ilya Bryzgalov once famously said that he wasn’t afraid of anything except a “bear in the forest.”
But now he’ll have to face the nerve-racking task of finding a new job.
The enigmatic goaltender was released from his professional tryout by the Minnesota Wild on Monday, leaving Bryzgalov without a team heading toward the start of the regular season.
After signing a nine-year contract with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2011 worth $51 million, Bryzgalov has made more headlines for his strange existential interviews than his performance on the ice.
The 34-year-old netminder hasn’t been able to replicate the numbers he had prior to signing the long-term contract, which the Flyers eventually bought out.
Bryzgalov split time between the Wild and Edmonton Oilers last season, posting a record of 12-9-8 with a .909 save percentage and 2.68 goals against average. He also had four shutouts.
Photo via Brace Hemmelgarn/USA TODAY Sports Images
