IIHF Hall of Fame Induction 2019
Konstantin MIHAYLOV
Richard "Bibi" Torriani Award
Born Sofia, Bulgaria, 22 May 1964
Richard "Bibi" Torriani Award recipient Konstantin Mihaylov speaks during the 2019 IIHF Hall of Fame Ceremony at Double Tree by Hilton Hotel Bratislava on May 26, 2019 in Bratislava, Slovakia.
To call Konstantin Mihaylov the defining player of Bulgaria is an understatement. Bulgaria has competed in 52 World Championships since its first in 1963, and goaltender Mihaylov has played in 28 of those. His dedication to the team, his love of the game, and his skill between the pipes are the stuff of legend.
Konstantin and his twin brother, Boris, started playing hockey on Sofia’s famous outdoor rink Druzhba thanks to their father, Simeon, who also played for years in the Bulgarian league.
Konstantin quickly became interested in being a goalie and went to all lengths to achieve his dream. He made his first goalie gloves from old hockey pants, and later in life he kept tools in the dressing room to repair his equipment at a time when teams never had an equipment manager.
Mihaylov was also the first Bulgarian goalie to train off ice specifically for his position, focusing on stretching, using tennis balls to develop his hand-eye coordination, and working on other drills specific to goalies.
He first played for his country in 1981, at the European Junior Championship B Pool. His first senior event came in 1985 at the World Championship C Pool, in Megeve, France. That started a record 28 World Championship appearances for the goalie that ended after the 2014 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division III when he was 49 years old. He also represented Bulgaria in numerous Inline Hockey World Championships, last time in 2015 after his 51st birthday.
There were several career highlights along the way, of course. Mihaylov backstopped the country to victory in C Pool in 1991 to earn promotion to B Pool, and the year after the team played well enough to remain in the higher pool for another year.
He was named tournament Best Goaltender twice, first in 1990 and then, incredibly, 16 years later at age 42. He played in three Olympic qualifying tournaments for Bulgaria, in 2005, 2009, and 2015 (when he dressed as a backup for one game). Indeed, the running joke in the Bulgarian dressing room was that he was named Best Player for his team so often that every friend and relative owned a nice watch (the typical gift for Best Player)!
In league play Mihaylov was a star with HC Levski Sofia, in the Bulgarian league, for whom he played 20 of his 25 seasons. He also dressed for two seasons with Akademik SF (also Bulgaria), and one season with Istanbul Paten Kulubu (Turkey), Amneville (France, Second Division), and CSKA Sofia (Bulgaria).
Konstantin and his twin brother, Boris, started playing hockey on Sofia’s famous outdoor rink Druzhba thanks to their father, Simeon, who also played for years in the Bulgarian league.
Konstantin quickly became interested in being a goalie and went to all lengths to achieve his dream. He made his first goalie gloves from old hockey pants, and later in life he kept tools in the dressing room to repair his equipment at a time when teams never had an equipment manager.
Induction Speech
Mihaylov was also the first Bulgarian goalie to train off ice specifically for his position, focusing on stretching, using tennis balls to develop his hand-eye coordination, and working on other drills specific to goalies.
He first played for his country in 1981, at the European Junior Championship B Pool. His first senior event came in 1985 at the World Championship C Pool, in Megeve, France. That started a record 28 World Championship appearances for the goalie that ended after the 2014 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division III when he was 49 years old. He also represented Bulgaria in numerous Inline Hockey World Championships, last time in 2015 after his 51st birthday.
There were several career highlights along the way, of course. Mihaylov backstopped the country to victory in C Pool in 1991 to earn promotion to B Pool, and the year after the team played well enough to remain in the higher pool for another year.
He was named tournament Best Goaltender twice, first in 1990 and then, incredibly, 16 years later at age 42. He played in three Olympic qualifying tournaments for Bulgaria, in 2005, 2009, and 2015 (when he dressed as a backup for one game). Indeed, the running joke in the Bulgarian dressing room was that he was named Best Player for his team so often that every friend and relative owned a nice watch (the typical gift for Best Player)!
In league play Mihaylov was a star with HC Levski Sofia, in the Bulgarian league, for whom he played 20 of his 25 seasons. He also dressed for two seasons with Akademik SF (also Bulgaria), and one season with Istanbul Paten Kulubu (Turkey), Amneville (France, Second Division), and CSKA Sofia (Bulgaria).