Aleksei Kolosov

Kolosov’s first major break at the professional level came in an unusual way: during the 2020–21 campaign travel restrictions tied to the COVID-19 pandemic left Dinamo Minsk short of its usual goaltenders, allowing the 4 January 2002–born netminder to make a KHL appearance after starting the season with Dinamo‑Molodechno in the Belarusian Extraliga. He had worked his way up through Belarusian junior ranks and was also selected 22nd overall in the 2020 CHL Import Draft by the Erie Otters, an indication that North American junior hockey was part of his development plan.

That 2020–21 season saw him play nine games for Dinamo and earn a spot on Belarus’s senior roster for the 2021 World Championship. Ahead of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, the NHL Central Scouting Bureau listed him as the second-ranked European-based goaltender; Philadelphia chose him in the third round, 78th overall. After further development, the Flyers signed him to a three‑year entry-level contract on 8 July 2023 and arranged for him to continue his development on loan with Dinamo Minsk for the 2023–24 season.

Within the Flyers organization he moved through the system to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the AHL while remaining under Philadelphia’s control, and he reached a national milestone on 27 October 2024 when he became the first Belarusian-born goalie to appear in an NHL game, stopping 20 of 24 shots in a 4–3 home loss to the Montreal Canadiens. He followed that by becoming the first Belarusian-born goaltender to record a victory in the NHL on 23 November 2024, saving 19 of 21 shots in a 3–2 home win over the Chicago Blackhawks.

On the international front his résumé includes junior and senior appearances: four games (one win) at the 2019 U18 Worlds, three games (two wins, one loss) in the 2020 World Junior Championship Division IA, and his senior debut at the 2021 World Championship where he played four games and recorded two losses. He also appeared at the 2022 World Junior Championship Division IA, winning all five games he played and helping Belarus earn promotion to the top level for 2023.

Taken together, the record shows a goaltender who has been tested across levels and systems: domestic play in Belarus, an early KHL outing, planned junior exposure in North America, an AHL role within an NHL organization, and landmark NHL appearances. His international junior results and the saves recorded in his initial NHL games point to a player whose path is defined by steady development and readiness when opportunities arise.