Nicolas Aubé-Kubel’s hockey path has taken a sharp turn from NHL grinder to KHL newcomer, but the broad strokes of his career still tell the story of a player who climbed all the way to the top. At 30, the forward from Slave Lake, Alberta, is now with Dinamo Minsk in the Kontinental Hockey League, and he’s making the move with his young family.
That’s a different reality from the one he was living not long ago in Colorado, where he hit his peak in 2021-22. Aubé-Kubel appeared in 67 regular-season games for the Avalanche that year, scored 11 goals, and won the Stanley Cup. For a player who had spent years working his way through the minors and trying to stick in the NHL, that season was the payoff.
The Philadelphia Flyers had drafted him in the second round of the 2014 NHL Draft, and his route through the league was anything but linear. He went from the Val-d’Or Foreurs to the Flyers, Avalanche, Toronto Maple Leafs, Washington Capitals, Buffalo Sabres, New York Rangers, and Minnesota Wild, with plenty of AHL time mixed in along the way. He never settled into a long-term NHL role, even after showing he could help a contender.
His stint with the Maple Leafs was especially short. He signed a one-year deal before the 2022-23 season to bring some physical edge to the fourth line, but he played only six games, put up no points, and was then claimed off waivers by the Capitals.
Last season, Aubé-Kubel was back on the NHL fringe again. He played six games for the Wild and recorded two assists, while doing much more damage offensively in the AHL with Iowa, where he put up 37 points in 62 games.
Now he’s in Minsk on a one-year contract with Dinamo Minsk for the 2026-27 season, and the early returns have been solid: four goals and two assists in his first seven games, according to available statistics.
What makes this move stand out is the life around it. His wife’s Instagram account, Aubé Abroad, has offered a look at the family’s transition to Minsk, giving the story a personal layer that goes beyond a simple roster move.
With two young children in tow, this isn’t just about finding a new team. It’s about adjusting to a new country, a new home, and a different day-to-day life.
Aubé-Kubel’s career is a reminder that not every pro hockey story ends with a permanent NHL job. He’s already won the Stanley Cup, already played on the sport’s biggest stage, and now he’s carving out the next chapter in a different league with his family alongside him.
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Leafs Suddenly Have A Real Crease Decision Before Buffalo
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Stolarz, meanwhile, has not given Toronto the same comfort level in the numbers, and it has been enough to stir trade chatter around a situation that was supposed to be more settled. With Buffalo next on the schedule, the Leafs appear to be leaning toward the goalie who has earned the edge in performance rather than the one who has simply been getting the longer look. For a team still trying to establish its early-season rhythm, this is becoming one of the more interesting choices on the board. [Read more 🡒]