Vladimir Kopat (b. April 23rd 1971 in Minsk, Belarus) is a defenseman who plays in the Belarus Open League for HC Yunost Minsk. Kopat, who is one of the best Belarussian defensemen, is a regular player on the Belarussian National Team; he played 68 games for the national team through his career. He is however best known for the goal he scored in the 2002 Olympic Games' quarterfinals against Sweden. With 17:35 minutes played in a game tied 3-3, Kopat skated in the neutral zone and took a shot half-way between the red line and Sweden's blue line. The shot hit Tommy Salo's mask, bounced on his back then entered the net, a totally unexpected twist of fate for the Tre Kronor, who had been dominant throughout the whole tournament, unlike Belarus, who entered the tournament as an underdog. That w