48 Facts About Ilya Kovalchuk

Ilya Valeryevich Kovalchuk is a Russian professional ice hockey winger who is currently an unrestricted free agent.

Ilya Kovalchuk previously played for the Atlanta Thrashers, New Jersey Devils, Los Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League, as well as Ak Bars Kazan, Khimik Moscow Oblast, SKA Saint Petersburg, and Avangard Omsk in the Russian Superleague and Kontinental Hockey League.

Internationally, Ilya Kovalchuk has played for Russia in the IIHF World U18 Championship, World Junior Championship, World Championship, World Cup and Winter Olympics, and won the 2008 and 2009 World Championships.

At the 2018 Winter Olympics, Ilya Kovalchuk was named the most valuable player while helping Olympic Athletes from Russia win the gold medal.

Ilya Kovalchuk was born in Kalinin, a city roughly 180 kilometres northwest of Moscow, the second child and first son of Valeri and Lyubov.

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At age seven, Ilya Kovalchuk was invited to join the Spartak Moscow youth school, which he went to every weekend, taking the train with his father.

Ilya Kovalchuk met his future wife, Nicole Andrazajtis, in 2002 after being introduced by mutual friends.

Ilya Kovalchuk is a member of Alexander Ovechkin's PutinTeam which was founded in 2017 to promote Vladimir Putin's 2018 presidential campaign.

Ilya Kovalchuk later played for Vysshaya Liga club Spartak Moscow for two seasons before entering the NHL.

In club-level competition, Ilya Kovalchuk wore the number 17 as a tribute to Valeri Kharlamov, a Soviet superstar in the 1970s.

Ilya Kovalchuk finished second in voting to teammate Dany Heatley for the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL rookie of the year.

Ilya Kovalchuk added 46 assists for 87 points, tying him with Joe Sakic of the Colorado Avalanche for second in the NHL that season, behind Martin St Louis.

Ilya Kovalchuk participated in his first NHL All-Star Game in 2004.

Ilya Kovalchuk tied his career-high of 46 assists for a career-high 98 points, leading the Thrashers in team scoring for the second consecutive season, while finishing eighth overall in NHL scoring.

Ilya Kovalchuk became the first Thrashers player to score 50 goals in a season.

Ilya Kovalchuk finished with 42 goals and 34 assists for 76 points.

Trotz had asked the referees to check Ilya Kovalchuk's stick following a Thrashers goal, but claimed Ilya Kovalchuk was able to switch his stick before the referees could check.

Ilya Kovalchuk scored one goal and one assist in his NHL playoffs debut as the team lost in the opening round to the New York Rangers in four games.

Later that season, on 23 January 2008, Ilya Kovalchuk was suspended for one game by the NHL for a hit from behind on New York Rangers defenceman Michal Rozsival in a game a day prior.

Ilya Kovalchuk finished with his second 52-goal season in three years, along with 35 assists for 87 points.

Ilya Kovalchuk served as one of five alternate captains to start the season until the alternates collectively requested to general manager Don Waddell and head coach John Anderson for Ilya Kovalchuk to take over the captaincy.

Soon thereafter, on 11 January 2009, Ilya Kovalchuk was named Holik's successor and the sixth team captain in Thrashers' history during the team's Casino Night charity event.

Ilya Kovalchuk completed his first season as team captain with 43 goals for his fifth consecutive 40-goal season and 91 points.

Ilya Kovalchuk left the Thrashers as their all-time leader in several categories, including games played, goals, assists and points.

Ilya Kovalchuk eventually ended the season with 41 goals along with 44 assists, for 85 points split between Atlanta and New Jersey.

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On 10 February 2011, Ilya Kovalchuk scored the game-winning goal in a game over the Maple Leafs to give Jacques Lemaire the 600th win of his coaching career.

Ilya Kovalchuk assisted on two goals by teammate Kurtis Foster, scored a short-handed goal, then fought Brayden Schenn after a scrum formed when Flyers forward Zac Rinaldo performed a slew-foot on Devils captain Zach Parise.

Ilya Kovalchuk was named captain of SKA Saint Petersburg at his contract signing.

Ilya Kovalchuk served as the captain of the Western Conference and returned to the United States to the Devils' training camp immediately after.

Ilya Kovalchuk finished the season with 31 points in 37 games for the Devils, and 42 points in 36 games for SKA.

Ilya Kovalchuk tallied 417 goals and 816 points in 816 games in his first stint in the NHL.

Ilya Kovalchuk signed a four-year contract with SKA Saint Petersburg on 15 July 2013.

Ilya Kovalchuk was chosen as the MVP of 2015 Gagarin Cup playoffs, but passed the award to Evgenii Dadonov.

Ilya Kovalchuk scored his first goal on 9 October 2018, against the Winnipeg Jets, the franchise he had spent most of his first NHL stint with when they were the Thrashers.

Each time Ilya Kovalchuk touched the puck or the PA announcer, Kevin Clark, mentioned his name, Ilya Kovalchuk was roundly booed by Devils fans.

On 3 January 2020, Ilya Kovalchuk signed a one-year, two-way league minimum contract with the Montreal Canadiens.

Ilya Kovalchuk quickly became a solid contributor for the Canadiens posting a two goal game three games later and put up eight points in his first eight games for the team.

Ilya Kovalchuk recorded 4 points in 7 regular season games and 1 point in 8 playoff games as the Capitals were eliminated in the first round of the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs by the New York Islanders.

Ilya Kovalchuk won the Gagarin Cup with Avangard on 28 April 2021, and on 30 April 2021, he and Avangard mutually agreed to terminate his contract.

Ilya Kovalchuk won his first medals with Russia in a major international event at the IIHF World U18 Championships, earning silver and gold medals in 2000 and 2001, respectively.

Ilya Kovalchuk competed for Russia at the World Junior Championships in 2001, but finished seventh.

Ilya Kovalchuk recorded three points in six games to help Russia to a bronze medal finish.

Ilya Kovalchuk then made his World Championships debut in 2003, but failed to medal.

Ilya Kovalchuk made his second straight Winter Olympics appearance in 2006 in Turin.

In 2008, Ilya Kovalchuk played in the IIHF World Championship, held in Quebec City and Halifax.

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Ilya Kovalchuk scored his only two goals of the tournament in the gold medal game against Team Canada – one to force the game into overtime, then the game-winner to give Russia the championship.

In May 2010, Ilya Kovalchuk played for Russia at IIHF World Championship in Germany, finishing second.

The Russian Hockey Federation was fined for the act, and while the IIHF determined Ilya Kovalchuk gave an "unmistakable head gesture" for his team to leave, he was not independently punished.