Ilya Kovalchuk
Ilya Kovalchuk was born in Tver, Tver Oblast, Russia on April 15th, 1983 and is the Hockey Player. At the age of 41, Ilya Kovalchuk biography, profession, age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, measurements, education, career, dating/affair, family, news updates, and networth are available.
At 41 years old, Ilya Kovalchuk has this physical status:
Ilya Kovalchuk, a Russian professional ice hockey player who was born on April 15, 1983, is an unrestricted free agent.
He has competed with the Atlanta Thrashers, New Jersey Devils, and Los Angeles Kings in the NHL, as well as Ak Bars Kazan, Khimik Moscow Oblast, and SKA Saint Petersburg in the Russian Superleague (KHL). Kovalchuk played in Spartak Moscow's youth system before joining their senior team in the Vysshaya Liga in 1999.
He joined the Atlanta Thrashers of the NHL, finishing first overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, after two seasons with Spartak.
After being refused by the NHL in eight seasons with the Thrashers, he was traded to the New Jersey Devils in 2010, with whom he signed a 15-year, $100 million contract.
He left the NHL in 2013 and returned to Russia, starring SKA Saint Petersburg, where he spent five seasons before returning to the league in 2018. Kovalchuk's fifth all-time in the NHL for overtime goals scored (14), 18th all-time in goals per game average (.511), and the seventh-highest scoring Russian in NHL history.
Kovalchuk has been named to the end of season All-Star Team twice and in 2004 ranked as the best goal-scorer in the NHL, dividing the award between Jarome Iginla and Rick Nash. Kovalchuk has represented Russia in the IIHF World U18 Championship, World Championship, World Cup, and Winter Olympics, as well as the 2008 and 2009 World Championships.
Kovalchuk was named the Most Valuable Player at the 2018 Winter Olympics while assisting Olympic Athletes from Russia in winning the gold medal.
Personal life
Kovalchuk was born in Kalinin (now Tver), a city about 180 kilometers northwest of Moscow, and the second child and first son of Valeri and Lyubov. He was born large in honor of Ilya Muromets, a famous figure from Kievan Rus'. Valeri played basketball in Tver, Tver; after his time as an athlete, he moved to teaching and was the head of the Spartak Olympic reserve in the city from 1980 to 1998, while Lyubov was the head of the #7 Tver city hospital. Valeri would later write "From Tver to Atlanta," detailing Kovalchuk's growth as a hockey player (Russian: "твери до тлант») and published in 2004; he died in 2005 due to heart disease. Arina, Kovalchuk's sister, is seven years older than him. Kovalchuk, a seven-year-old boy, was accepted to attend Spartak Moscow youth school, which he attended every weekend, sharing the train with his father.
After being introduced by mutual acquaintances, Kovalchuk met his future wife, Nicole Andrazajtis, in 2002. Nicole was a well-known singer in Russia at the time and was a member of the company Mirage. In 2008, they married in Moscow's Church of Dormition. They have four children together, with daughters Karolina and Eva, born in 2006 and 2015, and Philipp and Artem, born in 2009 and 2010.
Kovalchuk is a member of Alexander Ovechkin's PutinTeam, which was established in 2017 to finance Vladimir Putin's 2018 presidential bid.
Playing career
Kovalchuk, a youth, competed in the 1997 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with Spartak Moscow. He then played for Vysshaya Liga's Spartak Moscow for two seasons before entering the league. He was the first Russian to be drafted first overall in the NHL's history and was drafted first by the Thrashers first overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. In a club-level competition, Kovalchuk wore the number 17 in honor of Valeri Kharlamov, a Soviet superstar in the 1970s.
Kovalchuk scored 29 goals and 51 points in his rookie season in 2001-02, despite missing 17 games due to a season-ending shoulder injury. As the year's best rookie of the year, he came in second second in voting to teammate Dany Heatley for the Calder Memorial Trophy. Both players were selected to the NHL All-Rookie Team. Kovalchuk scored 41 goals in 2003–04, making him a co-winner of the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy after tying for the NHL lead in goals with Jarome Iginla of the Calgary Flames and Rick Nash of the Columbus Blue Jackets. He also tied for 87 points with Joe Sakic of the Colorado Avalanche for second in the NHL this season, behind Martin St. Louis. In 2004, Kovalchuk appeared in his first NHL All-Star Game.
Kovalchuk has returned to Russia after missing out on the 2004-05 NHL lockout, playing for both Ak Bars Kazan and Khimik Moscow Oblast of the Russian Superleague (RSL). Kovalchuk and the Thrashers were unable to commit to a new deal straight away, so he stayed in Russia, resurrecting Khimik Moscow Oblast. He appeared in 11 games for the team, scoring 8 goals and 13 points before returning to the Thrashers and NHL after signing a five-year, $32 million deal. He scored 52 goals during the 2005–06 season, tying him with rookie Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals for third in the NHL in scoring, after Jonathan Cheechoo of the San Jose Sharks (56) and Jaromr Jágr of the New York Rangers (54). He also tied for his career high of 46 points for a career-high 98 points, leading the Thrashers in team scoring for the second straight season, while finishing eighth overall in NHL scoring. He was also the first Thrashers player to score 50 goals in a season.
For the first time in his career, Kovalchuk's point production dropped in the 2006–07 season. For 76 points, he had 42 goals and 34 assists. Predators head coach Barry Trotz accused Kovalchuk of "always plays with an illegal stick" during a game against the Nashville Predators on January 11, 2006. Following a Thrashers goal, Trotz had asked the referees to check Kovalchuk's stick, but Kovalchuk had to switch his stick before the referees could investigate. Despite his decrease in production on the season, Kovalchuk and the Thrashers qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in franchise history. In his first NHL playoffs appearance, Kovalchuk scored one goal and one assist as the team lost in the first round to the New York Rangers in four games.
In 2007–08, Kovalchuk scored two straight hat-tricks in a loss to the Ottawa Senators and a triumph over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Kovalchuk was suspended for one game by the NHL for a double header on New York Rangers defenceman Michal Rozsy in a game a day earlier this season. He had his second 52-goal season in three years, as well as 35 assists for 87 points.
With Bobby Holk's transfer to the New Jersey Devils in the 2008 off-season, the Thrashers' captaincy remained vacant for the first half of the 2008–09 season. Before the alternates collectively requested that general manager Don Waddell and head coach John Anderson for Kovalchuk to take over the captaincy, Kovalchuk served as one of five alternate captains to begin the season. Kovalchuk was voted Holk's successor and sixth team captain in Thrashers' history shortly after the team's Casino Night charity function on January 11, 2009. The news came amid rumors that the Thrashers were planning to trade Kovalchuk because his deal was due to come to an end at the end of the following season. Kovalchuk's rookie season as team captain ended with 43 goals in his fifth straight 40-goal season and 91 points.
Kovalchuk scored his 300th and 301st goals of his NHL career in a 4–2 victory during the St. Louis Blues' home opener on October 8, 2009. He was leading the NHL in goals several weeks into the season when he suffered a broken foot after blocking a shot against the San Jose Sharks on October 24.
Kovalchuk and the Thrashers were unable to reach an agreement on a pact in the final year of his service. Don Waddell, the team's general manager, was reportedly offered 12-year, $101 million, and seven-year contracts, both of which Kovalchuk declined. Despite the fact that the Thrashers were still in the playoff chase, a few days after Kovalchuk turned down the second contract bid, Waddell told him that rather than risking losing him to an unrestricted free agency for nothing in the off-season. Kovalchuk was traded to the New Jersey Devils on February 4, 2010. Antonio Oduya, rookie forward Niclas Bergfors, junior prospect Patrice Cormier, and a first-round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft in exchange for Kovalchuk and defenceman Anssi Salmela; the teams also traded in second-round picks in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. In several categories, including games played, goals, assists, and points, Kovalchuk left the Thrashers as their all-time leader. In his Devils' debut, a 4–3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on February 5th, he had two assists the next day. Kovalchuk also contributed to 44 goals and 44 assists, totaling 85 points between Atlanta and New Jersey. Kovalchuk scored the game-winning goal in a game against the Maple Leafs on February 10, 2011, giving Jacques Lemaire his 600th victory of his coaching career.
On February 4, 2012, the two-year anniversary of his trade to the Devils, Kovalchuk scored a Gordie Howe hat trick – a goal, an assist, and a fight. This was Kovalchuk's first and second in the Devils' franchise, after Adam Henrique the month before. When Flyers forward Zac Rinaldo played a slew-foot on Devils captain Zach Parise, Kovalchuk assisted on two goals by teammate Kurtis Foster and scored a short-handed goal, then fought Brayden Schenn on a scrum.
During a 4–1 victory over the Sabres in Buffalo, Kovalchuk earned his first scoring hat-trick as a member of the Devils on February 14th.
As a New Jersey Devil, Kovalchuk's 13th career hat trick and second hat-trick were recorded on March 8. The Devils beat the New York Islanders 5–1, with Kovalchuk being the night's first star. Kovalchuk made history by scoring 400 goals on March 20th. It was the lone goal of a 1–0 win over the Ottawa Senators. He was named the night's third star of the evening.
With seven game-deciding shootout goals and 11 shootout goals in total, Kovalchuk finished the 2011-2012 season, establishing a new record in both categories. In 2005, the NHL first introduced shootouts. In six games, Kovalchuk and the Devils defeated the New York Rangers, establishing a Stanley Cup match against the Los Angeles Kings. Despite leading the 2012 playoffs in scoring, Kovalchuk was playing with a herniated disc and was largely ineffective against the Kings, scoring just one point in the series and an empty net goal in game 4, when the Devils lost to the Kings in six games.
On July 1, 2010, Kovalchuk became an unrestricted free agent. After receiving bids from other clubs, Kovalchuk agreed to a 17-year, $102 million contract with the Devils on July 19. The deal lasted longer than the longest contract in NHL history. However, the deal was terminated by the NHL the next day on the grounds that it had violated the NHL salary cap. Richard Bloch, an arbitrator, heard the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA)'s appeal and ultimately nullified the contract.
A new deal was inked by the NHL. The NHL and the NHLPA signed the contract in the early morning hours of September 4, 2010. The deal was for 15 years and worth $100 million.
As a result, the Devils were fined by the NHL for attempting to circumvent the NHL salary cap with Kovalchuk's original deal. As a result, the Devils gave up $3 million, a third-round draft pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, as well as one future first-round draft pick within the next four seasons. The Devils decided to use their first-round draft pick in the 2011 and 2012 NHL Entry Drafts, and in 2014, they will forfeit their first-round pick. However, the NHL announced on March 6, 2014, that it would waive part of the $3 million fine and award the Devils their 30th pick in the first round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.
On September 18, 2012, Kovalchuk signed a temporary deal with SKA Saint Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) as a result of the 2012-2013 NHL lockout. In January, Kovalchuk fought in Russia until the NHLPA and the NHL struck an understanding, allowing the 2012-2013 NHL season to begin. At his first job interview, Kovalchuk was dubbed captain of SKA Saint Petersburg. In addition, Kovalchuk was chastised for not returning to the United States immediately after the lockout ended, instead choosing to be one of two participating NHL players in the KHL All-Star Game (the other being Pavel Datsyuk). Kovalchuk, the Western Conference's captain, returned to the United States for the Devils' training camp right after. He had 31 points in 37 games for the Devils and 42 points in 36 games for SKA.
Kovalchuk resigned from the NHL on July 11, 2013. Although Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello knew Kovalchuk had been considering retirement even before the 2012–13 season ended, Kovalchuk's departure came as a surprise to the public. On his time as president, Kovalchuk had $77 million and 12 years on his deal. Kovalchuk said he wanted to return to Russia with his family, but it was also predicted that due to the much higher Russian tax rate, Kovalchuk would receive in Russia at a much higher rate than the United States, he wanted to return home to Russia, despite the much higher tax rate. However, with the Russian rubble's demise in December 2014, that may not have been true, and Kovalchuk's tax-affected NHL salary may have been more than his KHL earnings. In 816 games in Kovalchuk's first season in the NHL, he scored 417 goals and 816 points.
On July 15, 2013, Kovalchuk signed a four-year contract with SKA Saint Petersburg. The deal, which was signed less than a week after Kovalchuk's release from the NHL, was expected to be similar to his former deal with the Devils. For the first time, he helped the team win the 2014–15 Gagarin Cup. He was selected as the MVP of the 2015 Gagarin Cup playoffs, but Evgenii Dadonov received the award. In 2016,-17, he won his second Gagarin Cup, the second with SKA Saint Petersburg.
After the 2017–18 season, Kovalchuk said he would return to the NHL for the second time. Several franchises have expressed interest, including the Los Angeles Kings, Vegas Golden Knights, San Jose Sharks, and Boston Bruins. On June 23, 2018, it was revealed that Kovalchuk and the Kings had agreed to a three-year contract, which came as a result of 1 July, with an average annual value of $6.25 million. On October 9, 2018, he scored his first goal against the Winnipeg Jets, the franchise that he had played with since being the Thrashers for the most part.
The Kings faced the Devils at Prudential Center on February 5, 2019. Fans of the Devils booed Kovalchuk every time he touched the puck or the PA announcer, Kevin Clark, yelling his name. The Kings beat the Devils 5-1, with Kovalchuk scoring once.
The 2018-19 season had a promising start for Kovalchuk, but not so well for the team. Willie Desjardins, the head coach, was suspended and replaced by Willie Desjardins, who also reduced Kovalchuk's ice time by a large amount. Kovalchuk expressed his dissatisfaction with his season, saying "I don't have a chance" under Desjardins. The Kings announced today that Desjardins would not return the following year, the day after their season came to an end, finishing second from last place overall.
After Kovalchuk's seventeenth game for the Kings, the team announced that he would be officiated for the "foreseeable future." Kovalchuk's deal was ended on December 17th, and he became an unrestricted free agent.
Kovalchuk joined the Montreal Canadiens in a one-year, two-way league minimum on January 3, 2020. Kovalchuk played his first game with the Canadiens against the Winnipeg Jets on January 6, wearing his signature No. 17. In the second game the following night, he had one assist and then added two more assists. Kovalchuk scored his first goal with the Canadiens on January 11, the game-winner over the Ottawa Senators in overtime. He was a solid contributor for the Canadiens in two game three years later and scored eight points in his first eight games for the team.
Despite his contributions, the team was out of the playoff picture, and after 22-games and 13 points, Kovalchuk was traded to the Washington Capitals in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. As the Capitals were eliminated in the first round of the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs by the New York Islanders, Kovalchuk scored 4 points in 7 regular season games and 1 point in 8 playoff games.
Kovalchuk has returned to the KHL for the 2020-21 season after he signed a two-year deal with Avangard Omsk on December 26. On April 28, 2021, Kovalchuk won the Gagarin Cup with Avangard, and on April 30, 2021, he and Avangard mutually agreed to end his service.