Last Friday, former NHL star Ilya Kovalchuk officially announced his retirement from pro hockey. It’s technically his third retirement announcement, but at 41 years old, it’s safe to trust him this time.
Having split his career between the National Hockey League and the Kontinental Hockey League in his native Russia, Kovalchuk is walking away after playing the sport for over two decades.
In his prime, the sniper was one of the NHL’s most prolific goal scorers. Kovalchuk’s shot was so wicked and devastating that an opposing coach once accused him of playing with an illegal stick. His patented blue line slap shot was just as dangerous — if not more so – as fellow Russian Alex Ovechkin’s bullet from the faceoff circle.
Kovalchuk was the first Russian player to be drafted first overall by an NHL team, when an Atlanta Thrashers franchise still in its infancy took him in 2001. After whiffing on their first overall pick two years prior, Kovalchuk was a home run selection by Thrashers general manager Don Waddell.
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