Alexei Morozov, 42, a former first round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins (24th overall in 1995,) has been appointed as the new President of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).
Pittsburgh fans should be familiar with the dynamic winger who played for the Pens from 1997 through 2004. Never quite living up to his potential on offensively loaded teams, Morozov still managed 84 goals and 135 assists in 451 NHL games.
During the lockout 2004-05 season, he played for Ak Bars Kazan in the Russian Supreme League (RSL), the KHL's predecessor. Facing an uncertain NHL future, Morozov decided to stay in Russia, winning the RSL Championship in 2006. He led the league in goals that year, as well as the following season. He was still with Ak Bars in 2008 when the KHL began its operations and was an instrumental part of the franchise winning the first two Gagarin Cups, KHL's championship trophy. His career totals from his combined play in Russian leagues (IHL, RSL, KHL) are an impressive 612 points in 665 games, with another 120 points in 125 playoff matches.
After retirement, Morozov was appointed President of the MHL (Junior Hockey League) in 2015. He is replacing outgoing KHL President Dmitry Chernyshenko, who had to resign after becoming part of the Russian government in January. According to Russian law, a government official cannot head up a private business entity such as the KHL.
Source: Sport Express
