Alex Kovalev is now a head coach

Three time NHL All-Star and Olympic Gold Medal winner Alex Kovalev has his first head coaching position. The 47-year-old has officially been named the bench boss for Kunlun Red Star, the only Chinese team participating in the KHL.

Kovalev is now the fifth head coach in the franchise's history, which dates back to the beginning of the 2016-17 KHL season. The team is based in Beijing, but will operate out of Mytishchi, a suburb of Moscow, in the upcoming KHL season due to COVID-19 travel restrictions and complications. Gilbert Brule, Spencer Foo, Jake Chelios and Brandon Yip are considered the team's best players that are currently under contract for next season.

Kovalev has been serving as an assistant coach of Kunlun for the past two seasons, but was named head coach on Sunday after Curt Fraser and the team agreed to part ways. Kunlan has missed the KHL playoffs the last three seasons and currently finds itself struggling with budget cuts.

Kovalev played for the New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers throughout his NHL career. His best season was with the Pens in 1999-00 when he put up 44 goals and 91 points in 79 games. He is the first Russian/Soviet player to be selected in the first round of the NHL entry draft, being taken 15th overall in 1991 by the Rangers.

In an interview in May of this year with La Presse, Kovalev indicated that he loved coaching and stated that he'd be thrilled to do it in the NHL some day.

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