Ilya Kovalchuk to Finally Decide His Future in Hockey

Never say never...

Despite not having played professional hockey since 2021, former NHL and KHL star player Ilya Kovalchuk has announced he's considering a return. The 40-year-old told reporters in Russia he'd have an answer soon.

Kovalchuk never played for Spartak in the KHL, but did come up through the team's youth hockey system in Moscow. His last stint in the KHL was with Avangard Omsk in 2020-21, when he won a Gagarin Cup. It was his third, with the first two coming with SKA St. Petersburg. Kovalchuk was named the KHL's playoff MVP while winning the Cup with SKA in 2015, but refused to accept it, handing it to teammate Evgenii Dadonov, whom he felt deserved it more.

Kovalchuk was a 1st overall draft pick of the Atlanta Thrashers of the NHL in 2001. Besides that team, he also played for New Jersey, LA, Montreal and Washington. He left North America three times during his career to return home, only to come back to the NHL again.

Kovalchuk with the Atlanta Thrashers, where he began his NHL career

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