Alexei Vyacheslavovich Kovalev ( rus, Алексей Вячеславович Ковалёв, , ɐlʲɪkˈsʲej vʲɪtɕɪˈslavəvʲɪtɕ kəvɐˈlʲɵf; born February 24, 1973) is a Russian professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...
coach, executive and former professional player. He is currently serving as the assistant coach for
HC Kunlun Red Star
HC Kunlun Red Star () is a Chinese ice hockey club that joined the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) prior to the 2016–17 season.
History
Preparation of the team
In March 2016, representatives of Kunlun Red Star and the KHL signed a protocol o ...
of the
Kontinental Hockey League
The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL; russian: Континентальная хоккейная лига (КХЛ), Kontinental'naya khokkeynaya liga) is an international professional ice hockey league founded in 2008. It comprises member clubs ba ...
(KHL).
During his career, he played in over 1,300
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
(NHL) games over 18 seasons for the
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
,
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...
,
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
,
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a membe ...
, and
Florida Panthers between 1992 and 2013. He was originally drafted by the Rangers and won a
Stanley Cup with them in
1994
File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nelson ...
.
Kovalev also played in the
Kontinental Hockey League
The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL; russian: Континентальная хоккейная лига (КХЛ), Kontinental'naya khokkeynaya liga) is an international professional ice hockey league founded in 2008. It comprises member clubs ba ...
(KHL) with
Atlant Moscow Oblast, and was last active with
EHC Visp
EHC Visp is a Swiss professional ice hockey team based in Visp and competing in the Swiss League (SL). The club was founded in 1939 and became Swiss champion in 1962. Visp has also won the league title in NLB three times; 1960, 2011 and 2014.
The ...
of
Switzerland's
National League B
The Swiss League is the second tier of the main professional ice hockey league in Switzerland, behind the National League. The winners of the league each season plays a best-of-seven series against the bottom team of the NL, and if they win, the ...
.
Playing career
Kovalev was drafted by the
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
in the first round, 15th overall, of the
1991 NHL Entry Draft
The 1991 NHL Entry Draft was the 29th NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 22 at the Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo, New York. A total of 264 players were drafted. The worst team in the previous 1990–91 season, the Quebec Nordiques, was give ...
. He became the first
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
n-born player to be drafted in the first round in the history of the NHL as well as the first Soviet player to be drafted in the first round. Best known for his stickhandling skills,
deking ability and
wrist shot
A wrist shot is a type of hockey shot that involves using arm muscles (especially those in the wrist and forearm) to propel a puck forward from the concave side of the blade of a hockey stick. Generally, when the puck is shot in a similar manne ...
, he became an important part of the Rangers'
1994 Stanley Cup run, finishing with the third-most points for New York in the
1994 playoffs. Kovalev,
Alexander Karpovtsev
Alexander Georgievich Karpovtsev (russian: Александр Георгиевич Карповцев; April 7, 1970 – September 7, 2011) was a Russian ice hockey player and an assistant coach for Ak Bars Kazan and Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the ...
,
Sergei Nemchinov
Sergei Lvovich Nemchinov (russian: link=no, Серге́й Львович Немчинов; born 14 January 1964) is a Russian former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Rangers, Van ...
and
Sergei Zubov
Sergei Alexandrovich Zubov ( Russian: Сергей Александрович Зубов; born 22 July 1970) is a Russian professional ice hockey coach and former defenceman. He is the former head coach for the Dinamo Riga of the Kontinental Hock ...
were the first Russians to have their names engraved on the Stanley Cup.
The Rangers' Stanley Cup win is well remembered in Europe because of the first Russian names on the Stanley Cup, as
MSG Network
The MSG Network (MSG) is an American regional cable and satellite television network, and radio service owned by MSG Entertainment, Inc.—a spin-off of the main Madison Square Garden Company operation (itself a spin-off of local cable provider ...
broadcaster
Al Trautwig
Alan Trautwig (born February 26, 1956) is a sports commentator who worked with MSG Network, ABC, NBC, NBC Sports Network, and USA Network. He most recently did pre-game and post-game shows for the New York Knicks and New York Rangers, as well a ...
said in his essay, ''Garden of Dreams''.
During the
1994–95 NHL lockout
The 1994–95 NHL lockout was a lockout that came after a year of National Hockey League (NHL) hockey that was played without a collective bargaining agreement. The lockout was a subject of dispute as the players sought collective bargaining an ...
, Kovalev returned to Russia to play for his hometown team
Lada Togliatti, the defending
International Hockey League champion from 1994. Kovalev scored eight goals and eight assists in 12 games. He also participated in Lada Togliatti's 30th anniversary game, and scored a
hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three.
Origin
The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three wic ...
for the Lada veterans team.
Just 14 games into the
1998–99 season, on November 25, 1998, Kovalev was traded, along with
Harry York
Harold Cameron York (born April 16, 1974) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played several seasons in the National Hockey League.
Playing career
Born in Ponoka, Alberta, York was the Alberta Junior Hockey League MVP and lea ...
, to the
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...
in exchange for
Petr Nedvěd
Petr Nedvěd (born December 9, 1971) is a Czech-born Canadian former professional ice hockey player who spent 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1990 and 2007.
Early career
Nedvěd was born in Liberec, Czechoslovakia to Jaro ...
,
Sean Pronger
Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Irish English, is a male given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name ''Yohanan'' (), Seán (anglicized as ''Shaun/ Shawn/ Shon'') and Séan (Ulster variant; angli ...
and
Chris Tamer
Christopher Thomas Tamer (born November 17, 1970 in Dearborn, Michigan) is a retired American ice hockey defenseman who played in the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, and Atlanta Thrashers.
Hockey career
As a youth, Tamer pla ...
. While only putting up 46 points in 63 games with the Penguins, he managed a strong effort with 12 points in 10 post-season games. In the next two seasons, he recorded two of his best seasons in the NHL with 76 and 95 points, respectively.
In a trade to mainly reduce their salary, Pittsburgh sent Kovalev back to the Rangers on February 10, 2003. He was sent, along with
Dan LaCouture,
Janne Laukkanen and
Mike Wilson, for
Mikael Samuelsson
Karl Mikael Samuelsson (born 23 December 1976) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey right winger. Samuelsson began his career in Sweden, starting with small town team IFK Mariefred, followed by Södertälje SK as a junior in 1994. He we ...
,
Rico Fata
Rico Fata (born February 12, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played for the Calgary Flames, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Atlanta Thrashers and Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Playin ...
,
Joel Bouchard,
Richard Lintner and cash.
On March 13, 2004, Kovalev was traded to the
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
for
Jozef Balej and a second-round draft pick in the
2004 NHL Entry Draft
The 2004 NHL Entry Draft was the 42nd NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 26 and 27, 2004 at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is especially notable because it was the last NHL event to take place before the beginning of the lockout ...
. While only managing three points in 12 games in the regular season, Kovalev broke out in the
2004 playoffs, registering six goals and ten points in 11 games.
Kovalev spent the
2004–05 NHL lockout playing for
Ak Bars Kazan
Hockey Club Ak Bars (russian: Ак Барс, tt-Cyrl, Ак Барс, en, Snow Leopard), also known as Ak Bars Kazan, is a Russian professional ice hockey team based in Kazan. They are members of the Kharlamov Division of the Kontinental Hockey ...
, in the Russian Superleague (RSL), where he registered 23 points in 35 games. He then played for
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
at the
2005 World Championships in
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
, and was named the tournament's best forward.
As an
unrestricted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is ...
, Kovalev opted to re-sign with Montreal on a four-year contract paying $4.5 million annually just prior to the start of the
2005–06 season, on August 3. He scored his 300th career goal and recorded his 700th point on December 20, 2005, against
Dominik Hašek
Dominik Hašek (, ; born January 29, 1965) is a Czech former ice hockey goaltender who mostly played for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). Widely regarded as one of the best goaltenders of all time, Hašek also played for ...
in a 4–3 win against the
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a membe ...
.
In 2006,
Warrior
A warrior is a person specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracies, class, or caste.
History
Warriors seem to have be ...
signed Kovalev to endorse their hockey sticks. Warrior designed a custom shaft known as the AK27.
In 2007, Kovalev sparked controversy when he allegedly criticized his team, coaching staff and the Montreal media in an interview with a Russian reporter in his
native language
A first language, native tongue, native language, mother tongue or L1 is the first language or dialect that a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' or ''mother tongu ...
. Though the reporter who conducted the interview later rescinded Kovalev's quotes, and the tape she used never surfaced, a majority of the fans and members of the media believe the criticism to have actually happened. This story was especially controversial due to the poor performance by Kovalev in the
2006–07 season, amassing only 18 goals, 29 assists for a total of 47 points.
During the
2007–08 season, Kovalev found a resurgence playing alongside linemates
Andrei Kostitsyn and
Tomáš Plekanec, recording a total of 35 goals, 49 assists for a total of 84 points in 82 games. As of the season's completion, he stood at the 94th spot of the top 100 all-time NHL scorers. Due to his inspired play, Kovalev was awarded the Canadiens' captaincy on two occasions during the season, replacing the injured
Saku Koivu
Saku Antero Koivu (; born November 23, 1974) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). He began his NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens in 1995–96 after three seasons with TPS of the ...
in his absence.
The following season, in
2008–09, Kovalev was named captain of the
Eastern Conference at the
2009 NHL All-Star game in
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...
, and won Most Valuable Player honors as a result of his two goals, assist and game-winning shootout goal. Late in the season with the Canadiens, Kovalev scored his 100th goal with the club on March 31, 2009, against former teammate and Canadiens goaltender
Cristobal Huet
Cristobal Huet (; born September 3, 1975) is a French- Swiss former professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently a goalie coach for Lausanne HC of the National League (NL). He previously played for HC Lugano and HC Fribourg-Gottéron and ...
of the
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division i ...
. At the end of the week, he was named the NHL's First Star for the Week ending April 5 after scoring two goals and seven assists, helping lead the Canadiens to three wins during that time.
![Alex Kovalev cropped](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/Alex_Kovalev_cropped.jpg)
On July 6, 2009, Kovalev signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators (french: Sénateurs d'Ottawa), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a membe ...
as an unrestricted free agent. On December 25, 2009, Kovalev was excluded from the main roster for the Russian team for the
2010 Winter Olympics
)''
, nations = 82
, athletes = 2,626
, events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, opening = February 12, 2010
, closing = February 28, 2010
, opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean
, cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gret ...
, to the surprise of fellow countryman
Evgeni Malkin
Evgeni Vladimirovich Malkin ( rus, Евге́ний Влади́мирович Ма́лкин, p=jɪvˈɡʲenʲɪj ˈmaɫkʲɪn; born 31 July 1986) is a Russian professional ice hockey centre and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of ...
(though he was selected as a reserve by Team Russia in case an injury occurred during the tournament). On January 3, 2010, Kovalev scored a career-high four goals in a 7–4 win against the
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Well ...
.
On November 22, 2010, Kovalev netted his sixth goal of the season, scoring his 1,000th point in his career, notching the goal at exactly 10:00 of the first period against the
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and was founded on June 5, 1967, after Jack Kent ...
.
![Alexei Kovalev 2011-03-12](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/Alexei_Kovalev_2011-03-12.JPG)
On February 24, 2011, his 38th birthday, Kovalev waived his no-trade clause to be traded back to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a conditional seventh-round draft pick. The pick would have been upgraded to the sixth round if the Penguins had reached the second round of the playoffs, which they did not. At the time of the trade, the Penguins were without 12 of their regular players, including
Sidney Crosby
Sidney Patrick Crosby (born August 7, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "Sid the Kid" and dubbed " The Next One", he was selected first o ...
and Evgeni Malkin.
Kovalev's return to Pittsburgh was brief, as General Manager
Ray Shero announced on May 28, 2011, that he had no intention of re-signing the underachieving forward.
After failing to sign with an NHL team for the
2011–12 season, Kovalev returned to Russia to play with the
Atlant Moscow Oblast in the
Kontinental Hockey League
The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL; russian: Континентальная хоккейная лига (КХЛ), Kontinental'naya khokkeynaya liga) is an international professional ice hockey league founded in 2008. It comprises member clubs ba ...
(KHL). In June 2012, he was released from the two-year deal he signed with Atlant Moscow Oblast, at which point he declared his desire to return to the NHL. "Hopefully, I'll find an NHL team," Kovalev told the
Montreal Gazette
The ''Montreal Gazette'', formerly titled ''The Gazette'', is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Three other daily English-language newspapers shuttered at various times during the second half of th ...
.
After the
2012–13 NHL lockout
The 2012–13 NHL lockout was a labor dispute between the National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) that began at 11:59 pm EDT on September 15, 2012. A tentative deal on a new collective barg ...
, Kovalev was given a tryout by the
Florida Panthers, eventually signing a one-year contract with the team. "You could see how talented they are and they want to be in this League. All I want to do is help them. …I know I can match anyone in this locker room. I can still play this game," Kovalev said about the Panthers. In his first game as a Panther, Kovalev scored a goal and recorded two assists, one of the latter of which was an assist on teammate
Jonathan Huberdeau
Jonathan Huberdeau (born June 4, 1993) is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger and an alternate captain for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). Huberdeau was selected third overall by the Florida Panthers in the 2011 NH ...
's first career NHL goal.
On March 21, 2013, Kovalev officially announced his retirement from professional hockey. At that point, he had not played for the Panthers since a loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on February 22.
However, Kovalev's retirement lasted less than three months. Swiss
National League B
The Swiss League is the second tier of the main professional ice hockey league in Switzerland, behind the National League. The winners of the league each season plays a best-of-seven series against the bottom team of the NL, and if they win, the ...
(NLB) team
EHC Visp
EHC Visp is a Swiss professional ice hockey team based in Visp and competing in the Swiss League (SL). The club was founded in 1939 and became Swiss champion in 1962. Visp has also won the league title in NLB three times; 1960, 2011 and 2014.
The ...
announced on June 10, 2013, that they had signed him to a one-year contract with an option for a second year.
He appeared in 44 regular season games, notching 22 goals and 30 assists for 52 points and winning Swiss NLB championship.
On July 3, 2014, Kovalev again announced his retirement from professional hockey at the age of 41.
On January 30, 2016, Kovalev revealed that he was yet again considering a return to professional ice hockey in the NHL. He referenced
Jaromír Jágr
Jaromír Jágr (; born 15 February 1972) is a Czech professional ice hockey right winger for and the owner of Rytíři Kladno of the Czech Extraliga (ELH). He previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Pittsburgh Penguin ...
, who is of similar age to him, as his reason to believe a comeback was possible. A team specifically mentioned was the Canadiens, however no team reached out to him.
Kovalev made a return to professional ice hockey on October 18, 2016, playing again for EHC Visp, the team he has become general manager of, after forward William Rapuzzi became injured before the day of the game. Kovalev gathered an assist on a goal by
Jon Rheault, and finished the game with 14 penalty minutes, after receiving a game misconduct and being ejected from the game in the third period, for a hit from behind. Kovalev had been taking part in team practices since the beginning of the season.
Managing career
In March 2016, it was announced that Kovalev has signed with
EHC Visp
EHC Visp is a Swiss professional ice hockey team based in Visp and competing in the Swiss League (SL). The club was founded in 1939 and became Swiss champion in 1962. Visp has also won the league title in NLB three times; 1960, 2011 and 2014.
The ...
of the Swiss
National League B
The Swiss League is the second tier of the main professional ice hockey league in Switzerland, behind the National League. The winners of the league each season plays a best-of-seven series against the bottom team of the NL, and if they win, the ...
to become general manager of the club.
Accomplishments
*First Russian/Soviet player to be drafted in the first round; 15th Overall, First Round, 1991
*One of the first four Russian players (along with
Alexander Karpovtsev
Alexander Georgievich Karpovtsev (russian: Александр Георгиевич Карповцев; April 7, 1970 – September 7, 2011) was a Russian ice hockey player and an assistant coach for Ak Bars Kazan and Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the ...
,
Sergei Nemchinov
Sergei Lvovich Nemchinov (russian: link=no, Серге́й Львович Немчинов; born 14 January 1964) is a Russian former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Rangers, Van ...
, and
Sergei Zubov
Sergei Alexandrovich Zubov ( Russian: Сергей Александрович Зубов; born 22 July 1970) is a Russian professional ice hockey coach and former defenceman. He is the former head coach for the Dinamo Riga of the Kontinental Hock ...
) to have his name engraved on the Stanley Cup;
*First Russian player to be a captain of an All-Star Team;
*Captain of the 2009 NHL Eastern Conference All-Star Team;
*Most Valuable Player of the 2009 NHL All-Star Game;
*November 23, 2010, recorded 1,000th (and 1,001st) career point(s) against the
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and was founded on June 5, 1967, after Jack Kent ...
, scoring a goal and an assist;
*Most NHL games played by a player born and trained in the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
(1,302).
Off the ice
Kovalev is a licensed aircraft pilot.
His family's history is scarce, except for his step sister Adel Bukary and brother Maximilian Kovalev.
Endorsements
Kovalev is a prominent endorsee of
Warrior Hockey, making use of their range of products as a trademark, which includes his own signature stick, the AK27. Kovalev was also pictured on the cover of
EA Sports
EA Sports is a division of Electronic Arts that develops and publishes sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to imitate real-life sports networks by calling themselves the "EA Sports Network ...
' ''
NHL 95'' scoring a goal on
Kirk McLean
Kirk Alan McLean (born June 26, 1966) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New Jersey Devils, Vancouver Canucks, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers and New York Ran ...
of the
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...
in the
1994 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1994 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1993–94 season, and the culmination of the 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested between the Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers a ...
. In October 2006, he unveiled the Kovy's Kids Suite at the Bell Centre to give children with heart conditions the opportunity to attend hockey games at the Bell Centre. In March 2008, Kovalev released a two-disc DVD titled ''My Hockey Tips and Training Methods''. He donated 100 percent of the DVD sale profits to charities that promote cardiac care for children. At the age of eight, Kovalev himself was diagnosed with a heart disorder that prevented him from playing hockey for two years while he underwent treatment.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
International
Awards and achievements
NHL
*
NHL All-Star Game
The National Hockey League All-Star Game (french: Match des Étoiles de la Ligue Nationale de Hockey, links=no) is an exhibition ice hockey game that is traditionally held during the regular season of the National Hockey League (NHL), with many o ...
–
2001,
2003,
2009
*
NHL Second All-Star Team
The National Hockey League All-Star teams were first named at the end of the 1930–31 NHL season, to honor the best performers over the season at each position.
Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the all- ...
–
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
*
NHL All-Star Game
The National Hockey League All-Star Game (french: Match des Étoiles de la Ligue Nationale de Hockey, links=no) is an exhibition ice hockey game that is traditionally held during the regular season of the National Hockey League (NHL), with many o ...
MVP Award –
2009
*''
The Hockey News
''The Hockey News'' (''THN'') is a Canadian-based ice hockey magazine. ''The Hockey News'' was founded in 1947 by Ken McKenzie and Will Cote and has since become the most recognized hockey publication in North America. The magazine has a readers ...
'' –
Saku Koivu Award (Comeback Player of the Year): 2008
*
Stanley Cup champion –
1994
File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nelson ...
(
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
)
*
NHL's First Star of the Month – (February 2001)
*
NHL's First Star of the Week – (March 30–April 5, 2009)
*NHL's Offensive Player of the Week – (November 6–12, 2000); (November 5–11, 2001).
*
Molson Cup Award (monthly) winner – November 2005, November 2007 to February 2008.
*
Molson Cup Award (season) winner – 2008
International
*
1992 Winter Olympics
)
, nations = 64
, athletes = 1,801 (1313 men, 488 women)
, events = 57 in 6 sports (12 disciplines)
, opening = 8 February 1992
, closing = 23 February 1992
, opened_by = President François Mitterrand
, cauldron ...
–
Gold Medal (
Ice Hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...
)
*
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 ( arp, Niico'ooowu' 2002; Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; nv, Sooléí 2002; Shoshoni: ''Soónkahni 2002''), was an internation ...
–
Bronze Medal (
Ice Hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...
)
*
2005 IIHF World Championship
The 2005 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship was held 30 April – 15 May 2005 in Vienna and Innsbruck, Austria. It was the 69th annual event, and was run by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).
Venues
Rosters
Preliminary round
...
– Best Forward
Transactions
*June 23, 1991 —
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
first-round draft choice (15th overall) in the NHL Entry Draft.
*November 25, 1998 — Traded by the New York Rangers, along with
Harry York
Harold Cameron York (born April 16, 1974) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played several seasons in the National Hockey League.
Playing career
Born in Ponoka, Alberta, York was the Alberta Junior Hockey League MVP and lea ...
, to the
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...
in exchange for
Petr Nedvěd
Petr Nedvěd (born December 9, 1971) is a Czech-born Canadian former professional ice hockey player who spent 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1990 and 2007.
Early career
Nedvěd was born in Liberec, Czechoslovakia to Jaro ...
,
Sean Pronger
Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Irish English, is a male given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name ''Yohanan'' (), Seán (anglicized as ''Shaun/ Shawn/ Shon'') and Séan (Ulster variant; angli ...
and
Chris Tamer
Christopher Thomas Tamer (born November 17, 1970 in Dearborn, Michigan) is a retired American ice hockey defenseman who played in the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, and Atlanta Thrashers.
Hockey career
As a youth, Tamer pla ...
.
*February 10, 2003 — Traded by the Pittsburgh Penguins, along with
Mike Wilson,
Janne Laukkanen and
Dan LaCouture, to the New York Rangers in exchange for
Joel Bouchard,
Richard Lintner,
Rico Fata
Rico Fata (born February 12, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played for the Calgary Flames, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Atlanta Thrashers and Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Playin ...
,
Mikael Samuelsson
Karl Mikael Samuelsson (born 23 December 1976) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey right winger. Samuelsson began his career in Sweden, starting with small town team IFK Mariefred, followed by Södertälje SK as a junior in 1994. He we ...
and a fourth-round draft pick.
*March 2, 2004 — Traded by the New York Rangers to the
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
in exchange for
Jozef Balej and Montreal's 2004 second-round draft choice.
*July 6, 2009 — Signed a two-year $9.95 million deal with the Ottawa Senators.
*February 24, 2011 — Traded by the Ottawa Senators to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Pittsburgh's conditional 7th round draft pick in the 2011 NHL Draft.
*January 18, 2013 — Signed a one-year, $1 million (+300K signing bonus) contract with the Florida Panthers.
See also
*
List of NHL players with 1,000 games played
The National Hockey League (NHL) is a major professional ice hockey league which operates in Canada and the United States. Since its inception in , 357 players have played at least 1,000 regular season games, varying in amounts between Patrick ...
*
List of NHL players with 1000 points
The List of National Hockey League (NHL) players with 1,000 points is a list of the individual players who have scored at least 1,000 regular season points during their career in the NHL. A point in the NHL is awarded to a player for scoring a g ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kovalev, Alexei
1973 births
Living people
Ak Bars Kazan players
Binghamton Rangers players
Florida Panthers players
Atlant Moscow Oblast players
HC Dynamo Moscow players
HC Lada Togliatti players
Ice hockey players at the 1992 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey players at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey players at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Medalists at the 1992 Winter Olympics
Medalists at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Montreal Canadiens players
National Hockey League All-Stars
National Hockey League first-round draft picks
New York Rangers draft picks
New York Rangers players
Olympic bronze medalists for Russia
Olympic gold medalists for the Unified Team
Olympic ice hockey players of the Unified Team
Olympic ice hockey players of Russia
Olympic medalists in ice hockey
Ottawa Senators players
Sportspeople from Tolyatti
Pittsburgh Penguins players
Russian ice hockey right wingers
Soviet ice hockey right wingers
Stanley Cup champions