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Former Rocket Richard Winner Retires From Hockey

A longtime NHL star is finally calling it quits.

Jon Alfano

Feb 2, 2020; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens forward Ilya Kovalchuk (17) prepares for a face off against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the second period at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
Feb 2, 2020; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens forward Ilya Kovalchuk (17) prepares for a face off against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the second period at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images / Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Longtime NHL star Ilya Kovalchuk has announced his retirement from hockey, Hockey News Hub on X reports.

Kovalchuk, 41, was the No. 1 overall pick in 2001 by the Atlanta Thrashers and played 13 NHL seasons with five different teams. In 926 games, the Russian forward scored 876 points (443 goals, 433 assists) while averaging 21:15 of ice time. He made three all-star games in 2004, 2008 and 2009.

Kovalchuk spent the first eight years of his career with the Thrashers and was at his most productive there. He won the Rocket Richard Trophy as the league's leading goal-scorer in 2003-04 with 41 goals, though he surpassed that total in each of the following four seasons, scoring 52 in both 2005-06 and 2007-08.

Atlanta Thrashers forward Ilya Kovalchuk
January 8, 2010; Raleigh, NC, USA; Atlanta Thrashers left wing Ilya Kovalchuk (17) celebrates scoring the game winning goal during the 3rd period against the Carolina Hurricanes at the RBC center. The Thrashers defeated the Hurricanes 5-3. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USPRESSWIRE / James Guillory-USPRESSWIRE

In 2010, the Thrashers traded Kovalchuk to the New Jersey Devils after they were unable to agree with him on a new contract. He scored 201 points (89 goals, 112 assists) in four seasons with the Devils, but his contract almost overshadowed his on-ice production.

New Jersey signed Kovalchuk to a 17-year, $102 million deal in July of 2010, which would've been the longest in NHL history had the league not blocked it. The Devils instead ended up signing him to a much more reasonable 15-year, $100 million contract after an agreement between the NHL and NHLPA. The league penalized the Devils for attempting to circumvent the cap with the original deal, fining them $3 million and stripping them of future draft picks, though these penalties were eventually reduced.

In 2013, just three years after signing that monster deal, Kovalchuk retired from the NHL to play with SKA Saint Petersburg of the KHL. He would eventually return to the NHL to briefly play with the Los Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals, though he didn't score at anywhere near the same rate.

Kovalchuk has spent the past five years playing in the KHL on and off, first with Avangard Omsk in 2020-21 and then with Spartak Moscow in 2023-24.

As he walks away from the game, Kovalchuk leaves a strong hockey legacy behind in both North America and Russia.

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Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

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