Ilya Kovalchuk

Ilya Valerievich Kovalchuk (April 15, 1983, Kalinin) - Russian hockey player, left-handed striker of the SKA club from St. Petersburg and the Russian national team, Honored Master of Sports. In Russia, he previously played for Spartak, Khimik, Ak Bars; in the NHL he played for the Atlanta Thrashers and the New Jersey Devils. The first Russian drafted in the NHL under the overall first number (2001).

At the end of the 2003/04 season, Kovalchuk became a co-owner of the Maurice Richard Trophy (together with Rick Nash and Jerome Iginla). Three times (in 2004, 2008 and 2009) the Russian participated in the All-Star Game. At the end of 2009, Kovalchuk was included in the second five of the symbolic NHL team of the first decade of the 21st century, according to the league's official website. Ilya owns a number of performance records for Atlanta. On July 11, 2013 it became known that Kovalchuk, at the age of 30, decided to end his career in the NHL.

As part of the Russian national team, Kovalchuk took part in 9 world championships (taking gold in two of them) and in three consecutive Olympic Games.

For repeated use of the club with an incorrectly bent hook, he received the nickname "Captain Hook".