Bob Hartley, head coach of the Avangard club in the Omsk Hockey League (KHL), commented on information about the possible addition of Russian striker Ilya Kovalchuk to his coached team.
Yuri Nikolayev, an agent of a previously experienced hockey player, has discovered that his client could become an “Avangard” hockey player in the near future. “He has not yet arrived in Omsk, but we are close to concluding the deal,” Nikolayev told Sport24. “The agreement has not been signed yet, but everything will be settled soon. After the current negotiations, it is clear that this will be a one-season contract, but I, as his representative, would like a five-year contract (laughs). “
“You know, I’ve been working as a coach for 27 years, and I’d be happy to train Kovalchuk all these years,” Hartley commented on the possible deal. “Chemistry immediately developed between us, and I came to the Atlanta Hawks. He is a fantastic player, a professional. What I work for in the Avangard unit is Ilya’s credit – he called me and told me about KHL.
I saw him play in Montreal. He was given a big role, and Kovi it was great. He can’t be deprived of a litter of emotions. Of course, the legs no longer run as fast as in youth. But we are all human beings. There is a passion for the game and a desire to win. Kovalchuk is also a great leader in the locker room, ”said Harley in a conversation with Match-TV.
In November, it was reported that 37-year-old Kovalchuk would like to receive one million dollars from the KHL club to return to the league. Alexei Volkov, General Manager of Avangard, commented on the latest information. “We have not yet decided and Ilja herself does not yet know where to pursue her career. We have free space in salary resources and we want to attract someone with these funds. ”
Last season, the striker played for three National Hockey League (NHL) clubs. The championship was started by the Los Angeles Kings (3 + 6 in nine matches), continued by the Montreal Canadiens (6 + 7 in 22 games), but shortly before the end of the transition period, Kovalchuk moved to the Washington Capitals, where he scored seven goals in seven main tournament battles. passes, but in eight Stanley Cup matches – one pass.
Kovalchuk from the NHL returned to Russia in 2012, spending six seasons in the ranks of the St. Petersburg SKA. During this time, he became a two-time Gagarin Cup champion, as well as a 2018 Olympic champion in the national team.
In 2018, the striker decided to return to the NHL to become a Kings hockey player. In North America’s strongest league, Kovaččuks has played in 926 main tournament games with 876 (443 + 433) points, while he has scored 11 goals and 17 assists in 40 Stanley Cup matches.
