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Ilya Kovalchuk Retires

Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 2:01 pm
by dmiles2186
http://devils.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=677775

Wow. The Devils give him that huge commitment, long term, etc. and he ends up leaving them for mother Russia. Unbelievable.
Newark, NJ – Today, New Jersey Devils forward Ilya Kovalchuk announced his retirement from the National Hockey League.

Statement from New Jersey Devils President/CEO/General Manager Lou Lamoriello:
“After many conversations with Ilya over the past year on his desire to retire from the National Hockey League, Ilya’s decision became official today. On behalf of the entire organization, I wish Ilya and his family all the best in their future endeavors.”

Statement from Ilya Kovalchuk:
“This decision was something I have thought about for a long time going back to the lockout and spending the year in Russia. Though I decided to return this past season, Lou was aware of my desire to go back home and have my family there with me. The most difficult thing for me is to leave the New Jersey Devils, a great organization that I have a lot of respect for, and our fans that have been great to me.”

Kovalchuk played 11 seasons in the NHL, including the last four with New Jersey. He retires with career NHL totals of 417 goals and 399 assists for 816 points with 516 penalty minutes in 816 games.

He added 11 goals and 16 assists in 32 career playoff games. Kovalchuk scored 89 goals and 112 assists for 201 points in 222 games, while adding eight goals and 11 assists in 23 playoff games with the Devils. He was traded to New Jersey by Atlanta on February 4, 2010. He was Atlanta’s first choice, and the first overall selection in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. Born April 15, 1983 in Tver, Russia, Kovalchuk represented Russia at three Olympic Winter Games, nine World Championships, one World Junior Championship and the 2004 World Cup

Re: Ilya Kovalchuk Retires

Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 2:07 pm
by Nyghtewynd
You just can't trust most Russian players when it comes to their attachments with the KHL and the Russian "money". The Blues would be wise to remember this with Tank.

Re: Ilya Kovalchuk Retires

Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 2:33 pm
by not_a_wings_fan
I was blown away by this. The KHL is becoming a big deal, tbh.

Re: Ilya Kovalchuk Retires

Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 2:51 pm
by glen a richter
The KHL is becoming a huge deal. I wouldn't be surprised, down the line, to see some interleague games or maybe a championship series between the two leagues. Not for the Cup, of course, but for something else. I'm still in the market for a Tarasenko SKA St. Petersburg sweater. Been so since the lockout, but unable to find a website written in something other than Russian.

Re: Ilya Kovalchuk Retires

Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 4:10 pm
by kodos
Don't the NHL and the KHL have some sort of transfer agreement? How can he do this?

Re: Ilya Kovalchuk Retires

Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 4:20 pm
by sseagle
its a salary dump for the devils, now they have a 250k hit for the length of his contract, if he did this next season... it would be 750k per

Re: Ilya Kovalchuk Retires

Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 6:45 pm
by drwoland
glen a richter wrote:The KHL is becoming a huge deal. I wouldn't be surprised, down the line, to see some interleague games or maybe a championship series between the two leagues. Not for the Cup, of course, but for something else. I'm still in the market for a Tarasenko SKA St. Petersburg sweater. Been so since the lockout, but unable to find a website written in something other than Russian.
I can help with translating the russian sites.. I'm also asking a buddy that lives in St. Petersburg to see if it might be easier to just have him mail one from there.

Re: Ilya Kovalchuk Retires

Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 7:16 pm
by glen a richter
drwoland wrote:
glen a richter wrote:The KHL is becoming a huge deal. I wouldn't be surprised, down the line, to see some interleague games or maybe a championship series between the two leagues. Not for the Cup, of course, but for something else. I'm still in the market for a Tarasenko SKA St. Petersburg sweater. Been so since the lockout, but unable to find a website written in something other than Russian.
I can help with translating the russian sites.. I'm also asking a buddy that lives in St. Petersburg to see if it might be easier to just have him mail one from there.
I found one site but they're currently out of stock. It's good to have friends in high places.

Re: Ilya Kovalchuk Retires

Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 9:15 pm
by Nyghtewynd
The NHL cannot and will not make a deal with the KHL. It's essentially a mob enterprise running on Putin money that has the ability to pay and/or "strongly suggest" that players do what they want. It can't be touched with a 20-foot pole.

Re: Ilya Kovalchuk Retires

Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 9:20 pm
by not_a_wings_fan
I am leaning towards the salary dump angle as well. Wouldn't shock me if he's back in the NHL un retired after a year off. Seems odd to leave 77 million just sitting there.

Re: Ilya Kovalchuk Retires

Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 9:55 pm
by joosforjihad
I'm not sure how much money he's actually going to lose if he makes big bucks over there and pays a fraction of the taxes. Plus he's where he wants to be. Also, it seems like he didn't really want to come back after the lockout ended.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck- ... 37775.html

Re: Ilya Kovalchuk Retires

Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 10:10 pm
by ComradeT
glen a richter wrote:The KHL is becoming a huge deal. I wouldn't be surprised, down the line, to see some interleague games or maybe a championship series between the two leagues. Not for the Cup, of course, but for something else. I'm still in the market for a Tarasenko SKA St. Petersburg sweater. Been so since the lockout, but unable to find a website written in something other than Russian.
Found bunch of them on eBay, Glen. Not sure how authentic but they are there it seems.

Re: Ilya Kovalchuk Retires

Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 6:32 am
by WaukeeBlues
ComradeT wrote:
glen a richter wrote:The KHL is becoming a huge deal. I wouldn't be surprised, down the line, to see some interleague games or maybe a championship series between the two leagues. Not for the Cup, of course, but for something else. I'm still in the market for a Tarasenko SKA St. Petersburg sweater. Been so since the lockout, but unable to find a website written in something other than Russian.
Found bunch of them on eBay, Glen. Not sure how authentic but they are there it seems.
More importantly, are they cheap and high quality?

Re: Ilya Kovalchuk Retires

Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 7:03 am
by WaukeeBlues
This is a serious problem for the NHL. It is no longer assumed that the best players from Russia/Eastern Europe come to play in the NHL anymore. And as we're seeing, even the superstars aren't staying.

Burmistrov just bounced the Jets to head back to the KHL mere days before this happened. We can only hope Tarasenko makes the adjustment, ends up really liking it here and sticking around. This makes me nervous and if I'm an NHL GM, I'm LEERY as hell to draft any Russians/Eastern Europeans with my first round pick anymore. Ever.

Re: Ilya Kovalchuk Retires

Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 7:24 am
by abc789987
[tweet][/tweet]

Re: Ilya Kovalchuk Retires

Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 7:48 am
by JPonder94
glen a richter wrote:The KHL is becoming a huge deal. I wouldn't be surprised, down the line, to see some interleague games or maybe a championship series between the two leagues. Not for the Cup, of course, but for something else. I'm still in the market for a Tarasenko SKA St. Petersburg sweater. Been so since the lockout, but unable to find a website written in something other than Russian.
I really don't think the NHL would ever let this happen. It would be a real shot to the NHL if the KHL team won; the NHL would no longer be the greatest hockey league in the world. It doesn't make any sense for the NHL to take that risk.

On the other hand, this would be a great thing for the KHL. If they win, they prove that they are just as good a league as the NHL (what they've been preaching for years). If they lose, they are still a top-notch league that hung with an NHL franchise.

Re: Ilya Kovalchuk Retires

Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 1:40 pm
by Jaykay
glen a richter wrote:The KHL is becoming a huge deal. I wouldn't be surprised, down the line, to see some interleague games or maybe a championship series between the two leagues. Not for the Cup, of course, but for something else. I'm still in the market for a Tarasenko SKA St. Petersburg sweater. Been so since the lockout, but unable to find a website written in something other than Russian.

already tried this?

http://thejerseyhub.com/index.php?route ... uct_id=383


:okman:

Re: Ilya Kovalchuk Retires

Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 1:45 pm
by glen a richter
I did see that, Jaykay... I think it would turn some heads especially since it very clearly doesn't say Tarasenko on the back. I mean I know the intent, but things that are written in Russian tend to confuse people. Is that the actual Russian spelling of his name?

Re: Ilya Kovalchuk Retires

Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 5:57 pm
by Jaykay
glen a richter wrote:I did see that, Jaykay... I think it would turn some heads especially since it very clearly doesn't say Tarasenko on the back. I mean I know the intent, but things that are written in Russian tend to confuse people. Is that the actual Russian spelling of his name?
I don't speak russian at all, but since i live a little bit closer, i can say that this is to 99% his name written in the russian way. their alphabet is called cyrillic, and if I remember correctly you can translate it 1:1, letter per letter here:

http://www.ancientscripts.com/cyrillic.html

P = R
C = S
H = N

The blue flame is the logo of gazprom, the biggest russian gas-company, and since their name is written the same way, i guess it's "original".

also, i think thejerseyhub.com seems to be serious business, although i never bought a jersey there.

all those facts make me think that this really is a close replica of his SKA-jersey. you only get closer if you buy one in their fan-shop or get a game-worn ;)

edit: yeah, and i actually don't think that you find an SKA-jersey with his name written in our alphabet, only if you find one to customize

Re: Ilya Kovalchuk Retires

Posted: Fri Jul 12, 2013 8:38 pm
by glen a richter
Jaykay wrote:
glen a richter wrote:I did see that, Jaykay... I think it would turn some heads especially since it very clearly doesn't say Tarasenko on the back. I mean I know the intent, but things that are written in Russian tend to confuse people. Is that the actual Russian spelling of his name?
I don't speak russian at all, but since i live a little bit closer, i can say that this is to 99% his name written in the russian way. their alphabet is called cyrillic, and if I remember correctly you can translate it 1:1, letter per letter here:

http://www.ancientscripts.com/cyrillic.html

P = R
C = S
H = N

The blue flame is the logo of gazprom, the biggest russian gas-company, and since their name is written the same way, i guess it's "original".

also, i think thejerseyhub.com seems to be serious business, although i never bought a jersey there.

all those facts make me think that this really is a close replica of his SKA-jersey. you only get closer if you buy one in their fan-shop or get a game-worn ;)

edit: yeah, and i actually don't think that you find an SKA-jersey with his name written in our alphabet, only if you find one to customize
Looks right, so now I have to wrap my head around the idea of spending that kind of money for a KHL sweater.