Alexei Kovalev retires

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http://swisshockeynews.ch/index.php/swi ... -to-retire" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Kanal9 reports, EHC Visp's 41-year-old Russian ex-NHL star Alexei Kovalev has decided to put an end to his career as a professional hockey player.

EHC Visp scored a coup as they signed Alexei Kovalev to a one-year contract (plus option for another season) in October 2013. With 29 goals and 37 assists in 59 games, the 41-year-old lead the Valais to the win of the NLB Championship in 2014.

Kovalev looks back on a 19-year playing career. He has played in 1,302 NHL games with New York (1992-1999, 2002-2004), Pittsburgh (1998-2003, 2010-2011), Montreal (2005-2009) and Ottawa (2009-2011) scoring 473 goals with 651 assists and 1,124 points. In 1994 he was able to celebrate the Stanley Cup win with the New York Rangers.

The native of Togliatti is a three-time NHL all-star (2001, 2003, 2009) and has represented his country internationally eight times during his career, winning gold medals at the 1992 Winter Olympics and 1992 World Junior Championship, and bronze at the 2002 Winter Olympics.

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and an official report with Kovalev saying the word retire

LEUKERBAD, Switzerland – Long-time Russian national team player Alexei Kovalyov, 41, calls it a career after 24 years in professional hockey.

“Unfortunately I have to retire because of my injuries,” he told TV channel Kanal9 at a camp in Leukerbad.

Kovalyov represented Russia and the Soviet Union at several occasions and won Olympic gold in Albertville 1992. He played in three Olympic Winter Games, three IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships and two World Cup of Hockey tournaments.

Besides Olympic gold, Kovalyov also won Olympic bronze in Salt Lake City 2002, World Championship bronze in Vienna 2005 and World Junior gold in 1992. At club level his biggest success was winning the Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers in 1994. The Togliatti native moved from Dynamo Moscow to the Rangers in 1992 where he was playing for nine years. Kovalyov spent 19 seasons in the National Hockey League where he also played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators and for the Florida Panthers before retiring from NHL hockey in 2013.

In 1,316 regular-season games – more than any other Russian has played – Kovalyov had 430 goals and 599 assists; and 45 goals and 55 assists in 123 playoff games.

In the Russian/Soviet top league he played for Dynamo Moscow, his hometown team Lada Togliatti and Ak Bars Kazan during two lockouts, and for Atlant Mytishi in 2011/2012.

After leaving the NHL in 2013, Kovalyov spent last season with Swiss second-tier team EHC Visp and organizing hockey camps in the region. He contributed 29 goals and 41 assists in 59 games to winning the National League B.

“I’d have loved to play until I’m 50 but the injuries from the last few seasons don’t let me continue my career,” Kovalyov said. “It’s a hard decision for me but it is what it is. It was my last season.”

http://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/news ... 766784805d" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Beveridge]

He'll probably have a long retirement shift to boot.

[columbia]

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[Three Stars]

Whoever edited that highlight package must have had the subject in mind. It's occasionally brilliant, sometimes annoying, and generally unfulfilling.

[Beveridge]

Whoever edited that highlight package must have had the subject in mind. It's occasionally brilliant, sometimes annoying, and generally unfulfilling.

[Gaucho]

Float on, cosmonaut!

[columbia]

Whoever edited that highlight package must have had the subject in mind. It's occasionally brilliant, sometimes annoying, and generally unfulfilling.

You're still bitter over that trade, eh?

[wondermoose]

What a hockey player.

Favorite Kovy moment was back in the dark years against I forget who. He had puck below the goal line, facing the defender, and started skating backwards as the defender came down on him. Got to within 5-6 feet of the boards, stopped on a dime and made one of his combo head-leg fakes toward the net. You could see the defenseman's brain lose contact with his legs and feet. Defender fell flat on his face into the boards as Kovy was already past him.

Didn't score, but my god, the physical skill of that man.

[SubtropicalPenguin]

I will always have fond memories of Kovalev. That 2000-01 team with the return of Mario playing along side Jagr, and the KLS line in full form was a crazy year. Lots of emotion, lots of turmoil, lots of excitement. Notwithstanding the imminent departure of Jagr and the bad loss at the hand of the Devils in the ECF, that was a heck of an exciting team. When Kovalev was on his game, man was he fun to watch.

[Kraftster]

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Wtf is with the editing. That's unbearable to watch and seems to be aiming to induce a seizure.

[SpinnerSpencer]

Kovalev to the Pens... MM may yet be right... http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck- ... 14347.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;