Alexey Kovalev is one of the most famous domestic hockey players overseas. The outstanding striker spent many years in the best hockey league in the world - the NHL. He defended the colors of five teams, with one of which he won the Stanley Cup. He is one of the few Russian hockey players who have played over a thousand NHL matches.
Alexey Vyacheslavovich Kovalev was born in the city-capital of the domestic auto industry Togliatti on February 24, 1973. From an early age, the child showed a love for sports, especially for winter species. Since childhood, he watched hockey battles in the framework of the USSR championship and dreamed of going on the ice at one time as part of a team of masters. The boy's dreams were destined to come true. His talent has grown to true sporting greatness.
Kovalev received his first sports education in Togliatti, and when he reached youth, he was looked after by the breeders of the famous Moscow Dynamo. It was in this club that the player's hockey biography began as a high-level hockey player.
Alexey Kovalev's club career
From 1989 to 1992, Alexey Kovalev played first in the USSR ice hockey championship, and then in the CIS League for the capital “Dynamo”. Already in this club, the professionalism of the right-handed striker, his versatility, creativity in his approach to the game and outstanding hockey thinking could be traced. This had a beneficial effect in 1991, when Kovalev was drafted by the New York Rangers. In the 1992-1993 season, it was to this team that the outstanding Russian striker left.
Kovalev played for the New York Rangers until 1999. For seven seasons, the striker has played more than four hundred matches. The 1994 season was a triumph for Kovalev, when the player, together with his team, won the Stanley Cup. This success allowed Alexey to become one of the first domestic legionnaires to win the main club hockey trophy.
Alexei Kovalev's career from 1999 to 2003 continued with the Penguins from Pittsburgh. The forward went to this team as an NHL star, which was reflected in his performance statistics. For the Penguins, Kovalev scored 149 goals in the regular season and hit the rivals' goal eleven more times in the playoffs.
In 2002, Kovalev returned to the Rangers' camp, where he spent two seasons, after which he left for a famous club from Montreal.
In the 2004-2005 season, Alexei returned to Russia, where he spent the season with Ak Bars Kazan. However, soon he again went overseas to the Montreal Canadiens, where he showed high performance.
Another Canadian club for which Kovalev played in the NHL is the Ottawa Senators. For this team, the striker played two seasons from 2009 to 2011.
Kovalev completed his distinguished NHL career in Florida in 2013.
The statistics of Alexei Kovalev's performances is one of the best to this day among all Russian legionnaires. He played 1316 matches in the regular season, scored 1029 points (430 + 590). He played 123 more games in the Stanley Cup playoffs, scoring 45 goals and giving 55 assists.
Kovalev also managed to play in the KHL for Atlant, and ended his career in one of the Swiss leagues at HC Fisp in 2017.
Achievements of Alexey Kovalev in the national team
In 1992, Kovalev won the World Championship as a member of the CIS youth team. In the same year he won gold at the Olympic Games. Kovalev won another bronze medal at the 2002 Olympics and at the 2005 World Cup at home.
Alexey Kovalev played twice at the World Ice Hockey Cups in 1996 and 2004.
The famous hockey player is a family man. He is married to the charming Eugenia. Together with his wife, the athlete is raising two sons, Ivan and Nikita. At the same time, my father successfully combines work in the coaching staff of the Chinese team from the KHL "Kun-Lun Red Star".
