Aleksey Kovalev is a hockey player who, during his brilliant career, managed to receive many honorary awards and become a star of the National Hockey League. He is a famous hockey player who, at the beginning of his career, played for the USSR and Russia as part of the Dynamo hockey club. Alexey is a right forward. Kovalev has two nicknames: Kovi and AK-27.
Dream
Kovalev Alexey Vyacheslavovich was born in 1973, on February 24th. He himself comes from Togliatti, Kuibyshev region.
A brilliant career might not have started like that, because once in childhood he was found to have heart problems. Doctors urged him to stop training, but despite this, he continued to do what he loved. The disease subsided over time. His father dreamed that Alexei would become a hockey player, and from childhood began to bring him to the ice.
Often had to train at night, as the Sports Palace, where they then played, was busy until night. Alexei simultaneously studied at a general education and hockey school. Soon he began to show amazing results and took leadership positions inteam. At first, in the Youth Sports School, he acted as a defender, but then the coaches decided to try him as a striker.
His outstanding data was first noticed by the Lada coaches, and then Kovalev was invited to Dynamo. His coach then was Vladimir Yurzinov. Dynamo became a kind of launching pad in his career as a hockey player.
Dynamo player
At the age of 16, Alexey Kovalev moved to Moscow, and at 17 he became the player of HC Dynamo. In this club, he played for three years. In 1992, the club won two significant victories - in the championship and at the Olympics. In the same year there was his personal victory - he became the first hockey player in Russia, who was selected in the first round of the prestigious NHL draft. During the time he was a Dynamo player, Alexei twice became the champion of the USSR, and also won the Olympics and the World Youth Championship.
Moving overseas
He was offered to play in the NHL as part of the New York Rangers hockey team just at the time when the country was in a difficult situation - in 1991. Alexey Kovalev accepted the offer and signed a contract.
Two years later, his name, along with the names of several other Russian hockey players, appeared on the Stanley Cup. Then the confrontation between the two teams, the Rangers and Vancouver, became one of the most beautiful in the history of the National Hockey League. Being in the strongest League in the world, Alexei Kovalev was able to win the coveted trophy. The photo, which captures a frame from his brilliant hockey past, is posted below.
Career
In 1998, there was a change: he began to play in Pittsburgh. After a series of failures, Kovalev began to get lucky again. He plays flawlessly and wins over and over again. Kovalev fails to win the Stanley Cup again, but despite this, that period can be described as one of the most successful in his career.
In the 2002/2003 season. he returns to the Rangers, only now things were not going as well as before.
A year later, Kovalev gets to Montreal and has been playing there for five years. He spent several outstanding seasons in the game and during this time fell in love with the Canadian public. The series of victories includes the 2004 World Cup, Olympic Turin.
Due to disagreements with the coach, he had to leave the club, and Kovalev signed a contract with Ottawa for two years, but the performance for this team could not be called successful. Although it was at that time that he scored the 1000th point in the NHL (before him, only two Russian hockey players were able to do this). Then there was a return to Pittsburgh again.
Finally, after two decades, the hockey player returns to his homeland - to Russia. Now he began to play in the KHL. In 2011, he signed a contract with Atlanta. Kovalev started the season well, but an injury prevented him from continuing to work with this club. While he was recovering, another hockey player was taken in his place.
Later, Kovalev played for Florida for a while, but was soon removed from the squad. After playing in the Swiss Wisp.
During lock-outs in 1994 played forLada, and in 2004/2005 - for AkBars.
Foreign HC: Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators, New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens.
Russian Ice Hockey Clubs: Lada Togliatti, AkBars Kazan, Atlant Moscow Region, Dynamo Moscow.
Golf
In addition to hockey, now Kovalev decided to take up golf. This is not surprising, golf is the fun of most North American hockey players. But he has a special relationship to this sport - he perceives it not just as a form of recreation, but as a serious occupation. Kovalev participated in tournaments, including charitable ones. And in this sport he achieved certain victories - he took fourth place in the Russian Championship.
Hobbies
He is not alien to creativity. At one time, Alexey became interested in playing the saxophone. He took mastery lessons from jazz musician Igor Butman. He also played episodic roles, for example, in the movie "Brother-2", and a documentary was made about him.
Another passion is the plane. At first, he simply loved to fly on an airplane and feel this feeling of freedom … And then Kovalev himself became a pilot, having received the necessary certificate. Alexei purchased the aircraft, and now he could fly it himself. There is an inscription on his plane, which probably characterizes this active and purposeful person in the best possible way: “Life is given to a person in order to live.”
Tennis, diving, taekwondo are also among his hobbies.
Charity
Alexey does charity work. His foundation helps children with heart disease - they are sent to the United States in order to have an operation if necessary. He founded this foundation together with another hockey player - Sergei Nemchinov and his wife.
Awards and achievements
- 1990 and 1991 - champion of the USSR.
- 1992 - Olympic champion.
- 1992 - Honored Master of Sports of the USSR.
- 1994 - Stanley Cup winner.
- 2002 - Olympic medalist (bronze).
- 2005 is the best striker of the Youth World Cup.
- participant in the NHL All-Star Game (2 times).
- 2009 - NHL All-Star Game MVP.
- Captain of the Russian national team.
- Played 1439 NHL games.
Private life
Little is known about the family of Alexei Kovalev, an NHL hockey player. He does not like to talk about his personal life. It is known that he is married and has two sons. The wife's name is Evgenia, and the children's names are Nikita and Ivan.
Aleksey Kovalev's wife met him when he was playing on the tennis court, and at first she thought he was a tennis player. At that time he had just moved to Moscow. Then they were still 14 years old, and from 16 they already lived together. Their marriage has been going on for over 20 years.
Retirement
The last club he played for was Wisp. In 2013, Kovalev decides to end his career as a hockey player. He decided to retire from hockey due to numerous injuries that prevented him from continuing his career.
