Ilya Kovalchuk

Ilya Valeryevich Kovalchuk (Russian: Илья́ Вале́рьевич Ковальчу́к; born April 15, 1983) is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger who played 11 seasons in the National Hockey League until he announced his retirement from the league on July 11, 2013. Kovalchuk played with the Atlanta Thrashers and New Jersey Devils. Drafted first overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers, he began his NHL career in 2001–02 with Atlanta and was nominated for the Calder Memorial Trophy as league rookie-of-the-year. He is a three-time NHL All-Star and won the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the league’s leading goal-scorer in 2004 in a three-way tie with Jarome Iginla and Rick Nash. After eight seasons with the Thrashers, he was traded to the Devils in February 2010, and later signed a 15-year, $100 million contract during the off-season after a 17-year, $102 million was rejected by the league. He abruptly retired from the NHL in 2013, citing the desire to return home after spending time during the 2012-2013 lockout with his family in Russia. “Kovalchuk played 11 seasons in the NHL, the last four with New Jersey. He will retire with 417 goals and 816 points in 816 games.”