Jean-Yves Ahern-Imagn Images
Audio By Carbonatix
Ilya Kovalchuk spent 13 seasons in the NHL before heading back to his native Russia to continue his professional career. He decided to hang up his skates earlier this year, which means he’ll have even more time to add to the staggering number of traffic violations he’s managed to accrue since moving back.
There was a ton of hype surrounding Ilya Kovalchuk when he became the first Russian player to be selected with the top overall pick in the NHL Draft after the Thrashers scooped him up in 2001.
He never really achieved superstar status during his time in the league, but he was a two-time All-Star who shared the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy after scoring 41 goals during the 2003-04 run and was a key contributor on the Devils team that lost to the Kings in the Stanley Cup Final in 2012.
Kovaluck headed back to Russia to play for SKA Saint Petersburg of the KHL the following season as a result of the lockout and made the fairly surprising decision to retire from the NHL after returning for the abbreviated campaign.
He did end up returning in 2018 for brief stints with the Kings, Canadiens, and Capitals, but he headed back to the KHL in 2020 and played two more seasons as a pro before retiring in March, a month before his 42nd birthday.
Anyone who’s spent time watching Russian dashcam compilations on YouTube knows many drivers in the country choose to adopt what could be politely be described as an “aggressive” style (and one that could be impolitely described as “a total disregard for laws and human life”), and it would appear Kovalchuck falls under that umbrella.
According to a report that originated in Russia, the forward has been caught speeding on 115 occasions, been cited for ignoring signs and markings 46 times, and nabbed for illegally parking in 24 different instances in the past year and a half alone.Â
You almost almost have to be impressed by those stats.