Star Devils sniper Ilya Kovalchuk retires from NHL after 11 seasons
NEWARK, N.J. – Star New Jersey Devils forward Ilya Kovalchuk is retiring from the NHL after 11 seasons.
Kovalchuk leaves the NHL as one of the league’s deadliest snipers. He had 417 goals and 399 assists in 816 games with Atlanta and New Jersey.
Kovalchuk, 30, says he wants to go home to Russia with his family, but says it’s difficult to leave New Jersey and he has a lot of respect for the Devils organization.
Kovalchuk was drafted first overall by Atlanta in 2001 and made an immediate impact. He had 29 goals and 21 assists in his rookie season in 2001-02.
He was traded to New Jersey on Feb. 4, 2010, and helped the Devils reach the 2012 Stanley Cup final.
He had five 40-goal seasons, and reached the 50-goal mark twice.
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