Ilya Kovalchuk, star of both the NHL and KHL, has released a statement saying he's about to make a major decision regarding his pro hockey career.
Kovalchuk, 40-years-old, has not played pro hockey since winning the KHL's Gagarin Cup with Avangard Omsk. While he's never played for Spartak Moscow in the KHL, he came up through the team's youth system.
Kovalchuk was the 1st overall pick of the Atlanta Thrashers. Despite his clear offensive talent, Kovalchuk's NHL career was somewhat rocky, as he returned to Russia three times during his tenure in the league. He does not have his name on the Stanley Cup, but won the Rocket Richard Trophy is 2004 as the NHL's top scorer. Kovalchuk has three Gagarin Cups; two with SKA St. Petersburg and one with Avangard. During St. Petersburg's 2015 Cup win, Kovalchuk was named the KHL's playoff MVP, but refused the award, instead handing it to teammate Evgenii Dadonov.
