Athletistic / Hockey. Former head coach of the Russian national team Vyacheslav Bykov reacted to the return of forward Ilya Kovalchuk to big hockey. The 40-year-old Russian hasn’t played in a professional team for 2.5 years.
“I can only wish that Ilya prolongs this joy. I want Kovalchuk to experience pleasure and satisfaction playing hockey in his home club! His champion character and human qualities will strengthen the game, work and the internal atmosphere of Spartak.”
Today, red and white youth see a wonderful example, they have the opportunity to learn from the experience of a great master. And of course, for Spartak fans and all hockey fans, this is a pleasant New Year’s surprise,” Bykov said, as quoted by Metaratings.ru.
Ilya Kovalchuk played his first match after returning to Spartak on December 24. In the KHL regular season match against Kunlun Red Star (5:2), the legendary forward scored a goal, hitting the empty net at the very end of the match.
Under the leadership of Bykov, Ilya Kovalchuk won the World Championship twice as a member of the Russian national team (2008, 2009).
Source: Sport
I’m Emma Smith, a dedicated journalist and avid storyteller. I have been writing for news websites for the past 5 years, reporting on hockey news and delivering in-depth analysis of the sport. In my current role as Author at Athletistic, I write about hockey events from around the world to keep followers up-to-date with what’s happening in the sport.
