Former Tampa Bay and SKA hockey player Yevgeny Artiukhin appreciated the form of the striker “Spartak » Ilya Kovalchuk after returning to the KHL.
The KHL regular season match against Kunlun Red Star (5:2) was the 40-year-old hockey player’s first official match since April 2021. Kovalchuk scored into an empty net and spent 14.5 minutes on the ice, appearing on the ice in a trio with Andrei Loktionov and Maxim Tsyplakov.
– Ilya is simply awesome, handsome. He proved that he was almost back to his previous form. Congratulations to him for such a start. It was a good start and, above all, the team won. I think the fans, the club management and the guys on the team were happy. Ilya gives his teammates confidence in their abilities both on the ice and on the field.
— Could the fact that Kovalchuk missed two seasons affect him physically?
— Of course, you can’t fool physiology, but Ilya certainly didn’t spoil the game. It’s physically difficult for him – that’s understandable, but he’s a professional and he’s prepared for it. Practice is practice, but the tone of the game is another matter. As the matches progress, Ilya will return to optimal form and play his best hockey.
— There is an opinion that Kovalchuk will help Spartak compete for the Gagarin Cup.
– Certainly, one hundred percent. I’m sure and certain. Many people, including coaches and management, do not understand that having such a player in the team is a huge plus. Life and atmosphere within the team are shaped by guys like Ilya. He sets an example for young people, the guys become motivated to play the same way and up to the same age. Kovalchuk has extensive playoff experience, he won cups, he knows the right words, how to motivate guys. Players like Kovalchuk need to stay in the league as long as possible. This is a huge plus for our hockey,” Artyukhin said, as quoted by RB Sport.
You can watch Fonbet matches of the KHL championship on the channels of the Match holding company, as well as on the sites matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru.
RB Sport
Source : MatchTV
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.
