Alexei Kovalev - Russian hockey player and NHL star

Alexei Kovalev - hockey player, who for hisbrilliant career managed to get a lot of honorable awards and become a star of the National Hockey League. He - a famous hockey player, at the beginning of his career serving for the USSR and Russia in the hockey club "Dynamo". Alexey is the right forward. Kovalev has two nicknames: Covey and AK-27.

Dream

Kovalev Alexey Vyacheslavovich was born in 1973, on the 24th of February. He himself comes from Togliatti, Kuibyshev region.

A brilliant career could not have started,because once in his childhood he had heart problems. Doctors urged him to stop training, but in spite of this he continued to do what he liked. The disease receded over time. His father dreamed that Alexei became a hockey player, and from childhood began to bring him to the ice.

Often I had to train at night, soAs the Palace of Sports, in which they then played, until the night was busy. At the same time Alexey studied at the general and hockey school. Soon he began to show amazing results and held leadership positions in the team. First in the Sports School he acted as a defender, but then the coaches decided to try him as an attacker.

His outstanding data was first noticed by coaches"Lada", and then Kovalev was invited to the "Dynamo". His coach was then Vladimir Yurzinov. "Dynamo" has become a kind of launching pad in his career as a hockey player.

Dynamo player

At the age of 16 Alexei Kovalev moved to Moscow, and in17 he became a game of HC "Dynamo". In this club, he played three years. In 1992, the club won two significant victories - in the championship and at the Olympics. In the same year was his personal victory - he was the first hockey player in Russia, which was chosen in the first prestigious NHL draft pick. For the time he was a Dynamo player, Alexei twice became the USSR champion, and also won the Olympics and the World Youth Championship.

Traveling across the ocean

He was offered to play in the NHL in the hockeyteam "New York Rangers" just at the time when the country was in a difficult situation - in 1991. Alexei Kovalev accepted the offer and signed a contract.

Two years later his surname, along with the names ofseveral Russian hockey players, appeared on the Stanley Cup. Then the confrontation between the two teams, the Rangers and Vancouver, became one of the most beautiful in the history of the National Hockey League. Being in the strongest League of the world, he was able to win the coveted trophy Alexei Kovalev. The photo, which captures a frame from his brilliant hockey past, is placed below.

Career

In 1998 there were changes: he began to perform in the "Pittsburgh". After a series of failures Kovalev again started to carry. He plays irreproachably and conquers time and again victories. Kovalev can not win again in the Stanley Cup, but despite this, that period can be described as one of the most successful in his career.

In the season 2002/2003. he again returns to the Rangers, only now everything was not as good as before.

In a year Kovalev gets to "Montreal" and playsthere are five years. He spent several outstanding seasons on the game and for this time fell in love with the Canadian public. In a series of victories are the World Cup-2004, the Olympic Turin.

Due to disagreements with the coach, he has toleave the club, and Kovalev signs a contract with "Ottawa" for two years, but the performance for this team could not be called successful. Although it was in those days he scored 1000th point in the NHL (before him it was able to make only two Russian hockey players). Then again was the return to Pittsburgh.

Finally, two decades later, a hockey playerreturns back to his homeland - to Russia. Now he began to perform in the KHL. In 2011, he signs a contract with Atlanta. Kovalyov started the season perfectly, but the injury did not allow him to continue working with this club. While he was recovering, another hockey player was taken in his place.

Later, Kovalev played for some time for the "Florida", but was soon withdrawn from the squad. After playing in the Swiss "Visp".

During the lock-outs in 1994 he played for Lada, and in 2004/2005 - for AkBars.

Foreign HC: Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators, New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens.

Russian HC: Togliatti "Lada", Kazan "AkBars", Moscow "Atlant", Moscow "Dynamo".

Golf

In addition to hockey, now Kovalev decided to do andgolf. In this there is nothing surprising, golf is the fun of most North American hockey players. But he has a special attitude to this sport - he perceives it not just as a kind of rest, but as a serious occupation. Kovalev participated in tournaments, including charities. And in this sport he achieved certain victories - he took the fourth place in the Russian Championship.

Hobbies

It is not alien to him to engage in creativity. At one time Alexei got carried away playing the saxophone. He took lessons from the jazz musician Igor Butman. He also played episodic roles, for example, in the movie "Brother-2", and another documentary was made about him.

Another hobby is the plane. At first he just loved to fly on an airplane and feel this sense of freedom ... And then Kovalev himself became a pilot, having received the necessary certificate. Alexei purchased the aircraft, and now he could manage it himself. On his plane there is an inscription that probably best describes this active and purposeful person: "Life is given to man in order to live."

Among his hobbies are also tennis, diving, taekwondo.

Charity

Alexey is engaged in charity. Its fund helps children with heart disease - they are sent to the US in order to make an operation if necessary. He founded this foundation together with another hockey player - Sergei Nemchinov and his wife.

Awards and achievements

• 1990 and 1991 - the champion of the USSR.
• 1992 - Olympic champion.
• 1992 - Honored Master of Sports of the USSR.
• 1994 - winner of the Stanley Cup.
• 2002 - winner of the Olympics (bronze).
• 2005 - the best forward of World Cup among youth.
• participant of the "Match of All Stars" NHL (2 times).
• 2009 - MVP "Match of All Stars" NHL.
• Captain of the Russian team.
• I played 1439 matches in the NHL.

Personal life

About the family of Alexei Kovalev, an NHL hockey player, little is known. He does not like to talk about his personal life. It is known that he is married and has two sons. His wife's name is Eugenia, and the children are Nikita and Ivan.

Alexei Kovalyov's wife met him whenhe played on the tennis court, and at first thought that he was a tennis player. At that time, he only moved to Moscow. Then they were still 14 years old, and from 16 they already lived together. Their marriage has lasted for more than 20 years.

Completion of career

The last club in which he played, was"Visp". In 2013, Kovalev decides to complete his career as a hockey player. He decided to quit hockey due to numerous injuries, which did not allow him to continue his career.