On Tuesday morning, it was announced that former NHL sniper Ilya Kovalchuk was named President of the Shang Hai Dragons of the KHL. Joining him as General Manager of the club is another former NHLer Evgeny Artyukhin.
The Dragons, formerly known as the Kunlun Red Star have entered a new era in their franchise as they look to improve off of a disappointing 2025-26 campaign.
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In the most recent season, the Dragon went 21-35-6-6 finishing 9th place in the Western Conference, missing the playoffs by 15 points. Former Los Angeles King Ilya Kovalchuk looks to build a team that can compete with the powerhouses of the Kontinental Hockey League.
Drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers with the 1st overall pick in the 2001 NHL draft, Kovalchuk was one of the most entertaining players to watch during his time in the league. He also has the title of one of the most interesting NHL careers in recent history.
After eight and a half years with the Thrashers, Kovalchuk was traded to the New Jersey Devils in a massive deal that shook the hockey world in 2010. The former Rocket Richard leader then signed an egregious 17-year deal worth $102M. The deal was rejected by the NHL and Kovalchuk and the Devils agreed on a new 15-year deal worth $100M.
Just four years into the contract that was supposed to last for a decade and a half, Kovalchuk shockingly retired from the NHL, walking away from the remaining 12 years and $77M on his contract. He would go on to play in the KHL where he was one of the faces of the league until 2018 when he would make a major decision.
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In the summer of 2018, the Kings made a major splashing by signing Kovalchuk to a three-year contract worth $18.75M ($6.25 AAV). Although he was 35 at the time, the Kings were hoping he could provide a major offensive spark to a team that hadn’t won a playoff series since they won the Stanley Cup in 2014.
Unfortunately, his time as a King didn’t go as planned. After a season and a half, the Kings placed Kovalchuk on unconditional waivers. The Montréal Canadiens then claimed the veteran winger, ending Kovalchuk’s time in Los Angeles at just 81 total games played. In those 81 games, he scored 19 goals and 24 assists for 43 points.
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After just 22 games in Montreal, the Canadiens traded Kovalchuk to the Washington Capitals where he would play his last game in 2020 before returning to the KHL once again where he would finish out his playing career.
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In 2025, the former first overall pick officially announced his retirement from professional hockey and he now finds himself in charge of turning around a lacklustre KHL franchise.
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