What is Ilya Kovalchuk's Net Worth and Salary?
Ilya Kovalchuk is a former professional ice hockey player who has a net worth of $60 million. Ilya Kovalchuk's career lasted from 1999 to 2021. He played for several different teams in both North America and Russia, including the NHL's Atlanta Thrashers and New Jersey Devils and the RSL's Khimik Moscow Oblast and SKA Saint Petersburg. Kovalchuk also represented Russia in various international ice hockey tournaments.
Early Life and Education
Ilya Kovalchuk was born on April 15, 1983 in Kalinin, Soviet Russia as the second child of Valeri and Lyubov. His father was the head of the sport's school at the Spartak Olympic reserve, while his mother was the head of a local hospital clinic. He has a sister named Arina. When he was seven, Kovalchuk began attending the Spartak Moscow youth school. At the age of 14, he played in the 1997 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament, and after that played two seasons in the Vysshaya Liga.
Atlanta Thrashers, 2001-2004
In the 2001 NHL Entry Draft, Kovalchuk was drafted with the first overall pick by the Atlanta Thrashers. Although he missed 17 games in his rookie season due to a shoulder injury, he finished with 29 goals and 51 points. Kovalchuk improved in his second season, recording 38 goals and 67 points. In his third season with the Thrashers in 2003-04, he scored 41 goals and 87 points and won the Rocket Richard Trophy. Because of the NHL lockout the next season, Kovalchuk returned to Russia to play in the RSL.
Ak Bars Kazan and Khimik Moscow Oblast
During the 2004-05 NHL lockout, Kovalchuk played in the RSL for both Ak Bars Kazan and Khimik Moscow Oblast. With the latter team, he scored eight goals and 13 points in 11 games.
Atlanta Thrashers, 2005-2010
Kovalchuk went back to North America for the 2005-06 season on a new five-year contract with the Thrashers. That season, he scored new career highs of 52 goals and 98 points, in the process becoming the first Thrashers player ever to score 50 goals in a season. Kovalchuk was less impressive in the 2006-07 season, finishing with 42 goals and 76 points. However, the Thrashers made it to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in franchise history. The team ultimately lost in the opening round to the New York Rangers. Kovalchuk returned to a high level of playing in the 2007-08 season, scoring two consecutive hat-tricks in November and finishing with his second career 52-goal season.
In the first half of the 2008-09 season, Kovalchuk served as one of five alternate Thrashers captains due to the departure of previous captain Bobby Holík in the offseason. He was eventually named Holík's successor in early 2009. In his first season as team captain, Kovalchuk scored 43 goals and 91 points. The next season, his final one with the Thrashers, he scored his 300th NHL goal. Kovalchuk left the Thrashers as the all-time franchise leader in multiple categories, including games played, goals, and points.
New Jersey Devils
Because he couldn't reach a contract extension deal with the Thrashers, Kovalchuk was traded to the New Jersey Devils in February of 2010. Between his time in Atlanta and New Jersey, he recorded 41 goals and 85 points over the 2009-10 season. His next season was less impressive, as he scored just 31 goals and 60 points. Kovalchuk bounced back in 2011-12; on the two-year anniversary of his trade to the Devils, he recorded the second Gordie Howe hat-trick in franchise history, just one month after Adam Henrique recorded the first. The next month, Kovalchuk scored his 400th NHL goal. He helped lead the Devils to the Eastern Conference title and a Stanley Cup playoff appearance against the Los Angeles Kings. However, due to a herniated disc, Kovalchuk was mostly ineffective as the Devils lost to the Kings.
SKA Saint Petersburg
Due to the 2012-13 NHL lockout, Kovalchuk signed a temporary contract with the KHL's SKA Saint Petersburg, and became the team's captain. Later in the season, after the NHL lockout ended, he returned to the Devils. Kovalchuk finished the season with 42 points for SKA and 31 points for the Devils. In the summer of 2013, he decided to retire from the NHL and return to Russia permanently. He subsequently signed a four-year contract with SKA Saint Petersburg. In the 2014-15 season, Kovalchuk helped the team win the Gagarin Cup for the first time in its history. He led the team to another Gagarin Cup victory in the 2016-17 season.
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Los Angeles Kings
Kovalchuk chose to return to the NHL for the 2018-19 season, and signed a three-year contract with the Los Angeles Kings. He had a disappointing first season with the team despite a strong start. Continuing to perform poorly in the 2019-2020 season, Kovalchuk was released by the Kings in December.
Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals
In early 2020, Kovalchuk signed a one-year contract with the Montreal Canadiens. He played 22 games with the team and recorded 13 points before he was traded to the Washington Capitals in February. With the Capitals, Kovalchuk played in the first round of the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, where the team was eliminated by the New York Islanders.
Avangard Omsk
For the 2020-21 season, Kovalchuk returned to Russia to play for the KHL's Avangard Omsk. Two days after leading the team to a Gagarin Cup, he decided to leave the KHL.
International Career
Kovalchuk represented Russia in a number of international tournaments, starting with the IIHF World U18 Championship in 2000. That year, he and the team took silver. Kovalchuk returned to the IIHF World U18 Championship in 2001 and claimed gold. In 2002, he made his debut on the senior international team at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, helping Russia win the bronze medal. In 2006, he returned to the Winter Olympics to compete in Turin. Meanwhile, in both 2005 and 2007, Kovalchuk helped Russia win bronze medals at the IIHF World Championship.
Kovalchuk won his first IIHF World Championship with Russia in 2008; he won another the next year. In 2010, he claimed silver. Kovalchuk and Russia won another silver in the 2015 World Championship. Four years later, they took bronze. In the meantime, in 2018, Kovalchuk helped lead the Olympic Athletes from Russia to a gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.
Personal Life & Real Estate
With his wife Nicole, Kovalchuk has two sons named Artem and Philipp and two daughters named Karolina and Eva.
In February 2019, Ilya Kovalchuk listed his 22,000 square-foot mansion in New Jersey for sale for $17.99 million. The home has 8 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, an indoor pool, spa, sauna, gym, movie theater, two game rooms and an elevator.
In January 2020, Ilya spent $11.2 million on a home in Beverly Hills, California.
In October 2023 Ilya listed his condo on the ultra-exclusive Miami island of Fisher Island for $14.5 million.
