Watch: Ilya Kovalchuk ejected from KHL finals game for hard elbow to the face
Former New Jersey Devil and Atlanta Thrasher Ilya Kovalchuk created plenty of highlights when he was starring in the NHL. Almost always, though, the clips were built around his incredible hands — not the use of his elbows.
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The Gagarin Cup, the KHL’s championship series, got underway Saturday and Kovalchuk was the center of attention as he often is. This time though, it was because of a wicked elbow the SKA St. Petersburg forward delivered to the head of Metallurg forward Jan Kovar late in the second period.
Kovalchuk was given a five-minute major and game misconduct on the play, and Magnitogorsk scored on the resulting power play to tie the game 3-3. SKA managed to hold on to the 5-3 win without Kovalchuk to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Game misconduct for Ilya Kovalchuk. 5 min PP for Metallurg. pic.twitter.com/kOSJaberU9
— KHL (@khl_eng) April 8, 2017
Kovalchuk, who was exactly a point-per-game player in the NHL, netted 816 points in 816 games with Devils and Thrashers during an 11-year stint in the league. This has been his most productive year with SKA since moving to the KHL in 2013, posting 32 goals and 78 points in 60 games this season. The 2003-04 Rocket Richard Trophy winner has 89 goals and 222 points in 209 KHL games.
No word yet if Kovalchuk will face a suspension.
