Ilya Kovalchuk is at Spartak Moscow after two years on pause. The question is probably strange, but it needs to be asked. Why is this deal big? At least because of Kovalchuk’s status. Ilya is a superstar and a legend. But we need to make a clarification that the legend of world hockey, but hardly Spartak, although some people think otherwise. For the “red-whites” Covey is still a graduate. Also with a reservation, because before entering the Spartak Academy, on the way from his native Tver, he was also in the system of the capital's Dynamo. But yes, Ilya became a professional hockey player while defending the red and white colors.
True, not that long. He entered the Spartak school in 1994, and five years later, at the age of 16, he made his debut for the main team. Kovalchuk progressed quickly, was a key player and played a big role in the red-whites returning to the Super League. And then the NHL draft happened, his historic first overall number and his imminent departure to the USA, despite the existing contract with the Muscovites. With this, Kovalchuk’s actual connection with Spartak ended until today.
Then follows a really important question. Why does Spartak need this deal now?
There is an understanding of why Kovalchuk himself needs this. The renowned Russian striker, who has won many awards and achieved worldwide recognition, intends to end his rich career in style. Saying goodbye to professional hockey in the colors of the club in which the player became a professional is really cool. Ilya has a few words left that he has not yet said in recent years. Returning to today's Spartak, where everyone feels comfortable playing, is a great opportunity.
But there is no understanding of how the club itself will benefit from the deal. This is indicated by several objective factors. Firstly, this concerns the game itself. Kovalchuk, after winning the Gagarin Cup with Omsk Avangard in 2021, suspended his career. For some time he was the general manager of the Russian national team without playing practice.
What form Ilya is in right now is a mystery. We will receive an answer in the next month at best. But the KHL season is in full swing. Now we need to reach the peak of our capabilities and get ready for the playoffs. Whether today's Kovalchuk is an assistant for Spartak is a serious question. Besides, whose place will he apply for?
The “red-whites” have difficulties with central forwards, but not with wingers. With them, Alexey Zhamnov’s team is doing just fine, every forward in the team has great value, and it’s not a fact that Ilya is superior to any of them. Yes, he is a skilled hockey player with a great shot. But Spartak plays intense attacking hockey, in which Zhamnov requires his players to work from the starting throw-in to the final siren. Will there be similar requirements for Kovalchuk?
Secondly, position in the team. One of the most popular opinions is that Kovalchuk will become a kind of guy in Spartak who will maintain morale in the team. But do the “red-whites” have problems with this? The atmosphere in the Spartak locker room is ideal, the players fight for each other. Spartak's matches also speak to this: when the team's game isn't going well and the puck refuses to go into the goal, the hockey players do everything with all their might to achieve a winning result.
Thirdly, what will the club directly gain? The first matches of “Spartak” with Kovalchuk will have a boom effect, tickets for the games will be sold even more actively, even people far from the “red-white” community will want to see the return of the legend live. But this is not for the future. In addition, no one guarantees Ilya a warm welcome. It’s no secret that the fan base’s attitude towards Kovalchuk is, to put it mildly, ambiguous. Many negatively recall the forward’s refusal to play for Spartak during the period of two lockouts in the NHL, and then the decision to become the leader of the red-whites’ principal rival, St. Petersburg SKA, during a period when the Moscow club was going down and due to financial problems was on the verge of disappearing from the Russian hockey map.
Yes, there were particular circumstances in the form of the lack of a real desire of “Spartak” to return Covey to their ranks, but they do not cover the negative background. Imagine the picture: Kovalchuk returns to big hockey and again takes to the ice in a red and white uniform, and the fan stand greets him with roars and whistles. It is unlikely that Ilya will be pleased with this, and the club will receive some blow to its reputation.
This is a kind of risk. The savior of the situation and the guarantor that this very risk will be justified should be Alexey Zhamnov, who has an excellent relationship with Kovalchuk. Alexey Yuryevich, as the head coach of Spartak, won the trust of the red-white fan base. And if he takes a risk, he knows exactly what he is doing. This fact makes it possible to calmly look at the situation and wait for its outcome.
The author’s opinion may not coincide with the position of the editors.
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