Former NHL all-star Alexei Kovalev enjoyed an illustrious NHL career in which he impressively scored 430 goals and captured a Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers in 1994. The Russian displayed hands the NHL had never seen and was regarded as one of the most skilled players of his era.
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Kovalev recently held a hockey game for his charity which featured several NHL alumni including Roman Hamrlik, Mathieu Darche and Georges Laraque, and he provided fans with a pleasant surprise during the event. Fans thought the 44-year-old was missing, but it turned out he had disguised himself and rocked the number 29 instead of his usual 27. As he was shedding his makeup following the event, Kovalev discussed the lack of creativity in hockey today.
The following was taken from La Presse:
"We skate hard, we shoot hard. There is no more creativity, nothing, it is not pleasant to watch. I do not like the way hockey has evolved. "
Kovalev also mentioned that he still plays, but does not watch hockey anymore himself.
Many players and fans would agree that there is some merit to his comments. In Kovalev’s early days, players such as Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and Wayne Gretzky were leading the NHL with point totals in the 120-160 point range and goals were pouring in at a much higher rate. In today’s NHL, it’s rare to see multiple players hit the 50 goal mark. Not one player in the 2016-17 managed to complete the feat, as Crosby led the league with just 44 markers.
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Some fans will argue that the players are better today, and the same creativity from the early 90’s simply cannot be emulated. Everyone will have their own opinions, but there aren’t many players today who have showcased the same creativity Kovalev possessed throughout his career.
(H/T r/Hockey)
