Ilya Kovalchuk finally lit the lamp for his first regular-season goal back in the National Hockey League for the first time in over five and half years on Tuesday night when he scored the Los Angeles Kings’ lone goal in their 2-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets.
The winger returned to the NHL this past summer after inking a three-year, $18,750,000 on July 1st. Besides the money, heading to a big market like Los Angeles where Kovalchuk could experience the royalties of playing in a big American city was high on his list.
That opened up the opportunity for the Russian superstar to dabble in Hollywood, and the Kings put the 35-year-old’s acting skills to the test in a recent promotional video.
Sitting in the director’s chair with all of his gear on, Kovy was recruited because, well, he’s “one of the best.”
A true professional indeed. Thanks to the folks at NHL.com, we know what exactly he was saying in his native language of Russian.
"Everyone ready?" Kovalchuk asks in Russian. "Action!"
The former Atlanta Thrasher and New Jersey Devil has appeared in 819 games of NHL action and now has 418 career NHL goals.
His point total? 819. In three games with the Kings this season, the sniper has three points and has added 27 points in 32 career playoff games. If the Kings don’t make the post-season this year, perhaps he can try his hand in some Russian Hollywood flicks.
