From his flashy moves to his highlight-reel goals, former NHLer Alex Kovalev was beloved during his time with the Montreal Canadiens.
The Russian forward’s five-season stint here — the best of which saw him net 84 points — still lives on in the memories of Habs fans.
And although it’s been nearly 10 years since Kovalev officially retired from the NHL, it appears that Montreal is still on his mind. To clear the air, the 50-year-old recently published a letter to Radio-Canada Sports, explaining what went right and what went wrong with him and the Canadiens.
Alex Kovalev – J’ai fait une erreur en quittant Montréal https://t.co/E2wjBdOeVX
— Radio-Canada Sports (@RC_Sports) September 7, 2023
The letter, which was published in French, opens with the 50-year-old expressing regret when looking back on failed contract negotiations that saw him leave the Canadiens as a free agent in 2009.
“I made a mistake and got a little too greedy. On the other hand, I wanted to be shown respect, which I didn’t get. I wasn’t asking for much more, just a small raise,” he wrote. “If I had to do it again, I would accept the Canadiens’ offer rather than agree with the Senators in the summer of 2009.”
“There would have been a little bitterness all the same, because I wanted us to recognize what I had achieved for the team, but I think it would have been much better for my career,” he added. “I felt good in Montreal with the organization, with the fans. I think it’s thanks to them that I’ve had so much success.”
Kovalev also touched on the difficult side of playing in a high-pressure market like Montreal.
“There were good times and tougher times in Montreal,” he wrote. “Sometimes the media picked on me for ridiculous stuff. It was hard. Good players always want to make an impact in every game. You want to produce.”
Towards the end of his letter, the Togliatti native, who scored 430 goals and 1,029 points over 1,316 NHL games, mentioned that he thinks he is a worthy candidate for the Hockey Hall of Fame.
“I think I deserve to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame,” he wrote. “If you compare me to some of the players who have been admitted there, I have achieved more things. But it’s not my decision.”
Overall, though, Kovalev said he is content with what he was able to accomplish over 20 seasons in the NHL.
“I’m happy with the career I’ve had. Obviously, I would have taken a little more,” he wrote. “I would have liked to be hurt less; that would have been good. Maybe I would have played more games, scored more goals.”
Over the past few years, No. 27 has not strayed too far from the ice, working as a coach in China and across Europe. Most recently, he’s been mentoring Carolina Hurricanes forwards Martin Necas and Andrei Svechnikov on a personal level.
As for whether he could end up back in Montreal in a personal role, it’s unlikely that he would say no.
“If anyone else raises their hand, I’ll be happy to help,” he wrote.
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