Ilya Kovalchuk Can Toss My Red, White, And Blue Salad If He Thinks He Is Returning To The Devils, Or To The NHL Next Year

Yahoo Sports- He’s now spent two seasons with SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL, scoring 137 points in 135 games and 12 more in 20 playoff games. Next season is the third year of his deal, which reportedly pays him as much as $15 million Euros annually “tax free” in Russia. 

What’s the future hold for him? A source close to the situation tells Finland’s Iltalehti that Kovalchuk has had discussions with SKA management about returning to the NHL for the 2016-17 season, with one more year on his deal. 

The story details some of the KHL’s financial issues that could impact Kovalchuk’s decision, as the collapse of the Ruble has affected the economic stability of several of the League’s teams.



​What happened to being 'homesick' Kovy? I thought you just wanted to spend more time around your family? Silly Russian, family time is for miserable old men, not $100 million dollar hockey players. If you wanted to know how being home more often would work out you could have just asked the thousands of husbands that paid to watch you play while simultaneously getting out of the house for the night.

Wait, he's in the KHL, right? The  league that was responsible for the death of Alexei Cherapanov because they didn't have the necessary medical equipment on site? A league that had an ENTIRE TEAM meet an untimely demise because the aircraft didn't meet proper standards? You mean to tell that league has fallen on hard times financially? You don't say. I have a better chance of surviving a heart attack during an American men's league game than surviving the common cold in Russia. I don't mean to make light of these situations, but facts are facts. In Russia, human safety is an oxymoron. 

Well Kovy, I have a message for you. A message from Lou Lamoriello. A message from the Devils organization and fans. A message from NHL and all hockey fans. A message from every warm blooded American male. Kiss every inch of our asses. I don't care that he wanted to go play back home. That's semi respectable. I care that he held a league, and more so, The New Jersey Devils, hostage as he begged and pleaded for his contract to reach nine digits. He cost the Devils money and draft picks, on top of the uncanny amount of time and effort it took to enlist his services. Then two years into a 15 year commitment he left and claimed it wasn't about the money. It's not about the money Ilya? Then why did it take the collapse of the worth of the Ruble for you to express interest in returning? 

What the fuck is a 'ruble' anyway? It sounds like they are compensated in table scraps. Like they go find metal from the wake of explosions and use it to pay for goods and services. Be more of a shitshow Russia, seriously. People in America are complaining about Obamacare while Putin is out there running the communist version of Afghanistan. Next time you want to complain about the president take a look at Russia paying their athletes in glorified gravel.

This isn't about family, or a loyalty to your hometown. It never was. You're simply a Russian mercenary chasing the closest tax free dollar. Too bad tax free dollars come at the cost of volatile surroundings and impending death. You want to come back Ilya, check your ego and your Russian currency at the door. Us Americans don't take kindly to being a backup plan. I'm sure Kovy will play in the NHL again, and I hope he gets booed mercilessly. Actually I hope he books his flight on Malaysian Airlines. It's about time they lost something we are better off without.