If the hockey gods are willing, Ottawa Senators' veteran winger Alexei Kovalev should reach another career landmark on Wednesday in Carolina.
After notching an assist against the Flyers on Monday night, Kovalev sits only one point shy of joining Sergei Fedorov and Alexander Mogilny as the only Russians to score 1,000 regular season points in the NHL.
One of the most skilled hockey players in the world and also one of the most puzzling, Kovalev has come a long way since his modest days of skating on icy soccer fields in the city of Togliatti, located 1000 km southeast of Moscow in the former USSR.
As a child of four, he took his first strides in his sister's figure skates, setting in motion perhaps his form known for its speed, agility and finesse.
After overcoming heart problems at the age of eight which made playing hockey impossible, Kovalev excelled, often playing with children three years his senior. At the age of 14, the dedication paid off when the young Alexei was invited by Dynamo Moscow to take part in a program reserved for the best hockey players in the country.
He packed his bags and travelled to Moscow alone, developing i ...
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Article written by Christopher Smith
Ottawa Senators’ Enigmatic Alexei Kovalev Closes in on 1,000 Career Points
November 16th, 2010 by Christopher Smith Leave a reply »
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