# Ilya Kovalchuk announces sudden retirement from the NHL **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 11, 2013, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ilya-kovalchuk-announces-sudden-retirement-from-the-nhl/663250 "2013-07-11T20:19:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ilya-kovalchuk-announces-sudden-retirement-from-the-nhl/663250/1 "2013-07-11T20:19:06Z")
I don’t even know what to think about this. Maybe he really does just want to go back to Russia. Maybe the Russian Mafia is involved. This really hurts the Devils going into next season. I wonder if Bettman will forgive the draft pick the Devils are forced to give up next year as a result of that contract debacle a couple of years ago. I thought after that contract was done, we wouldn’t have another off season spending time talking about Kovalchuk. Guess I was wrong! ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ilya-kovalchuk-announces-sudden-retirement-from-the-nhl/663250/2 "2013-07-11T20:36:28Z")
I’m wondering if retirement from the NHL will allow him to sign in the KHL? ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2013, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ilya-kovalchuk-announces-sudden-retirement-from-the-nhl/663250/3 "2013-07-11T21:11:18Z")
I’m sure he will be in the KHL next season ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ilya-kovalchuk-announces-sudden-retirement-from-the-nhl/663250/4 "2013-07-12T02:45:49Z")
Reportedly he’s already signed with SKA - all he wanted to do was [dance.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=RHS3Y4RCzZc) But seriously, how much more could one player screw over a franchise? They lost Parise and Clarkson because of him, they based their free agency off having him, they based their future off him, etc. About the only benefit is that the Devils are in some serious financial trouble and it atleast clears his contract and the cap penalty (~$700k/yr) that was going to be coming if he stayed too much longer. What’s hillarious is that they still haven’t given up their 1st rounder, and 2014 is the last year. So they may be first in line for the Connor McDavid sweepstakes (they were _awful_ without Kovi last year) - but have to forfeit the pick. ---
**Author:** ![soulmurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@soulmurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulmurk)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ilya-kovalchuk-announces-sudden-retirement-from-the-nhl/663250/5 "2013-07-12T03:19:25Z")
> [@ZebraShaSha](#): > > They lost Parise and Clarkson because of him Not true at all. Parise and Clarkson left because they wanted to. Both turned down reasonable/similar contract offers from the Devils and even larger contract offers from at least one other team to go home. > [@](#): > > About the only benefit is that the Devils are in some serious financial trouble and it at least clears his contract and the cap penalty (~$700k/yr) that was going to be coming if he stayed too much longer. The cap recapture charge will be 250-300k for the next eleventy billion years or so. > [@](#): > > What’s hilarious is that they still haven’t given up their 1st rounder, and 2014 is the last year. Many, including myself, thought they should have forfeited last years when they picked 29th. > [@](#): > > So they may be first in line for the Connor McDavid sweepstakes (they were _awful_ without Kovi last year) - but have to forfeit the pick. They were awful for stretches last year, period. It had little to do with Kovalchuk one way or another. He had a down year (now we know why… his heart was still in Russia) and was injured for 10 games or so, and his contribution was missed to be sure, but this statement affords him far too much credit. They were done in by dreadful goaltending. Had Hedberg been even adequate in spelling Brodeur (or Brodeur been a little better), they’d still have made the playoffs… they only missed out by four wins (there are two off the top of my head against the Florida teams late in the season in which they held late leads and snatched defeat from the jaws of victory). They were, and are still, a strong possession team. Losing the scoring ability and PP threat, especially for a team that’s struggled to score goals, dreadful shooting percentages aside, really hurts, and though it’s a very big blow to the team it’s highly doubtful they’ll be in contention for the top pick in the draft.