Montreal Canadiens: Alexei Kovalev, the Career, the Emotions Behind the Artist

And in the great picture of Kovalev's comeback to the good times comes the mastermind, a major factor.

"The main move was Bob Gainey. He listened to what I had to say and I listened to what he had to say and we could find a solution. I did not want to feel miserable again, and I wanted to bring back the excitement to the city (...) and here we are".

Kovalev truly loves Montreal and respects the organization.

"I want to play till the age of 50 but I don't know if the organization will keep me that long," he once joked to the journalists when he celebrated his 1000th NHL game.

Having the young players under his wing, he is currently a major asset for the Montreal Canadiens in a matter of leadership and talent. I believe that for such a young team, he represents a great example, along with Captain Saku Koivu (please, no controversy on the subject!).

After the Montreal Canadiens were eliminated from the playoffs by the Orange Crush of Philadelphia, Kovalev had a word to say about his young team, and thankfully for the fans, he feels confident about it.

In his career, Kovalev had the opportunity to play with legends such as Mark Messier, Wayne Gretzky, and Mario Lemieux.

Hopefully, one day we'll hear players say they had the opportunity to play with legend Alexei Kovalev.

If you feel like going back in time and watch amazing stick-handling skills, there is this one commercial he made for Montreal shop Rousseau and also a recap of his best goals in career. Enjoy!

The quotes section:  

"Alexei is one of the greatest, he has got the best hands in the league" - Ilya Kovalchuk

"This year it is personal hockey exhibition! What I like about him is that he carries the puck instead of shooting like other players tend to do"- Jean Beliveau

*Article realized with information from a documentary by RDI and RDS

*Next spotlight: Saku Koivu

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?