Kovalchuk aiming for NHL return after five years away

Ilya Kovalchuk works out at the 2018 Winter Olympics. (Julio Cortez/AP)

MOSCOW — Former NHL forward Ilya Kovalchuk says he wants to return to the league this summer and play there for "several more years."

Kovalchuk tells Russian state sports channel Match TV that if he doesn’t try again to win a Stanley Cup, "I won’t forgive myself for it when I get older."

Kovalchuk, who won the Olympic gold medal last month, says he’s focused on winning the Kontinental Hockey League with SKA St. Petersburg, "but in the summer I’m going to examine offers" from the NHL.

He adds that he wants to match Russian teammate Pavel Datsyuk as a member of the so-called triple gold club of players who have won the Olympic gold medal, world championship, and Stanley Cup.

Kovalchuk walked out on the New Jersey Devils in 2013 to return to Russia, where he has since won two KHL titles.

[relatedlinks]

When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.