Ilya Kovalchuk has a special place in his heart for the number 17. So much so that he was willing to give a rather expensive gift to new teammate Brett Kulak to get it. When Kovalchuk debuts on Monday for the Canadiens against Winnipeg, he will wear No. 17 on his jersey, while Brett Kulak has switched to 77. In exchange for giving up the number, Kovalchuk gave Kulak a Rolex watch, with an engraving on the back thanking Kulak for his gift.
Kovalchuk's love for 17 goes back to his father's favorite player, the legendary Valeri Kharlamov. Kharlamov dazzled North America in the 1972 and 1974 Summit Series. He won eight World Championship gold medals, as well as two Olympic golds and one silver (1980 Lake Placid).
Plagued by injuries throughout his career, including a broken ankle inflicted by a Bobby Clarke slash in 1972, Kharlamov eventually fell out of favor with national team coach Victor Tikhonov. He died in a tragic auto accident with his wife Irina on August 27, 1981.
The number 17 was unofficially retired by CSKA Moscow, his club team, at least until his some Alexander came to the organization, but even he eventually switched to a different number. 17 is the ONLY number retired by the Russian National Team. In international competitions, Kovalchuk wears No. 71.
It should also be worth noting that the term of the original free agent contract that Kovalchuk signed with the Devils in 2010 was for 17 years. The contract had to be reworked into a 15 year deal after the NHL found issue with the contract terms.
Source: Stu Cowan, Montreal Gazette
