Montreal Canadiens forward Ilya Kovalchuk sat down with Sportsnet reporter Eric Engels today where the two discussed a number of things. One interesting point brought up by Engels was Kovalchuk's supposed age. There have been suggestions that Kovalchuk is actually 38, despite his birth certificate stating that he is 36.
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Kovalchuk denied this rumour, claiming that he really is 36 years of age. Of course, these sorts of stories are heard about often in all sports, yet rarely get proven to be true. Regardless of whether he is 36 or 38, Montreal fans don't seem to mind as Kovalchuk has seemingly won them over with his play during this short stint. In five games with the team so far, he has one goal to go along with three assists. His goal happened to be an overtime winner in a game against the Ottawa Senators.
Although the playoffs are looking less and less likely in Montreal, the Kovalchuk signing appears to be a good one. Currently, Montreal sits seven points out of a wild card spot, and while a good run could potentially put them back in the hunt, it doesn't seem likely. If Kovalchuk can continue to produce at a good rate for the Habs, they may be able to flip him for an asset at the trade deadline. For now, Kovalchuk and his teammates will look to build on their current two game win streak when they face off against the Chicago Blackhawks Wednesday night.
