We’ve seen plenty of gorgeous highlight-reel moves from Ilya Kovalchuk throughout his career in the NHL and overseas in the KHL.
But fighting? Save for a few scuffles in his NHL days, including a 2012 bout against Brayden Schenn, that’s a pretty rare sight.
An incident during Russia’s Channel One Cup game against Sweden on Thursday brought out the talented forward’s tough side. He completely loses his temper shortly after a face-off, dealing a big cross-check and throwing a few punches.
It’s unclear what, exactly, causes the outburst. Watch for yourself here:
https://twitter.com/HockeyWebCast/status/677601829778268160?ref_src=twsrc^tfw
Sweden went on to defeat Russia 4-1.
