Alexei Kovalev has officially retired from professional hockey after nearly 20 full seasons in the National Hockey League, according to the Miami Herald.
Kovalev was drafted 15th overall in the 1991 NHL Draft by the New York Rangers and won the Stanley Cup with the Rangers in 1994.
In 1,316 career regular season games he had 430 goals, 599 assists for 1,029 points, 1,304 penalty minutes and is regarded as one of the most highly skilled forwards to ever play in the NHL.
After playing for Moscow Oblast Atlant in the Kontinental Hockey League during the 2011-12 campaign, Kovalev returned to the NHL for a brief stint with the Florida Panthers this year.
He played 14 games with Florida registering five points — three of which came in his first game of the season — but hadn’t suited up since Feb. 22.
Although now he’s officially retired, it doesn’t mean he will completely step away from the game.
In fact, just twelve hours after announcing his retirement it was announced the three-time NHL all-star will take part in an alumni game – the Classique des Étoiles l’Équipeur at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
Kovalev, 40, played many games in the Bell Centre when he was part of the Canadiens organization from 2003 to 2009 where he amassed 103 goals and 264 points in 314 games with the Habs.
The Togliatti, Russia native also spent time with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators.
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