New Jersey Devils' Ilya Kovalchuk had great season, confident of getting better next time -NHL Update
Despite failing to grab the Stanley Cup championship being just an inch away, Ilya Kovalchuk played his best and had a great National Hockey League (NHL) regular season and even better playoff run with New Jersey Devils.
Talking to the media on Wednesday, June 13, 2012, Kovalchuk expressed his confidence in the upcoming regular season and said that it will definitely be better in every sense.
New Jersey Devils’ head coach, Peter DeBoer, came out and regarded Kovalchuk as playing his best despite having a lower body injury during the postseason, proving his dedication towards the team.
"I thought he showed a lot of guts and a lot of character," DeBoer said. "He didn't want to come out and he had a significant enough injury that he could have easily come out. But he didn't want to go down that road and that's a testament to his character."
Ilya Kovalchuk certainly has a bright future with New Jersey Devils and the Eastern Conference franchise is most likely appreciating the fact that they secured him till the end of the 2024-2025 regular season with a 15-year, $100 million contract.
At the age of 29, Kovalchuk put up 83 points (37 goals, 46 assists) in 77 games played, one of his best performances since the 2008-2009 regular season.
In his third playoff appearance, he was definitely a major player as he put up 19 points (8 goals, 11 assists) in 23 games. It was due to his partnership with captain Zach Parise that New Jersey had an exceptional offensive squad with immense firepower to
lead them to that stage.
"In my NHL career, it was the most successful season for me and I'll take a lot of good things from the year and move on," Kovalchuk said. "You got to lose before you win something big. Hopefully this will help and we'll be even stronger next year."
Next season will definitely be one that Kovalchuk is looking forward to seeing now that he has a bigger role to fill and more expectations to meet. He is one of New Jersey’s top players and needs to continue contributing for the Devils to see the Stanley
Cup Finals once again.
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