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- Ilya was the first Russian-born player to be selected first overall in the NHL draft.
- Ilya wears number 17 as a tribute to the late Valeri Kharlamov, who played for the Soviet Union but never got to play in the NHL because of governmental restrictions. Kharlamov was one of the stars of the 1972 Summit Series.
- At 18, Ilya was the youngest pro on any hockey team at the 2002 Winter Olympics.
- In the 2001-02 season Ilya and Dany Heatley became the first teammates to finish one-two in rookie scoring since the Brian Leetch (71 points) and Tony Granato (63 points) did for the NewYork Rangers in 1988-1989.
- Ilya was the top vote-getter for the 2004 All-Star Game.
- Ilya has a dog named Image.
- One of Ilya’s favorite hobbies is bowling.
- Ilya runs a charity
program called Kovy's Kids, which supports needy children in the Atlanta
area. His program hosts "parties" where kids can participate
in different activities, such as bowling and video games.
1972 Summit Series
souvenir program
Brian Leetch, 1996
Upper Deck Insert