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It’s official: Alex Kovalev’s NHL career is over

Kovalev

Newly-signed Ottawa Senators’ Alex Kovalev, of Russia, takes part in a news conference at the Scotiabank Place in Ottawa on Tuesday July 21, 2009. (AP Photo/The Canadien Press, Sean Kilpatrick)

AP

Call it a formality if you want, but Alex Kovalev officially retired from the NHL on Thursday, according to the Miami Herald’s George Richards.

While his career ended on a flat note following a 14-game stint with the Florida Panthers, the 40-year-old had a prolific run.

The Russian-born winger won his lone Stanley Cup in 1994 with the New York Rangers. He was a three-time All-Star. His career totals are impressive: 430 goals and 599 assists for 1,029 points in 1,316 regular season games and exactly 100 points in 123 postseason appearances.

(His greatest playoff run came in his first campaign as he scored 21 points in 23 games to help the Rangers win that memorable curse-breaking championship.)

For some, he ranked as an “enigmatic” presence. It’s pretty hard to deny his efforts when you look at the results of his lengthy NHL career, however.