RunninWithTheDevil Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/nearly-requesting-trade-devils-ilya-kovalchuk-leads-jersey-215259574.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitterThe criticism and public pressure came hand in hand; it affected Kovalchuk to the point where he almost requested a trade from the Devils. It was recently disclosed by Kovalchuk's own mother, Lyubov, that Ilya had those thoughts. She spoke with Sovetsky Sport's Pavel Lysenkov and said, "it was difficult to work with that coach [John MacLean]. He didn't really let Ilya play…" Ilya was taking it very hard. But I kept telling him 'You need to weather it, son. Prove everything on the ice.' And then there was such a time when he was ready to ask New Jersey for a trade. He didn't voice it loud, but that decision was becoming ripe. He told me on the phone: 'That's it. I am going to the general manager.' [And I said] 'What are you doing, wait! So much was done to get your contract with the Devils approved. And now you will quit?'" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mayday Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 oh no. all the kovy haters will use this to support his "bad attitude". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RunninWithTheDevil Posted May 31, 2012 Author Share Posted May 31, 2012 who cares now, you can see that he loves it here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SterioDesign Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 interesting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghdi Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 I was just reading this as well. Johnny Mac was that damn bad lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justdo3043 Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 i met kovy's mom at a bar called trinity in hobo...it was after the victory against philly in the playoffs two years ago....when they came in everyone clapped....it was pretty cool her mother was so happy for him you could tell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 who cares now, you can see that he loves it here Careers hit crossroads all of the time. Could you imagine if Ilya had actually asked Lou to trade him and it became public? He would have lost a LOT of support. It almost hurts to see how poor of a coach MacLean was for this team...he was such a terrific player, and so important to the Devils' transition from perennial doormat to contender. Easy to let all of this go considering how it's all worked out...but it's easy to see how Kovy could've crashed and burned before he ever really got started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halfsharkalligatorhalfman Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 (edited) If these last two years taught us anything, it's that John MacLean is the worst coach in the history of the NHL. Edited June 1, 2012 by halfsharkalligatorhalfman 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 If these last two years taught us anything, it's that John MacLean is the worst coach in the history of the NHL. He was definitely the wrong guy for this group. I would be curious to see what he could do if he ever got another shot, but who knows if he ever gets one...that was one rough stint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDevs4978 Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 If these last two years taught us anything, it's that John MacLean is the worst coach in the history of the NHL. We knew that already after the second half last year when Lemaire basically turned it around 180 degrees in a month. I'm hard pressed to find a coach in ANY major professional sport that had a worse tenure than MacLean, given how good the team was before and after not to mention all the locker room issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 We knew that already after the second half last year when Lemaire basically turned it around 180 degrees in a month. I'm hard pressed to find a coach in ANY major professional sport that had a worse tenure than MacLean, given how good the team was before and after not to mention all the locker room issues. Rich Kotite with the Jets. Jerry Tarkanian with the Spurs. Art Howe with the Mets was pretty God-awful too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeCups Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 I wonder why Mama Kovy even bothered to tell this story? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDevs4978 Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 (edited) Rich Kotite with the Jets. Jerry Tarkanian with the Spurs. Art Howe with the Mets was pretty God-awful too. Rich Kotite, you got me with that one although I guess I've blocked out memories of those two years (other than using Vance Joseph to cover Tim Brown on national TV lol) since the Jets have been at least a decent team for the most part since Parcells. They went from 3-13, then 1-15 to 9-7 in one year, and should have been at least a borderline playoff team the year before Kotite got there until choking against the Dolphins under Carroll. Art Howe was bad, but the Mets were a bad team anyway. Honestly forgot about Tark with the Spurs, I was gonna say Tim Floyd but the Bulls were just god-awful post-Jordan anyway. Edited June 1, 2012 by NJDevs4978 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SterioDesign Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 I wonder why Mama Kovy even bothered to tell this story? Devils parents have the biggest mouth in the world apparently Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capo Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 Rich Kotite with the Jets. Jerry Tarkanian with the Spurs. Art Howe with the Mets was pretty God-awful too. Moneyball doesn't portray Howe very well either. I hated that guy as Mets manager. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'7' Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 What an awful hire MacLean was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDevs4978 Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 Devils parents have the biggest mouth in the world apparently Chesnokov (the writer) seems like a family friend, he got the 'in' on so many Kovy stories during the summer of madness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capo Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 (edited) MacLean = Devils getting Adam Larsson Edited June 1, 2012 by capo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 Chesnokov (the writer) seems like a family friend, he got the 'in' on so many Kovy stories during the summer of madness. This story isn't by Chesnokov, it's by Pavel Lysenkov of SovSport. In general, Eastern Europeans are much more forthright with the media when it comes to these things. Kovalchuk wasn't getting traded anywhere, though, unless the Devils wanted to take on a horrible contract to get rid of him. Where would he have gone? It's not like teams were willing to offer him 15 years in the summer, besides LA, and they weren't willing to offer that kind of money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halfsharkalligatorhalfman Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 (edited) Kovy could have been traded to the Islanders possibly if Kovy was willing to go through with it and that 10 year 100 million offer was legit. Edited June 1, 2012 by halfsharkalligatorhalfman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devilsrule33 Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 Probably blown out of proportion. Kovy was homesick without his family and talking personally with his mom about maybe NJ not being the right call for him. Maybe not the best thing for his mother to be discussing with the media. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neb00rs Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 We all struggle sometimes and contemplate things when times get rough. Kovy stuck it out and turned it around. True character. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chimaira_Devil_#9 Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 (edited) Mama Kovalchuk Here is a video made about Kovy and what makes him tick, it features Mama Kovalchuk speaking about ........ who knows, i cant speak Russian!! There is a translation on the full link. Edited June 1, 2012 by Chimaira_Devil_#9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 Kovy could have been traded to the Islanders possibly if Kovy was willing to go through with it and that 10 year 100 million offer was legit. Even if it was, a 15 year 100 million dollar deal is way worse than 10 years, 100 million dollars. The Islanders had the lowest actual payroll in the league - they used lots of players who had effectively unreachable bonuses to make it to the salary floor. The Kovalchuk deal, for a good portion of it, pays out several million dollars above the cap hit. That would be disastrous for the Isles. Even now I don't know who would take on this deal if in theory it had to be traded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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