Alex Kovalev still has that holy fire. He has plenty of energy and wants to teach others his own hockey concept. If a National Hockey League team is interested in his services – and that includes the Montreal Canadiens – he will listen.

But he will only accept under certain conditions.

“I would love it, but it would have to be an offer that makes sense for me. If I’m asked to travel from one end to the other to recruit and manage prospects, I’m not the right candidate. “I want to stay with the team and be on the ice with the players,” the man, who is still under contract as an assistant coach with Spartak Moscow for the next KHL season, told TVASports.ca.

Make no mistake, Kovalev wants to work with young people. But they don’t get Aeroplan points for that.

“It could be an assistant coach position or a development position, but I just don’t want to be constantly moving around,” he said. “I still have the motivation to teach young people.”

Proof that the fire is still burning: Kovalev is remotely managing the development of Martin Necas, a Carolina Hurricanes forward who has been linked to strong trade rumors, via video conference.

“Necas’ agent, Michael Deutsch, comes from Eclipse Sports Management, which represented me at my games. He asked me to advise his client and I agreed,” explains Kovalev, who also passes on his knowledge to Andrei Svechnikov.

Kovalev has taken steps over the years to return to the NHL as a coach. In an interview with The Athletiche said he had contacted the New York Rangers and the Canadiens in the past to offer his services, but to no avail; he received no concrete offers, except for an offer from the Rangers to work in the public relations department.

There is something contradictory about Kovalev’s desire to work in the best league in the world, as he is not particularly enthusiastic about the direction in which National League hockey is heading.

“I like to watch Connor McDavid or Russians like Evgeni Malkin. It’s more fun when you see the creativity and talent in their game. But I don’t really watch [la LNH]because the game has changed so much,” he said with his usual openness.

At one point he also seems to throw an arrow at certain coaches with a backward mentality.

“My vision is this: when you see a player with talent, you have to give him the freedom to express it and not handcuff him by forcing him to do certain things that he is not comfortable with,” Kovalev argued.

Photo credit: QMI Agency

An error

How he confided a letter from him on the Radio Canada platformKovalev reiterated that it was a mistake when he turned down the Canadiens’ offer to continue his career with the Ottawa Senators in the summer of 2009.

The Senators offered the same amount of money as the Canadiens, but Kovalev demanded a raise from the CH for performance. In hindsight, he would have hurt his pride, as he believes he was still at his peak at that time. Kovalev was never the same after leaving Montreal. After seasons of 84 and 65 points with the Canadiens in 2007-2008 and 2008-2009, the number 27, considered one of the most gifted players in hockey history, never again reached the 20-goal, 50-point plateau.

“I was at the peak of my career. I played with so much confidence. “I could have achieved more if I had played my way and helped the young guys,” lamented the brilliant Russian striker.

How often is he reminded of his legendary goal, scored without a helmet and with his hair blowing in the wind against the Boston Bruins in the 2008 playoffs?

“The whole time,” the artist answered bluntly. This goal definitely showed that I have character and that I don’t give up.”

Despite all the nostalgia he felt for his time in Montreal, Kovalev strangely has no connection to his former teammates at CH.

“[Je n’ai gardé contact avec] Nobody,” he replied dryly, without elaborating.

After all, Kovalev always had the side of a loner, a misunderstood genius. He and Saku Koivu never claimed to be best friends.

Everything he does, he will do on his own terms.

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