After the announcement of the trade that sent Ilya Kovalchuk to the New Jersey Devils, GM Don Waddell and Kovy both made comments to the press* that prove that sometimes hockey people should stick to just... play hockey (or pretend they know what they do, in Waddell's case):

Kovalchuk: "For sure. I’m not going to put my home up for sale. Atlanta is going to be my second home probably forever now. It’s great weather. My kids in school there. I will be there."

Come on. Stop the charade. Why would a Russian guy who will soon walk around with a $100M contract, without real ties to Atlanta, want to have a second home in Atlanta? The great weather? Sure. Miami, where he spends time in the summer, the south of France or a whole bunch of exotic islands don't have good weather, apparently. Schools?! That's a good one. The kids will stay in Atlanta in order to continue their education in some great unique school? Georgia is known for its great schools after all.

A big $5 that he doesn't own property in Atlanta comes 2011. Nothing wrong with that.

Waddell: "This isn’t a knock on Kovy, but Kovy’s been here eight years and we still haven’t won a playoff game. This team has to take a different identity."

Waddell has been GM of the Thrashers since the beginning and they still haven't won a playoff game. This IS a knock on Waddell! Time to go back peddling portable toilets.

*Press, in Atlanta, means the one journalist following the team. Doesn't include the guys on the team's payroll who pretend they are journalists.

The NHL needs to step in and tell Ilya Kovalchuk that he's not playing in a garage league. Or in Russia. What's with this white tape he's been using most or all season on his socks? They ran out of transparent tape? No teammate will share? What next? USPS tape like 45-year-old guys with beer bellies use in beer leagues?

The NHL Fashion Police needs to step in.

Picture Source: Flickr / FrenchKheldar ; Flickr / FrenchKheldar