September 10, 2000

IlYA KOVALCHUK goes on to amaze the hockey world

The results of the "Five Nations Tournament".

August 30,2000
Russia-Finland 3:1
Muratov (Selujanov-Volchenkov), Korneyev (Chagodayev-Kovalchuk), Kovalchuk (Chastin-Chagodayev).

Czech Republic-Sweden 5:6 Overtime.

August 31,2000
Russia- Czech Republic 4:0
Svitov (Volchenkov-Shastin), Barkunov (Chagodayev-Denisov), Shastin (Kovalchuk), Buturlin (Korneyev-Drozdetsky).

Slovakia-Finland 1:3

September 1,2000
Sweden- Slovakia 5:1
Finland- Czech Republic 3:1

September 2,2000
Russia- Slovakia 6:1
Krysanov (Denisov), Muratov (Buturlin), Kovalchuk (Mylnikov), Muratov (Vorobyev), Chagodayev (Vorobyev), Buturlin (Korneyev).

Sweden- Finland 3:4

September 3,2000
Czech Republic- Slovakia 5:0
Russia- Sweden 5:2
Kovalchuk (Svitov), Kovalchuk (Volchenkov), Shastin (Bykov), Buturlin, Svitov.

The Difference of the goals scored by team Russia and allowed is 18-4. Team Russia takes the first place and becomes the gold medallist of the "Five Nations Tournament".

The representative of Team Sweden Totrin Sundin was named the best scorer of the tournament with 4 goals and 3 assists (one goal against Team Czech Republic, two goals against Slavakia plus one assist, one goal against Finland plus two assists). Also another member of team Sweden, Henric Lindquist has been acknowledged the best goaltender. The player of Team Finland Aalto Tukio was named the best defenseman.

Ilya Kovalchuk has been unanimously acknowledged the best forward of the tournament with 4 goals scored and 2 assists. This 17 years of age guy pretends to develop even in much better forward than NHL Star Pavel Bure is now.

He has all the tools in his arsenal ... excellent skating and Bure like mercurial speed... a very creative playmaker with strong puckhandling skills... has the ability to maneuver in heavy traffic... has a good shot with a quick release... plays with intensity and is always involved in the play... is effective along the boards and in front of the net. Great size 96 kg and height 187 cm may allow him to become a dominant force on the NHL ice.

In the season of 1999/2000 he amazed lots of people who have seen lots of action in NHL and world class hockey. He scored 70 goals in the championships of Moscow. It was twice bigger result than the players of his age had that time!

Many hockey experts still do remember how he has chipped in fantastic 14 points (10 goals+4 assists) in six games at the 1999 Canada Challenge Cup for under-17 teams. He has had goal consecutive five games record with 2 hat-tricks and 10 goals as a result. Moreover all of them have been so impressed by his play that they demanded of the most exciting Russian prospect his hockey stick to place it in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. This happened for the first time in the history of the world hockey!!!

He garnered the attention of many hockey observers and analysts who constantly kept on saying," He can become all-time leading Russian-born scorer if this young gifted offensive player with mercurial speed make the most of his skills and gives no indication of slowing down."