Kovalchuk ready for boos in 1st return to New Jersey

Los Angeles Kings forward Ilya Kovalchuk is anticipating he'll hear the boobirds loud and clear when he suits up in New Jersey on Tuesday night for his first game versus the Devils since leaving for the KHL.

"I am pretty sure there will be a lot of booing," Kovalchuk told NHL.com's Dan Rosen. "But I love that, so it's all good."

Before NHL contracts were capped at eight years as part of the current CBA, Kovalchuk signed a mammoth 15-year, $100-million deal with New Jersey in 2010 - matching the longest contract in league history. However, his stint in the Garden State lasted just three more seasons, as he voluntarily retired from the NHL in 2013 and went back to play in his native Russia, leaving $77 million on the table with the Devils.

Kovalchuk still had a solid run with New Jersey. He recorded 89 goals and 112 assists in 222 regular-season games, and he was a central figure in the club's surprising run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2012, where the Devils fell to the Kings.

Following four seasons with SKA St. Petersburg in Russia and after winning an Olympic gold medal in 2018, Kovalchuk returned to the NHL last offseason. The 35-year-old signed a three-year, $18.75-million contract with the Kings and has recorded 25 points in 42 games this season.