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NHL ALL-STAR WEEKENDJanuary 25, 2009Alexei KovalevMONTREAL, QUEBEC Q. Alex, it looked like you really wanted it out there. ALEXEI KOVALEV: Well, like I said in the beginning of the weekend, I'm not going to hide this. I want this badly, so, you know, I was going for it. Q. Can you describe what it was like for you? You're wearing the C for the Eastern Conference team, the cheers. You got a couple of goals, you score the game winner. This is the perfect scenario for you? ALEXEI KOVALEV: Well, like I said before, you can't ask for a better package than this. Get voted in the All-Star Game by the fans, starting lineup, being the captain, get MVP. This is something you're going to remember the rest of your life. Q. Was there any way that you were going to get that one in the shootout? I mean, did you know that was yours to be had? ALEXEI KOVALEV: There's no way I'm going to miss that one. Q. First, why is it so important to you to get this? And second, can you talk about what it means to be a part of the Montreal organization when you see people like Lafleur, Cournoyer, Richard around as much as you do? ALEXEI KOVALEV: First of all, it's important because I said earlier that from this I call it souvenir, you can raise a lot of money. We're going to donate it -- not donate it, but they're trying to raise the money from it and put it in a charity to help kids. To be part of this organization is, you know, there's so much history here. I've been hearing for a long time since I got to Montreal, even I heard that when I was named the captain of the team, not only the first Russian being captain of an All-Star team, but being part of the history that the last Montreal Canadien captain was Robinson. So you can't ask better than this. So it's everything, everything history in this club, and you want to be part of it. And that's why it's important for me. Q. You and Evgeni Malkin were creating some magic out there. When you consider what Ovechkin did following you up in the shootout there, would you say that the Russian hockey players really stole the show tonight? ALEXEI KOVALEV: Well, I don't know. You can look at it any way you want it. But definitely I played with Evgeni before in the National Team, and I know the way he plays. And we've talked about having fun during the game, and that's what we're trying to do. We're not trying to be too serious. Just enjoy it, and that's what we did. Q. Do you have a specific charity yet, or are you just going to try to find one? ALEXEI KOVALEV: Well, it could be a charity that I've been working with, you know, my charity, Alex Kovalev Foundation, or the Russian Gift of Life or other charities. You know, it doesn't matter. I mean it's all for the kids. Q. Can you explain how sweet this was for you that it turned out this way, that it went to a shootout, that you had two breakaways? I mean, can you put it into words how great this is for you right now? ALEXEI KOVALEV: Well, as much as I've been thinking about this moment, you know, before the All-Star Game, before this weekend, I knew how important it would be for all of us, not just for me, to you know, succeed and put on a show and have fun. But, like I said, you couldn't ask more. When I heard that I'd been named as the captain of the team that, you know, just I said to myself I have one more left to get MVP. I think that's going to be the full package that I'm going to remember the rest of my life. It's, I guess like you always say, it depends how hard you want it. Q. Having played in two previous All-Star Games with other teams, you said this is a dream come true, but as a younger player can you just sort of take us back and put into perspective what those other games meant to you, particularly playing in those games and to the progression at this point in your career and what you've achieved tonight? ALEXEI KOVALEV: Well, it's hard to remember other All-Star Games because I was a young kid and I was a little nervous. But I was pretty comfortable about this All-Star Game coming in, and being in front of the crowd, you know you're going to have the support. So it was a lot easier with the fans to choose this. Q. Did you notice how passionate the fans got in the end about the game that was supposedly an exhibition? They got pretty excited for the final result in the end. ALEXEI KOVALEV: I don't think it's only now. I think they've been like that since I got to Montreal. I don't remember one day that they wouldn't be so passionate and so excited. Just to come to this building and see open practice, whatever it is, or just regular practice, like I said, it's always been so exciting to be on the ice, surrounded by all these fans. Q. Can you talk about the breakaway moves, the off-speed shots? Did you mean to do that? ALEXEI KOVALEV: I was interviewed between the periods, and they asked me the same question. I said, ask Carey Price, he's been facing those shots for two months now and they hate me now. But, yeah, I've been doing this for a while, so I was pretty confident what I'm going to do, and it's going to work. The only thing is like most of the guys ask me afterwards, if I'd ever done it during the game. And I'm just looking for a good moment to do that. Q. Your son's name and his age? ALEXEI KOVALEV: He's 6, Nikita. Future hockey player, hopefully MVP like me (laughing). Appreciate it, guys, thank you. End of FastScripts |
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