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Kovalchuk to Captain Russian Hockey Team at World Championship 2015

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SKA St. Petersburg's forward Ilya Kovalchuk will be the captain of the Russian hockey team at the World Championships 2015. 28.04.2015, Sputnik International

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Kovalchuk to Captain Russian Hockey Team at World Championship 2015

12:27 GMT 28.04.2015 (Updated: 13:11 GMT 28.04.2015)

In this May 13, 2013 file photo, Russia's Ilya Kovalchuk celebrates his goal during the 2013 Ice Hockey World Championships match against Austria in Helsinki - Sputnik International

SKA St. Petersburg's forward Ilya Kovalchuk will be the captain of the Russian hockey team at the World Championships 2015.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russian ice hockey forward Ilya Kovalchuk, currently playing for SKA St. Petersburg, said Tuesday he would captain the Russian hockey team at the World Championships 2015.

"Oleg Valerievich [Znarok, the coach of the Russian national hockey team] came to me this morning and said that I would be the captain," Kovalchuk told reporters.

Left winger Ilya Kovalchuk, 32, has had an impressive 11-season career, including eight seasons with the Atlanta Thrashers, in the National Hockey League (NHL).

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In 2013, Kovalchuk retired from the NHL although he had 12 years remaining on his contract, signing a four-year contract with St. Petersburg hockey club SKA.

Kovalchuk won two gold medals with the Russian national team in 2008 and 2009 world championships, and a silver medal in 2010.

The 2015 ice hockey world championship will take place from May 1 to May 17, 2015 in the Czech Republic. Sixteen national teams will participate in the tournament.