Ilya Kovalchuk named president of KHL’s Shanghai Dragons

A former NHL star is stepping into a notable executive role overseas.

On Tuesday, the Shanghai Dragons of the Kontinental Hockey League announced that the team has created the position of president within the organization, appointing Ilya Kovalchuk to the position.

“I’m excited to become part of the Dragons family,” Kovalchuk said in a release. “We have an exciting journey ahead of us. There will be significant changes in our sporting approach, and we will continue to actively engage with our fans. We look forward to seeing all of you next season in Saint Petersburg at SKA Arena.”

Kovalchuk’s first order of business was hiring former NHLer and Vegas Golden Knights European scout Evgeny Artyukhin as the team’s new general manager, relieving Igor Varitsky of his duties.

“Evgeny knows the game from the inside and brings a wealth of experience,” Kovalchuk said. “The Vegas Golden Knights have been one of the most successful organizations in recent years, and his time there allowed him not only to gain valuable insight into the North American market, but also to learn best practices in team building and management. He has built strong relationships both in Russia and across North America. I wish him the best of luck and am confident he will help elevate our hockey operations to the level we are striving for.”

This is Kovalchuk’s first official executive role in hockey since serving as general manager of the Russian Olympic Committee at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. That year, the Russians made it to the gold medal game, losing to Finland. He made a brief comeback during the 2023-24 season, playing for Spartak Moscow in the KHL, scoring four goals and eight points in 20 games.

Along with a fruitful NHL career, Kovalchuk was a two-time KHL All-Star and a three-time Gagarin Cup winner. He also helped Russia win a pair of IIHF Men’s World Championships, taking home the gold medal with the Olympic Athletes of Russia at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics.