Former NHL Star Ilya Kovalchuk Becomes Shanghai Dragons President

Former NHL star Ilya Kovalchuk joined the KHL's Shanghai Dragons.

The Dragons announced Kovalchuk is their first president in a restructuring of the organization on Tuesday.

"Hello to all Shanghai Dragons fans!" Kovalchuk said in a statement. "I'm excited to become part of the Dragons family! 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."

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This story was originally published April 21, 2026 at 11:31 AM.