Alexander Ovechkin (#8), Yevgeni Malkin (#11), Pavel Datsyuk (#13) and Ilya Kovalchuk (#71) during the gold medal game of the 2010 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.
photo: Matthew Manor / HHOF-IIHF Images
Ilya Kovalchuk, Alexander Ovechkin and Yevgeni Malkin. They are three of Russia’s most titled players in the 21st century. In international play, between them, they have seven World Championship wins and one Olympic gold. In club hockey, they’ve compiled four Stanley Cup triumphs and three Russian championships (four, if you include a locked-out Ovechkin’s contribution to Dynamo’s 2012 Gagarin Cup success). On an individual level, they’ve won 24 NHL awards between. Yet they’ve never played together on a gold-medal roster for the Russian national team. This year in Bratislava will be the eighth time they’ve been called up by their country – and a chance to win it together for the first time at an international event.
2005 – Austrian awakening
When Vladimir Krikunov called up the trio for the 2005 Worlds, Russia’s hockey status was not quite what it is now. After winning gold in 1993, the Red Machine spluttered and stalled. In 11 subsequent tournaments, Russia had managed a solitary silver medal; twice it failed to make the quarter-final stage.
Against that background, a bronze medal was an encouraging sign. Russia moved confidently through the group phases, with Kovalchuk picking up two points in a 2-1 win over the Czechs, who went on to win gold. A battling shoot-out win over Finland in the QF saw Ovechkin score the goal that kickstarted a recovery from 0-2 in the 13th minute to force a 3-3 tie in regulation. There was more fight to come against Canada in the semi-final, with Russia rallying from 0-4 only to come up one goal short. Ovechkin scored again early in the third period, with Malkin assisting, but Canada held on for a 4-3 win. Malkin had two helpers in a 6-3 win over Sweden to claim bronze; Ovi went one better with a goal and two assists.
Ovechkin finished with 8 (5+3) points from eight games in his final tournament before joining the Caps. He led Russia’s scoring ahead of Pavel Datsyuk and Alexei Kovalyov. Kovalchuk had 6 (3+3) while Malkin had four assists in his rookie World Championship campaign.
2006 – Turin trauma
Going into the 2006 Olympics, Russia looked a good bet for a medal. Silver in 1998 and bronze in 2002 spoke for itself, while Krikunov’s team had shown promising signs at the previous year’s Worlds. Our trio lined up once again, and after an uncertain start Russia finished the group phase strongly and defeated Canada 2-0 in the last eight.
Then it all went wrong. A 4-0 loss to Finland in the semis was followed by another blank in the bronze-medal game against the Czechs. Ovechkin, Kovalchuk and Malkin contributed 16 points between them, but the tournament would not be fondly remembered in Russia.
2007 – Moscow Calling
A World Championship on home ice looked like the perfect opportunity for Russia to end its long wait for gold. Vyacheslav Bykov had taken over behind the bench and he saw the Ak Bars trio of Alexei Morozov, Danis Zaripov and Sergei Zinoviev dominate the scoring with 38 points between them.
Malkin, who had just completed his first NHL campaign in Pittsburgh, did well on his return home with 10 (5+5) points in nine games; Kovalchuk was also effective, collecting seven points. But Ovechkin, who powered to 92 points in Washington, was a huge disappointment. Out of sorts, he managed just three points in the tournament and was suspended for a group stage game against Sweden after a high hit in a 6-3 win over Switzerland.
Russia’s much-anticipated gold rush came to an abrupt halt in the semi-final with Finland again doing the damage. Malkin’s early goal wasn’t enough, the Finns won 2-1 in overtime and Russia had to be content with bronze.
2010 – Double disappointment
By the time the trio were reunited on a Russia roster, things had changed. Back to back World Championship wins in 2008 and 2009 had reasserted Russia’s status as leading power in world hockey. Kovalchuk’s thrilling overtime winner in Quebec City in 2008, ending that long, long wait for glory, had cemented his position as a bona fide sporting hero – by 2014 that story would be translated into part of feel-good, flag-waving movie about Russian success in the build-up to the Sochi Olympics. Malkin had just won his first Stanley Cup, claiming the Art Ross and Conn Smythe trophies along the way, while Ovechkin had won the Hart trophy in the previous season. Expectations were predictably high.
They quickly got higher. Canada, always identified as the big rival, struggled in the group phase. An unconvincing shoot-out win over Switzerland was followed with a loss against the USA. Russia’s own teething troubles in a shoot-out loss to Slovakia were largely overlooked at home; Bykov’s team earned a bye to the quarters, Canada had to go to the qualification round.
In the event, though, the host nation played itself back into form with an 8-2 win over Germany and marched into a QF against Russia with renewed confidence. Starting goalie Yevgeni Nabokov lasted just 24 minutes; Ilya Bryzgalov replaced him with Canada up 6-1. From then on it was damage limitation and the last 28 minutes of play were scoreless as the Canadians sat on an imposing 7-3 lead. Malkin led Russia’s scoring at the Games with 6 (3+3), Ovechkin was second with 4 (2+2) and Kovalchuk had three points. But Russia went home after just four games, the reigning World Champion unable to add Olympic hardware to its haul.
A measure of revenge came swiftly. Russia named a strong roster for the Worlds in Germany. Ovechkin and Kovalchuk were there from the start, Malkin arrived as the Penguins exited the play-offs. A 5-2 win over Canada in the quarter-finals was the highlight of a run to a silver medal, while Kovalchuk topped the tournament scoring with 12 (2+10) and Malkin plundered seven points in five games. Ovechkin, though, didn’t quite live up to the hype. He started well, getting five goals the five group games, but his scoring dried up in the knock-out phase and Czech goalie Tomas Vokoun denied the Russians with 35 saves in the final. That silver medal, though, represented Russia’s best return with its three superstars united on the roster.
2014 – ‘It sucks!’
It started out well enough. Russia’s home ice Olympic campaign in Sochi began with Ovechkin and Malkin on the same line. After 77 seconds, they had combined to open the scoring in the host’s first game of the tournament against Slovenia and between them they compiled two goals and three assists. Kovalchuk joined them on the PP and grabbed a goal of his own, Russia eased to a 5-2 victory. This time, at last, the golden boys of Russian hockey seemed poised to grab that elusive gold on the national team.
It was a false dawn. A week later the dream was over, Finland victorious in the QF and Russia leaving its own party without so much as a brightly-coloured balloon. Along the way, the Ovechkin-Malkin axis never quite gelled and failed to add to its haul from the Slovenia game. Kovalchuk finished with three goals, including the opener in the loss to Finland and Zinetula Bilyaletdinov’s spell as head coach was over. Ovechkin’s verdict was succinct: “It sucks. What more can I say?”
2015 – Brief encounter
The trio’s most recent reunion came in Prague. Russia, now coached by Oleg Znarok, was the defending World Champion. This time, though, there would only be two games together for Ovechkin, Malkin and Kovalchuk. Ovi arrived from Washington after the Caps exited the play-offs, reaching the Czech Republic in time for a semi-final against the USA. In the group stage, the Americans had beaten Russia 4-2 and the second meeting was scoreless until the third period. Then Russia broke the deadlock, goalie Sergei Bobrovski sending Sergei Mozyakin on a rush through centre ice for the opener after 47 minutes. Ovechkin marked his arrival with an unassisted goal three minutes later when he capitalised on Justin Faulk’s stumble and, after Vadim Shipachyov put the game beyond the USA’s reach, Ovi assisted on Malkin’s empty-netter. So far, so good.
That set up a final showdown against Canada, another chapter in one of the great hockey rivalries. However, there would be no happy ending for Russia here: a loaded Canadian roster simply had too much. It finished 6-1, Canada outshooting its opponent 37-12. Malkin’s late goal proved little consolation and the evening ended in controversy as Russia’s players left the ice before the Canadian anthem was played.
2019 – a new era?
Back home, the sight of those star names on the same roster once again has sparked great excitement about the team’s chances of winning World Championship gold for the first time since 2014. There's more encouragement in the fact that all three are here from the start. They've played in warm-up games and there won't be any distractions caused by a big star parachuting into the tournament part way through.
However, five years on from that 2014 triumph, this is a different Russia. Nobody is questioning the quality and influence that these three stars can bring – only last season Kovalchuk was helping the Russians to Olympic gold, while Ovechkin was winning his long-awaited Stanley Cup. However, new names are emerging to take some of the attention and pressure away from these battle-served veterans of elite-level hockey. Nikita Kucherov’s powerful performance in regular season for the Lightning immediately makes him a go-to guy for an injection of scoring; Yevgeni Kuznetsov’s steady development from exciting prospect to bona fide NHL star – all while playing in Washington with Ovechkin – offers another outlet. And the stars of that Olympic campaign, Mikhail Grigorenko and Kirill Kaprizov, continued their progress in the KHL where they helped CSKA win its first Gagarin Cup. Arguably, this year’s Red Machine offers more scoring potential than those that have come before, easing the load on the old guard.
Moreover, regardless of the outcome in Slovakia, Russia’s status in world hockey has changed significantly since the trio came together for the first time just an hour or so’s drive from Bratislava in Vienna. A nation that came to World Championships hoping for a medal now routinely arrives expecting serious hardware. After contributing so much to Russia’s sustained success, could this be the year that Kovi, Ovi and Geno finally get to share a golden moment on the international stage?
2005 – Austrian awakening
When Vladimir Krikunov called up the trio for the 2005 Worlds, Russia’s hockey status was not quite what it is now. After winning gold in 1993, the Red Machine spluttered and stalled. In 11 subsequent tournaments, Russia had managed a solitary silver medal; twice it failed to make the quarter-final stage.
Against that background, a bronze medal was an encouraging sign. Russia moved confidently through the group phases, with Kovalchuk picking up two points in a 2-1 win over the Czechs, who went on to win gold. A battling shoot-out win over Finland in the QF saw Ovechkin score the goal that kickstarted a recovery from 0-2 in the 13th minute to force a 3-3 tie in regulation. There was more fight to come against Canada in the semi-final, with Russia rallying from 0-4 only to come up one goal short. Ovechkin scored again early in the third period, with Malkin assisting, but Canada held on for a 4-3 win. Malkin had two helpers in a 6-3 win over Sweden to claim bronze; Ovi went one better with a goal and two assists.
Ovechkin finished with 8 (5+3) points from eight games in his final tournament before joining the Caps. He led Russia’s scoring ahead of Pavel Datsyuk and Alexei Kovalyov. Kovalchuk had 6 (3+3) while Malkin had four assists in his rookie World Championship campaign.
2006 – Turin trauma
Going into the 2006 Olympics, Russia looked a good bet for a medal. Silver in 1998 and bronze in 2002 spoke for itself, while Krikunov’s team had shown promising signs at the previous year’s Worlds. Our trio lined up once again, and after an uncertain start Russia finished the group phase strongly and defeated Canada 2-0 in the last eight.
Then it all went wrong. A 4-0 loss to Finland in the semis was followed by another blank in the bronze-medal game against the Czechs. Ovechkin, Kovalchuk and Malkin contributed 16 points between them, but the tournament would not be fondly remembered in Russia.
2007 – Moscow Calling
A World Championship on home ice looked like the perfect opportunity for Russia to end its long wait for gold. Vyacheslav Bykov had taken over behind the bench and he saw the Ak Bars trio of Alexei Morozov, Danis Zaripov and Sergei Zinoviev dominate the scoring with 38 points between them.
Malkin, who had just completed his first NHL campaign in Pittsburgh, did well on his return home with 10 (5+5) points in nine games; Kovalchuk was also effective, collecting seven points. But Ovechkin, who powered to 92 points in Washington, was a huge disappointment. Out of sorts, he managed just three points in the tournament and was suspended for a group stage game against Sweden after a high hit in a 6-3 win over Switzerland.
Russia’s much-anticipated gold rush came to an abrupt halt in the semi-final with Finland again doing the damage. Malkin’s early goal wasn’t enough, the Finns won 2-1 in overtime and Russia had to be content with bronze.
2010 – Double disappointment
By the time the trio were reunited on a Russia roster, things had changed. Back to back World Championship wins in 2008 and 2009 had reasserted Russia’s status as leading power in world hockey. Kovalchuk’s thrilling overtime winner in Quebec City in 2008, ending that long, long wait for glory, had cemented his position as a bona fide sporting hero – by 2014 that story would be translated into part of feel-good, flag-waving movie about Russian success in the build-up to the Sochi Olympics. Malkin had just won his first Stanley Cup, claiming the Art Ross and Conn Smythe trophies along the way, while Ovechkin had won the Hart trophy in the previous season. Expectations were predictably high.
They quickly got higher. Canada, always identified as the big rival, struggled in the group phase. An unconvincing shoot-out win over Switzerland was followed with a loss against the USA. Russia’s own teething troubles in a shoot-out loss to Slovakia were largely overlooked at home; Bykov’s team earned a bye to the quarters, Canada had to go to the qualification round.
In the event, though, the host nation played itself back into form with an 8-2 win over Germany and marched into a QF against Russia with renewed confidence. Starting goalie Yevgeni Nabokov lasted just 24 minutes; Ilya Bryzgalov replaced him with Canada up 6-1. From then on it was damage limitation and the last 28 minutes of play were scoreless as the Canadians sat on an imposing 7-3 lead. Malkin led Russia’s scoring at the Games with 6 (3+3), Ovechkin was second with 4 (2+2) and Kovalchuk had three points. But Russia went home after just four games, the reigning World Champion unable to add Olympic hardware to its haul.
A measure of revenge came swiftly. Russia named a strong roster for the Worlds in Germany. Ovechkin and Kovalchuk were there from the start, Malkin arrived as the Penguins exited the play-offs. A 5-2 win over Canada in the quarter-finals was the highlight of a run to a silver medal, while Kovalchuk topped the tournament scoring with 12 (2+10) and Malkin plundered seven points in five games. Ovechkin, though, didn’t quite live up to the hype. He started well, getting five goals the five group games, but his scoring dried up in the knock-out phase and Czech goalie Tomas Vokoun denied the Russians with 35 saves in the final. That silver medal, though, represented Russia’s best return with its three superstars united on the roster.
2014 – ‘It sucks!’
It started out well enough. Russia’s home ice Olympic campaign in Sochi began with Ovechkin and Malkin on the same line. After 77 seconds, they had combined to open the scoring in the host’s first game of the tournament against Slovenia and between them they compiled two goals and three assists. Kovalchuk joined them on the PP and grabbed a goal of his own, Russia eased to a 5-2 victory. This time, at last, the golden boys of Russian hockey seemed poised to grab that elusive gold on the national team.
It was a false dawn. A week later the dream was over, Finland victorious in the QF and Russia leaving its own party without so much as a brightly-coloured balloon. Along the way, the Ovechkin-Malkin axis never quite gelled and failed to add to its haul from the Slovenia game. Kovalchuk finished with three goals, including the opener in the loss to Finland and Zinetula Bilyaletdinov’s spell as head coach was over. Ovechkin’s verdict was succinct: “It sucks. What more can I say?”
2015 – Brief encounter
The trio’s most recent reunion came in Prague. Russia, now coached by Oleg Znarok, was the defending World Champion. This time, though, there would only be two games together for Ovechkin, Malkin and Kovalchuk. Ovi arrived from Washington after the Caps exited the play-offs, reaching the Czech Republic in time for a semi-final against the USA. In the group stage, the Americans had beaten Russia 4-2 and the second meeting was scoreless until the third period. Then Russia broke the deadlock, goalie Sergei Bobrovski sending Sergei Mozyakin on a rush through centre ice for the opener after 47 minutes. Ovechkin marked his arrival with an unassisted goal three minutes later when he capitalised on Justin Faulk’s stumble and, after Vadim Shipachyov put the game beyond the USA’s reach, Ovi assisted on Malkin’s empty-netter. So far, so good.
That set up a final showdown against Canada, another chapter in one of the great hockey rivalries. However, there would be no happy ending for Russia here: a loaded Canadian roster simply had too much. It finished 6-1, Canada outshooting its opponent 37-12. Malkin’s late goal proved little consolation and the evening ended in controversy as Russia’s players left the ice before the Canadian anthem was played.
2019 – a new era?
Back home, the sight of those star names on the same roster once again has sparked great excitement about the team’s chances of winning World Championship gold for the first time since 2014. There's more encouragement in the fact that all three are here from the start. They've played in warm-up games and there won't be any distractions caused by a big star parachuting into the tournament part way through.
However, five years on from that 2014 triumph, this is a different Russia. Nobody is questioning the quality and influence that these three stars can bring – only last season Kovalchuk was helping the Russians to Olympic gold, while Ovechkin was winning his long-awaited Stanley Cup. However, new names are emerging to take some of the attention and pressure away from these battle-served veterans of elite-level hockey. Nikita Kucherov’s powerful performance in regular season for the Lightning immediately makes him a go-to guy for an injection of scoring; Yevgeni Kuznetsov’s steady development from exciting prospect to bona fide NHL star – all while playing in Washington with Ovechkin – offers another outlet. And the stars of that Olympic campaign, Mikhail Grigorenko and Kirill Kaprizov, continued their progress in the KHL where they helped CSKA win its first Gagarin Cup. Arguably, this year’s Red Machine offers more scoring potential than those that have come before, easing the load on the old guard.
Moreover, regardless of the outcome in Slovakia, Russia’s status in world hockey has changed significantly since the trio came together for the first time just an hour or so’s drive from Bratislava in Vienna. A nation that came to World Championships hoping for a medal now routinely arrives expecting serious hardware. After contributing so much to Russia’s sustained success, could this be the year that Kovi, Ovi and Geno finally get to share a golden moment on the international stage?