Canadiens Sign Alex Kovalev and Mathieu Dandenault to 4-Year Contracts

[Gym Class Hero]

MONTREAL - Montreal Canadiens General Manager, Bob Gainey, today announced the signing of free agents Alex Kovalev and Mathieu Dandenault to four-year contracts through the 2008-09 season.

Kovalev, a 32-year-old right winger, is no stranger to Montreal having been acquired on March 2, 2004 just prior to the trading deadline from the New York Rangers in exchange for winger Jozef Balej and the Canadiens second pick in the 2004 draft. Kovalev played a key role in the playoffs recording 10 points in 11 games, including a team-leading six goals on a line with team captain Saku Koivu and Richard Zednik.

Following the 2004 World Cup of Hockey where Kovalev had three points in four games for Team Russia, the 6-foot-1, 220-pounder signed on with Ak Bars Kazan of the Russian super League during the NHL lockout, where he would go on to register 10 goals and 12 assists in 35 games. Kovalev then once again answered the call of home country for the World Hockey Championships in Austria where he put up six points in nine games and was named the tournament’s top forward.

Selected 15th overall by the Rangers in 1991, the native of Togliatti, Russia won the Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers in 1994. Kovalev is a two-time NHL all-star (2001 and 2003) and represented Russia at both the 1992 and 2002 Olympics. Over his 12-year NHL career with Pittsburgh, New York and the Canadiens, Kovalev has 680 points including 292 goals and 388 assists in 849 regular season games. In 94 career playoff contests, Kovalev has 77 points with 33 goals and 44 assists.

Dandenault, a 29-year-old defenseman/right winger, had spent his entire 10-year NHL career with the Detroit Red Wings where he won three Stanley Cups (1997, 1998 and 2002). Drafted 49th overall by the Red Wings in 1994, the Sherbrooke, Que., native had 12 points in 65 games with Detroit in 2003-04. Dandenault also helped Canada win a gold medal at the 2003 World Hockey Championships. In 616 career regular season games, Dandenault has 149 points, including 48 goals as well as eight points in 64 career postseason contests.

[peacemaker]

Good signing for the Habs.....How much did they pay him?

[BM24]

About damn time the Penguins lose out on someone!

[Gumec]

F**k Kovalev had been a good move for the pens

[8BostonRocker24]

The Habs will be fielding a really good soccer team this year.

[Gym Class Hero]

The Montreal Canadiens have signed unrestricted free agent winger Alexei Kovalev to a four-year contract, TFP has learned.
In conjunction with TFP's report, the MSG Network states that the 32-year-old veteran will earn $4.5 million per season.

[Humpzilla]

After his brilliant display during the playoffs last season there would have been no way I would have even considered resigning this gutless Euro fuk. Of course this is the present day Canadian's franchise we're talking about...

[cowboy]

he's also a major reason the present day canadians franchise came back in that series.

[Thrillhouse]

Originally Posted by 8BostonRocker24

The Habs will be fielding a really good soccer team this year.

Still bitter?

[habsfighter15]

Good to hear. We had the best line in the playoffs in round 1. He's the reason we disposed of Boston along with Koivu and Zednik. Now all we need to do is trade Ribeiro for Lecavalier and we're set!

[8BostonRocker24]

Originally Posted by Thrillhouse

Still bitter?

Just a little, and I will be until October 5th. I want to see 5 or 6 fights.

[swhite]

Habs give Kovalev $18-million

MONTREAL (CP) - The Montreal Canadiens re-signed star winger Alexei Kovalev to an $18 million US, four-year contract Wednesday, a source told The Canadian Press.

The Russian sniper will earn $4.5 million a season.

Kovalev, one of the top forwards available on the unrestricted free-agent market, had other offers - including one from Pittsburgh - but decided to return to the Habs, where he had 10 points (6-4) in 11 playoff games in 2003-04 after being traded from the New York Rangers.

Link

[scrapper62]

Kovalev is a skating fairy. That crap in the playoffs, along with many other disgraceful incidents on the ice throughout his career have branded him as a skating fairy.