Out of the shadows: putting his team's tragedy behind him, Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuk becomes a superstar

ILYA KOVALCHUK HAS DELIVered.

Already an impressive scorer, the Atlanta Thrashers needed Kovalchuk to become a team leader after star forward Dany Heatley sustained critical injuries in an auto accident that killed teammate Dan Snyder in October 2003.

A 20-year-old Russian forward and the top overall pick in the 2001 draft, Kovalchuk plays with a goal-scoring flair reminiscent of the high-flying 1980s Edmonton Oilers.

"I am a very emotional player and you see that when I score goals," Kovalchuk said. "I am a forward. I have to score goals."

His emergence came at a crucial time for the Thrashers. There were fears that the accident, shortly before the regular season, would devastate the team. That hasn't happened largely because of Kovalchuk's play.

In his third season in the NHL, he has been among the league's top goal scorers, and has pushed the surprising Thrashem to the top of the Southeast Division.

"He could always score, but he is playing with more heart this year," Atlanta forward Slava Kozlov says. "That's the big difference. This is his year. Without Dany, he had to play on another level. That's what he is doing."

The biggest key to Kovalchuk's breakout has been ice time. Under Thrashers head coach Bob Hartley, who took over in the middle of the 2002-03 season, Kovalchuk is playing more and logging as many minutes as any forward in the league.

"Bob is tough," Kovalchuk says. "He wants me to be the best player in the league."

Success didn't come without a price, though. At 6'1" and 220 pounds, Kovalchuk had to be more responsible in his own zone to try to shed his reputation of being a cherry picker.

Hartley emphasized to Kovalchuk that he had to change his style.

"Right from the start of training camp I told him I would him like to show a commitment to improving his defense," Hartley says. "He went through like seven preseason games where he didn't score.

"I want him to be a great scorer that can also be responsible and reliable when your team doesn't have the puck. I think he has so much to offer that we would be fools to limit him."

Fear not, though, his attention to defense has not limited his joy of scoring goals. However, Kovalchuk's exuberant goal celebrations have led to accusations that he is showing up opponents.

Hartley doesn't buy that argument. "I have never seen him score a goal while trying to embarrass the other team," he says. "I don't think he is challenging the other team. He loves the game and enjoys the game. We are also in the entertainment business and I have no problem with his celebrations."

Neither does Atlanta GM Don Waddell. "He is a flashy player who shows his emotions on the ice," he says. "I think its something our league needs more of."

Wayne Thomas, an assistant GM for San Jose, agrees. "I wish we had more players in the league like him," he explains. "Everytime he gets the puck he makes your nervous."

Kovalchuk improved so quickly that an impressed Hartley expanded his role, using Kovalchuk to kill penalties and defend slim leads late in games. Hartley also is inclined to keep him on the ice for the length of a two-minute power play, moving Kovalchuk back to the point when the unit is on the ice.

It's a move Kovalchuk laves and a position he's familiar with. Spending time on the blue line helped him thrive while playing for Spartak in the Russian Elite League.

"Bob has put a lot of responsibility on him and he has responded," Waddell says. As a result of the new roles and expanded ice time, Kovalchuk's confidence has soared.

"Bob has given me a lot of confidence using me on the power play and penalty kill," Kovalchuk says. "I get a lot of chances and great space on the point of the power play. That's why I am scoring a lot of points. He has put me everywhere."

Kovalchuk also seems to have stepped up in areas other than just the score sheet With the loss of Heatley for a substantial part of the season, Kovalchuk has become a team leader, an area where the Thrashers desperately needed help after Heatley's accident When the spotlight moved from Heatley, also a third-year pro, to Kovalchuk, he was inspired by the challenge.

"They look to me for some leadership," Kovalchuk says. "We lost a couple of guys. We miss Dany and Snyder. I have to play not just for myself. I have to be one of the leaders on this team so I have to play hard every night"

Kovalchuk pushed himself hard after the 2002-03 season, bringing in a personal trainer for the first time. He ran more than he skated and lost about 10 pounds.

"I think he is in the best shape of his life," says fellow Russian and teammate Vyacheslav Kozlov, now in his 13th NHL season. "That's why he is playing a lot."

Heatley was outspoken about turning Atlanta a hockey town, but now that job has fallen to Kovalchuk. To turn Georgians onto hockey certainly isn't an easy task, but a strong run in the playoffs might get the job done.