Ex-New Jersey Devils star Ilya Kovalchuk to announce retirement 'soon'

Florida Panthers v New Jersey Devils | Bruce Bennett/GettyImagesAt the age of 42, former New Jersey Devils star Ilya Kovalchuk is set to announce his retirement from professional hockey imminently.

The 2001 No. 1 overall pick last played professionally sporting the uniform of his boyhood club, Spartak Moskva, scoring four goals, four assists, and eight points in 20 games in the 2023-24 season.

Kovalchuk has otherwise not played competitively in three of the last four seasons, dating back to the 2020-21 season he spent with Avangard Omsk and incoming Devils prospect Arseniy Gritsyuk.

In a recent interview with Sport-Express, Kovalchuk has shared that the curtain call on his playing career is…