Remember when Ilya Kovalchuk played for the Canadiens?

Everyone who remembers Ilya Kovalchuk's time in the NHL probably thinks of him as a goalscoring machine for the Atlanta Thrashers and the New Jersey Devils. However, during the twilight of his career, looking for a fresh start, he found himself wearing the sweater of the Montreal Canadiens.

Kovalchuk was an unstoppable freight train during the prime years of his career. He had five straight seasons of scoring 40-plus goals with the Thrashers. After not being able to agree on a contract extension with the Thrashers, they traded him to the Devils in a blockbuster move. Kovalchuk helped bolster a team that already included Zach Parise, Patrik Elias, and Martin Brodeur.

In that offseason, Kovalchuk and the Devils agreed on a monster contract extension that would pay him $100 million over 15 years. The trade was great early, as the Devils found themselves in the Stanley Cup final in Kovalchuk's second full season with the team. However, just three years after signing that contract, Kovalchuk shocked the hockey world by announcing his retirement from the NHL to return home to Russia to play hockey.

He spent five seasons with SKA Saint Petersburg before deciding to make a return to the NHL. There were multiple teams interested in Kovalchuk, but the Los Angeles Kings ended up the winners, signing him to a three-year $18.75 million contract. It was clear in his first season with the Kings that he was not the Kovalchuk of old, recording 16 goals and 34 points in 64 games. He only lasted 17 games in his second season with the franchise before the team terminated the rest of Kovalchuk's contract.

Less than a month later, Kovalchuk found himself with a new team, the Montreal Canadiens. He signed a one-year two-contract with the Canadiens and immediately found success with his new team. He was back to his productive self, contributing six goals and 13 points in 22 games with a Canadiens team that was already out of the playoff race. The Canadiens quickly capitalized on his newfound form and traded him to a Stanley Cup contender, the Washington Capitals.

The Canadiens traded Kovalchuk to the Capitals for a third-round pick in the 2020 draft, which is a great return for a player who was bought out of his contract earlier that season. Kovalchuk's time in Washington was not as good as his stint in Montreal, as his production tailed off with the Capitals, who lost in the second round of the playoffs, with Kovalchuk recording just a single point in eight postseason games.

That was the last time we saw Kovalchuk in the NHL, as he returned to Russia before retiring from the game entirely earlier this year. His time with the Canadiens was short, but many fans were sad to see him go, as it seemed he had found his game again. Kovalchuk will always be remembered as a Thrasher and a Devil, but seeing him in a Habs jersey will always be that reminder that, somehow, he ended up a Canadien.