Ilya Kovalchuk returns, gets new job as team President

This just in, the Shanghai Dragons of the KHL have announced that legendary Russian player Ilya Kovalchuk has joined the team as President.

Formerly, the Kunlun Red Star the team rebranded this past season and were preparing a return to China for 2026-27. The Dragons have played the past six years in Russia, despite being billed from Beijing or Shanghai the entire time. The team was established in 2016 and played out of Beijing for its first four seasons and then moved to Moscow during the COVID- pandemic. Last offseason the team came under new ownership and that's when they announced relocation to Shangai and a rebranding as the Dragons. Their return to China has been pushed back indefinitely though and they have announced that they'll play 2026-27 out of St. Petersburg, Russia.

Kovalchuk, who acted as GM of Russia's national team in 2021-22, released a statement through the team's website:

– Hello to all Shanghai Dragons fans! I’m excited to become part of the Dragons family! We have an exciting journey ahead of us. There will be significant changes in our sporting approach, and we will continue to actively engage with our fans. We look forward to seeing all of you next season in Saint Petersburg at SKA Arena!

Only in Russia would you see a guy like Kovalchuk managing a Chinese team based out of Russia... only in Russia.