Thrashers named Kovalchuk captain... Ovechkin?

 

The Atlanta Thrashers named star Ilya Kovalchuk captain late Sunday during a team charity event.

Kovalchuk, 25, becomes the seventh captain in franchise history. The Thrashers have been without an official captain since Bobby Holik departed in the offseason for New Jersey.

The forward has 16 goals and 27 assists through 43 games. The Russian was selected first overall in the NHL draft by Atlanta and has notched 270 goals and 509 points in 509 games. He has twice scored more than 50 goals in a season.

Kovalchuk was the lone representative from the team chosen last week for the Eastern Conference at the NHL all-star game on Jan. 25 in Montreal.

It is the third time the sniper was chosen for the all-star game.