Thrashers name Kovalchuk team captain

Jan 12, 2009 - 3:31 PM ATLANTA (Ticker) -- The Atlanta Thrashers named left wing Ilya Kovalchuk as their team captain Monday.

Kovalchuk, 25, became the fifth Russian-born captain in league history, joining Alexei Zhamnov, Pavel Bure, Alexei Yashin and Alexander Mogilny.

The subject of numerous trade rumors over the last three months, Kovalchuk can become a free agent after next season.

But Thrashers general manager Don Waddell, who has balked at the notion of trading the two-time All-Star, praised Kovalchuk, who had served as an alternate captain this season.

"Ilya has earned the opportunity to take a larger leadership role on this team and has grown into this position over his six-plus seasons as a member of the Thrashers," Waddell said. "We're very pleased, and excited for Ilya, that his fellow alternate captains approached us and felt he should be given the responsibility at this time.

"We're confident that he'll embrace it and represent the organization and his teammates appropriately."

The 2003-04 winner of the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy, Kovalchuk has 16 goals and 27 assists in 43 games this season, his seventh with the Thrashers.