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Alex Kovalev had a “Super Nintendo” addiction
Credit: Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images
Alex Kovalev has always been a crowd favorite with Montreal Canadiens fans.

After all, he was the last Habs player to produce more than one point per game in a single season.

His electrifying style of play thrilled crowds, even at the end of his career.

He was so good with his hands that he was nicknamed “The Artist”.

But he wasn’t just good with a hockey stick and his hands.

Don’t get the wrong idea, he “simply” had an addiction to video games, more specifically, the “Super Nintendo”.

That’s what we learn from The Caviar Diplomat.

Indeed, according towhat Kovalev told The Caviar Diplomat, when he arrived in the NHL, he was a “Super Nintendo” maniac. Kovy had about 35 or 40 different games spread across his floor.

And he didn’t just play for an hour at a time, he played for hours a day, despite his busy NHL schedule.

“When I got up in the morning, I’d have breakfast while playing a game. Sometimes, I’d arrive late for practice just to finish a level. After practice, I’d play for another 5-6 hours, eat and play again later.” – Alex Kovalev

You have to do it. Spending more than six hours a day playing Super Nintendo must be mind-numbing.

Patrik Laine of the Columbus Blue Jackets has already confessed to an addiction to video games, specifically with the game Fortnite.

If the same text from the Alex Kovalev interview is anything to go by, when Laine gave up Fortnite, he performed better.

Gillian Kemmerer of The Caviar Diplomat conducted the interview with the former NHL star, and she asked him a question about whether his performance had ever been affected by this addiction.

“It was really bad for me. I was at a point where it was affecting my game. I wasn’t sleeping, I was forgetting things I needed to do on the ice. It was almost like you were brain dead and couldn’t remember what you normally do.” – Alex Kovalev

To hear him talk, it must have clearly affected his game.

So much so, in fact, that on occasion, on the bench, he wasn’t even thinking about the game.

“At first, I thought it was just fatigue and that I should sleep more. Then I realized that sometimes on the bench I was thinking about the hockey game, rather than the actual game. That’s when I realized it wasn’t going in the right direction.” – Alex Kovalev

That’s when Kovy decided to take matters into his own hands (and not just the Super Nintendo controller).

The Russian came home and unplugged everything and tightened it up just right.

AK27 didn’t touch it again until the birth of his two children, Igor and Nikita, who are also very good hockey players.

Imagine what more he could have done in his golden years if he hadn’t been addicted to the game.


In brief

– It was officially Kylian Mbappé’s last match at the Paris Saint-Germain stadium.

– Quebecer Zachary L’Heureux is a big help to the Milwaukee Admirals in the playoffs.

– A fourth triumph for McIlroy at Quail Hollow. He finished five shots ahead of runner-up Scottie Scheffler.

– Could someone help the sheep?

– Paskal Siakam and the Pacers served up a beating to OG Anunoby and the Knicks

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