Kovalev also has a Stanley Cup championship on his resume, helping the Rangers win in 1994. The Rangers may not have won the Cup that year if not for Kovalev's heroics in the playoffs.
The Rangers trailed the New Jersey Devils 3-2 in the best-of-7 Eastern Conference Final and were losing Game 6 on the road late in the second period. New York appeared doomed to elimination.
But with 1:41 remaining in the second, Kovalev burst down right wing and fired a laser that Martin Brodeur couldn't stop.
"That shot was the turning point in the game," Devils forward Bernie Nicholls said. "Kovalev took the momentum from us and gave it to them. After that, Mark Messier won the game for them in the third period."
Messier scored three goals in the third period, the first two assisted by Kovalev, and the Rangers won 4-2. They famously won Game 7 at Madison Square Garden in double overtime and went on to defeat the Vancouver Canucks in the Stanley Cup Final.
"Without Kovalev, we don't win," Rangers general manager Neil Smith said after Game 7 against the Canucks.
In many ways Panarin is the latter-day Kovalev in New York, minus the Stanley Cup championship and with a few plot twists along the way.
Panarin was born Oct. 30, 1991 at a time when Kovalev and others were paving the way for other Russia-born players to enter the NHL.
Kovalev became a Ranger in 1992-93 at age 19 after they selected him with the No. 15 pick in the 1991 Entry Draft. He was the first Russia-born player to be selected during the first round of an NHL Draft.
"With Kovalev's talent, he should have been taken in the top three," Smith explained. "But a lot of people thought we'd never get him out of there. He was a gutsy pick but I didn't have any hesitation doing it."
By contrast, Panarin was signed by Chicago as an undrafted free agent on May 1, 2015. He was approaching 24, when he made his NHL debut. That was more than five years following his 2010 Draft omission.
Panarin burst on the scene and scored 77 points (30 goals, 47 assists) in 80 games which earned him the Calder Trophy voted as the top rookie in the NHL. He also picked up a nickname, "The Breadman," a reference to Panera Bread.
After two seasons in Chicago, Panarin was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets and produced two excellent seasons (82 and 87 points). On July 1st, 2019 Panarin agreed to a seven-year contract with the Rangers that has an average annual value of $11.6 million.
Then Rangers president John Davidson declared, "Artemi is only 27 and has averaged 80 points over the last four seasons. Since he wants to be here in New York, it's a perfect fit."
Sure enough, in his first season Panarin set NHL career highs in goals (32), assists (63) and points (95). He was a finalist for the Hart Trophy, presented to the NHL player voted as most valuable.
Last season, when the NHL returned for the first 82-game schedule in three seasons, Panarin's 74 assists and 96 points became his new NHL career bests.
The Breadman's next challenge will be to spur the Rangers to their first Stanley Cup since Kovalev sipped the champagne in 1994.
"After we won The Cup," Alexei recalled, "the celebration went on and on and on and I didn't sleep for four days. When they asked me to do the opening pitch at the [New York] Yankees game I said, 'Sorry, I have to go to sleep.'"
Panarin came close to a championship with the Rangers last season. He helped them reach the Eastern Conference Final, where they lost in six games to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
If he helps the Rangers get over the hump and win the Stanley Cup, perhaps Kovalev could fly Panarin to the championship parade in his private plane!
