Ilya Kovalchuk Facing Over 180 Charges Due to Reckless Driving

Back in the 2001 NHL Draft, Ilya Kovalchuk was drafted No. 1 overall by the Atlanta Thrashers, and while his career saw plenty of drama and controversy follow him, he would end up playing in 926 games, tallying a solid 876 points in what would end up being a fantastic NHL career.

After the 2019/20 campaign however, he would return to Russia and the KHL, playing in two seasons between 2020 and 2024, but now, the 42-year old has seemingly hung up his skates for good.

Throughout his career, Kovalchuk earned well over $100,000,000 in the NHL playing for Atlanta, New Jersey, Montreal and Washington, and it appears as though he's not afraid to lose that, as a recent report has revealed his shocking history with driving fines in recent times.

According to reports, Kovalchuk has had almost 200 traffic infractions over the last year and a half including 115 fines for speeding, illegally parking 24 times and 45 times ignoring the road rules and not complying with the requirements of signs.

That is an absolutely ridiculous amount, and it's unclear exactly why he simply refuses to follow the road rules, but what's even more ridiculous is the fact that he is currently still even allowed to get behind a wheel.

It's also unclear exactly how much those infractions have cost him of the money he's earned in the NHL and the KHL throughout his hockey career, but if this keeps up, it's safe to say that he may not be behind a wheel for long, and it may not be long until those savings from a $100,000,000 contract eventually run out.