The New York Times-20080127-Thrashers- Kovalchuk Lets His Mature Side Show

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Thrashers' Kovalchuk Lets His Mature Side Show

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In an Atlanta Thrashers game here against Edmonton in 2002, the enraged Oilers were ready to come off their bench after Ilya Kovalchuk, the Thrashers' brash rookie wing.

The Oilers had asked the referees to check Kovalchuk's stick. When it was found to have too much of a curve, thus making it illegal, he was penalized for two minutes.

After Kovalchuk came out of the penalty box with a new, flatter stick, it took him all of seven seconds to get even. He took a pass from Dany Heatley and scored, then rubbed it in as he passed the Edmonton bench.

How do you like my stick now? Kovalchuk, then 18 years old, bellowed.

The Oilers were not impressed.

He's an idiot, Edmonton forward Shawn Horcoff said after the game, a 3-2 Thrashers victory.

On Saturday morning, Horcoff smiled wide when reminded of the incident as he spoke with reporters in advance of Sunday's N.H.L. All-Star Game, which will be played at Philips Arena, on Kovalchuk's home ice.

Oh, the stick thing, said Horcoff, a Western Conference All-Star. Yes, I remember. You can tell it was a maturity thing. He's a different guy now. He's a world-class player, more mature, yes.

The assessment of Kovalchuk's game -- and attitude -- has been turned upside down since he entered the N.H.L. in 2001 as the first pick in the draft. His reputation six years ago was as a player who poached at the blue line, ignoring responsibilities on defense so he could hunt for breakaways.

This season, Kovalchuk, 24, is considered a leading candidate to be the league's most valuable player. He has evolved into a more complete player, and he has carried the Thrashers into playoff contention after an 0-6 start. He is second in the league in goals (37) and fourth in points (63).

This is my sixth year now; you learn the game more, the coach trusts you in situations more, Kovalchuk said. It's a good feeling for me, because I want to be in the situations to help us win.

Kovalchuk showed some of his maturity when he was the one player who stood up for the former Atlanta coach Bob Hartley, who was fired after the Thrashers' 0-6 start. Hartley had pushed Kovalchuk into being more of a two-way player and demanded that he be more physical.

He was one of those guys who would teach you how to play, Kovalchuk said. He will spend a lot of time with you, and explain to you where you should go and what you should do. I think that is important because there are coaches who will let you do whatever you want and only do what you know. And when things go bad, they bench you.

Kovalchuk's gifts are a pulsating wrist shot, and passion that shows up after goals with fist-pumping and leg kicks -- no longer taken as signs of immaturity, only honest zeal.

His game has gotten better every year, and he is getting even more physical, Tampa Bay Lightning forward Martin St. Louis said. He is tough to contain because of his quickness; the puck really sticks to his blade, and he has a great shot.

Kovalchuk still has bursts of exuberance that get him in trouble. In 2006, he pointed at the Pittsburgh star Sidney Crosby in the penalty box after a Crosby penalty led to a power-play goal by Kovalchuk. And on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, Kovalchuk slammed Rangers defenseman Michal Rozsival into the boards from behind. The league suspended him for a game.

Kovalchuk's popularity is on the rise, but his status is tough to measure in the N.H.L. because football, baseball and basketball dwarf the Thrashers in recognition. Atlanta is 23rd in attendance (averaging 15,550), and consequently, Kovalchuk was only sixth in balloting among forwards for the All-Star Game, although he will be starting for the Eastern Conference team.

He merely shrugs. Kovalchuk prefers a quieter market.

I never want to be the poster guy, he said. It's not me.

Kovalchuk, however, accepts the responsibility that the Thrashers are his team and that he has to play consistently well. The franchise is coming off its only playoff appearance in 2006-7. The All-Star forward Marian Hossa can be an unrestricted free agent after the season, but if contract talks do not progress, he may be dealt before the trade deadline, Feb. 26.

When you are not winning anything, they don't really like you because they have a lot of teams here -- a lot of teams, Kovalchuk said, referring to the Atlanta sports scene. You need to be the winners to bring a lot of attention. You want to win something before you retire.