Man of the Week: Ilya Konovalov

KHL.ru continues its weekly column with Ilya Konovalov. On Tuesday, the Dynamo goalie became the second goalie in history to score a goal with a direct shot after Ilya Proskuryakov back in 2009.

With Dynamo up by two goals late in the third period, Torpedo’s head coach Igor Larionov tried to shake things up replacing netminder Adam Huska with a sixth skater. However, the home offense was sluggish to follow up a dump and Konovalov had all the time to control the puck, spot a shooting lane and fire in his attempt. The puck looped up over several players before skidding along the ice into the net. That was the first time a goalie scored in the KHL with a direct shot since Proskuryakov’s effort for Magnitka against Ak Bars in Jan. 2009.

Konovalov’s super shot also secured an important victory in the race for a top four finish in the Western Conference. If Torpedo could win, it would open a four-point gap over fifth-placed Dynamo. However, the Blue-and-Whites could move level on points if the game went the other way.

Early years

Ilya Konovalov was born in Yaroslavl on Jul 13, 1998. Just as many other kids from the town, he started playing within the Lokomotiv system – one of the most productive in Russia with players like Vladislav Gavrikov, Semyon Varlamov, and Artyom Anisimov coming out of the local academy. Today, Lokomotiv still sports many local products among its key players, like Alexander Yelesin, Pavel Kraskovsky, Denis Alexeyev, and young guns Stepan Nikulin and Daniil But.

Konovalov had his first season within the Russian hockey top leagues back in 2014-2015, when he lined up with Loko-Yunior of the National Junior Hockey League. He would then spend the next couple of season split between Loko-Yunior and a tier upper with Loko of the Junior Hockey League. In 2018, he helped Loko triumphing in its first Kharlamov Cup win – the team would snap another title in the next season, but Konovalov was already playing with the big boys.

Moving up the ranks

Konovalov had his KHL debut in the 2017-2018 season, when he stopped 26 shots out 28 attempts in Lokomotiv’s 3:2 OT win over Salavat Yulaev. He ended the season with seven starts in the KHL, and was then awarded as the playoffs’ MVP in the JHL for his effort with Loko.

The 2018-2019 season was a turning point for Konovalov. Starting off as a backup for the more experienced Alexander Salak, Konovalov found himself thrust into the spotlight when Salak suffered an injury before a crucial match against SKA. Konovalov seized the opportunity and performed exceptionally well, solidifying his role as the Railwaymen’s top option between the piping. Despite Salak’s return, Konovalov held on to his spot, delivering a string of outstanding performances, including his first shutout against SKA on Oct 10, 2018. This was a historic game for SKA, as it marked the first time in three years that they failed to score a single goal. At the end of the season, he was awarded the Alexei Cherepanov award as the KHL’s top rookie, the third goalie in the league’s history following Ilya Proskuryakov and Andrei Vasilevsky.

In the next two season, Konovalov had several other strong performances, deserving a call to the 2020 KHL All-Star Game in Moscow. In the meantime, he was picked in the NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers in 2019, and he joined the Canadian club in the 2021 offseason.

Move to North America and return to the KHL

Following his fourth season with the senior Lokomotiv team, Konovalov left at the conclusion of his contract and was signed to a two-year, entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers. In his first North American season in 2021–2022, Konovalov was assigned by the Oilers to their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, for the entirety of the campaign. He made 17 appearances with the Condors, posting a 5-7-5 record with a 2.73 goals against average.

However, Konovalov’s North American career came to an end that same season. On May 1, his KHL rights were traded to Dynamo Moscow in exchange for financial compensation; a month later, Konovalov’s tenure with the Oilers ended as he was placed on unconditional waivers in order to mutually terminate the remaining year of his contract. On Jun 12, Konovalov was signed to a two-year contract with the Blue-and-Whites through 2024.

He started out very strong with Dynamo, and he’s now the starter for the Blue-and-Whites as the playoffs approach. Netting a goal only made his resume even longer, and now he’s ready to write a new chapter with the upcoming elimination stage.