For N.H.L.’s Oldest Players, the Clock Ticks Louder Every Day

Carolina Hurricanes right wing Justin Williams, 38, effectively retired last summer, but he made a comeback and returned to action for eight games in February and March. He has won three Stanley Cups and earned the nickname “Mr. Game 7” for his performances in deciding games. But Williams sought one more Cup, particularly with a tight-knit Carolina team that coalesced well last season under its coach, Rod Brind’Amour.

“Selfishly, I was really upset when we stopped playing,” Williams said.

“I didn’t come back just to play 20 games,” he added. “I came back for a chance to win a Stanley Cup and thankfully, I think, we’re going to get that opportunity.”

Ilya Kovalchuk, 37, has never lifted the Stanley Cup, but he had already won gold medals at the Olympics and the world championships when he decided to return to the N.H.L. in 2018 after a five-year absence.

That year, he signed with a playoff team from the previous season, the Los Angeles Kings, but their fortunes flagged abruptly. He joined the Canadiens in January and then was traded to Washington six weeks later, only days before the N.H.L. shut down.

Kovalchuk did not appear to let the shutdown curb his enthusiasm; he has posted his rigorous, age-defying and unconventional training regimens on social media. But he admitted that he was initially worried his chance at the Cup might have been lost for good because of the pandemic.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/17/sports/hockey/nhl-training-camp-veterans.html