Ilya Kovalchuk, one of the more prominent names to don a New Jersey Devils jersey over the last decade, is looking to offload a home in one of the state’s priciest zip codes.
Ilya Kovalchuk, who played 14 seasons as an NHL forward, is hoping to find a buyer for a home in Alpine on a two-acre lot. The sprawling home spans over 22,000-square feet and includes eight bedrooms, 11 full bathrooms, three half baths.
Despite the prominent location and hockey star attached to the address, the list price of the home keeps dropping. Kovalchuk first put the property on the market in 2019 for $17.99 million, later lowering the asking price to $15.99 million in 2020. The three-time All Star is now asking $14.99 million for the house.
While the listing has never included interior pictures of the home, the amenities at the mansion are plentiful. The basement of the property is described as having a lounge, theatre, bar, plunge pool, massage room, exercise room, dry sauna, wine tasting room, two game rooms, arts & crafts room, and a bedroom with wet bar and en suite bath.
The first level of the home features a formal living room, great room, bar, and family room. A banquet size dining room is complemented by a designer kitchen that includes a separate prep kitchen, walk-in pantry, butler’s pantry, and wine closet.
Other features noted in the listing are a library, a guest bedroom with a full en suite bath, an indoor pool, and an elevator. The exterior of the home, which sports stucco and limestone plus slate roof with leaded copper gutters, boasts an outdoor kitchen and expansive lawns and gardens throughout.
The lot is advertised as having a “rare” sewer connection and is located on a site once home to Henry Clay Frick II, the grandson of American industrialist and steel pioneer Henry Clay Frick. Taxes on the home will set you back $49,355/year.
Kovalchuk started with the Atlanta Thrashers after being the first overall pick in the 2001 draft, leading the NHL in goals scored during the 2003-04 season. The Russian-born forward was traded to the New Jersey Devils in 2010 and set an NHL record with 11 shootout goals in a single-season two years later. He led the NHL in playoff goals in 2012 when the Devils advanced to the Stanley Cup Final.
Kovalchuk and his wife bought the parcel of land for $4.5 million in 2010 when he was playing in the NHL but left the United States for a Russian hockey league following the Devils’ 2012-13 season. He continued his NHL career in 2018, playing sporadically for the Los Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens, and Washington Capitals. He is currently a free agent.
The listing for the home, currently held by Dennis McCormack with Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International, notes that the house is “currently under construction” and it is unclear if the Kovalchuks ever actually lived in the home.
