The 1947 accent was on razzle-dazzle attack, not rough & tumble. The man of the year — Maurice (“The Rocket”) Richard — was not the biggest thug on ice but a shy fellow with a sure eye.

Former Rocket Richard Winner Ilya Kovalchuk had a very similar NHL experience to Philadelphia Flyers rookie Matvei Michkov. Kovalchuk was the number one overall draft pick in the 2001 NHL Draft ...