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Atlanta's top hockey players break the ice

Atlanta Thrashers stars Ilya Kovalchuk and Kari Lehtonen reveal the best...
March 2009

Published in Atlanta :: Atlanta

HOME TURF

They spend much of their time on the ice, but Ilya Kovalchuk and Kari Lehtonen still enjoy the sizzling South. The NHL season is seven months long, which means Kovalchuk (a left wing) and Lehtonen (a goaltender) are often on the road-but they agree that there's simply no place like home. Kovalchuk, who hails from Russia and has been in Atlanta for seven years, says it didn't take long to fall in love with the city. And after five years in the South, Finnish-born Lehtonen says he now can't imagine life without the warm weather and hospitality. -Allison Weiss Entrekin

Why do you feel so at home in Atlanta?

KL: Atlanta has a little bit of everything. If you want to have some fun, you can go to the restaurants in Buckhead, and if you want quiet, you can go to Lake Lanier. There are so many nice areas around the city to see.

IL: Atlanta is so friendly. I feel very comfortable here; it's the perfect home for me.

When you're not intimidating opponents in your home rink, what do you like to do around the city?

IK: I love to take my daughter to the Georgia Aquarium (www.georgiaaquarium.org). She likes to be around all the kids, and they've got this little pool where she can touch the fish-that's her favorite part. When she first saw the sharks, she was kind of scared, but then she didn't want to stop watching them.

KL: Yeah, I never tire of going to the aquarium and just walking around. It seems like every time I go there, there's something different and new.

You probably work up quite an appetite during your games.
Where are some of your favorite places to eat?

KL: I really like Atlanta Fish Market (www.buckheadrestaurants.com; 404-262-3165). We eat a lot of fish back in Finland, and the restaurant has all kinds of seafood that reminds me of where I grew up. Morton's The Steakhouse (www.mortons.com) is my favorite steakhouse; I go there a lot.

IK: When I come back from out of town, we always go to Morton's right away. I love their steak, and all the people who work there are great. They treat us like family.

What about nightlife-where do you go to let loose?

IK: You should probably ask the single guy.

KL: During the season, we don't have too much time to go out, but when we do, I think my favorite place to go is East Andrews (www.eastandrews.com). You can find live music, karaoke and just a regular bar scene there, all under the same roof.

What has been your favorite "discovery" in Atlanta?

KL: Piedmont Park (www.piedmontpark.org) is very nice, and people from out of town don't always know about it. There are so many people there playing games and hanging out with their dogs-it's a nice, relaxed place.

IK: Yeah, we like to take our dog to Piedmont Park. She loves to run around and yap with the other dogs.

What's one thing you haven't done in Atlanta that you really want to do?

IK: I've never played baseball, and our team trainer used to work with the Atlanta Braves (www.braves.mlb.com). He has said he'll take me to their locker rooms and let me try to hit some balls, which would be fun. When they hit home runs, it looks so easy, but people always say it's the hardest thing to do in sports.

KL: The biggest thing I'd like to do is go to Road Atlanta (www.roadatlanta.com) and try their racing school. I like cars, and I'd like to drive by myself on a road course. That would be a lot of fun.

Published in Atlanta :: Atlanta

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