Kovalenko Defuses Potential Controversy: ‘I do not have any issue with our coach’

Nikolai Kovalenko has defused a potential controversy.

Over the 4 Nations break, the San Jose Sharks winger appeared on a Russian podcast, and said, around the 42:30 mark: “The coach doesn’t like Russians. The GM likes Russians, the head coach doesn’t.”

That’s in reference to San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky and GM Mike Grier. Grier has acquired a number of high-profile Russian prospects in his three years as GM, notably Kovalenko, Shakir Mukhamadullin, and Yaroslav Askarov.

Kovalenko, via Sharks’ PR, explained on Thursday: “The comments that were translated were taken out of context. I do not have any issue with our coach and everyone has treated me very fairly in San Jose. I love playing here.”

The pending RFA, because he’s on IR with an upper-body injury, has not been available to media since the San Jose Sharks’ return to practice on Tuesday.

A San Jose Hockey Now source, fluent in Russian, agrees with Kovalenko’s explanation, saying that the young winger was joking around.

Kovalenko, out since Jan. 30 with an upper-body injury, has been skating on his own. Per Warsofsky, he might join the Sharks midway through their upcoming seven-game road trip, which begins on Feb. 23 and ends on Mar. 6.

The San Jose Sharks acquired the 25-year-old winger from the Colorado Avalanche in early December, along with Alexandar Georgiev, a 2026 second-round pick, and a 2025 conditional fifth, sending Mackenzie Blackwood, Givani Smith, and a 2027 fifth the other way.

Rookie Kovalenko, who has starred in the KHL in recent years, has four goals and four assists in 28 games with the Avs, averaging 12:00 a night. He has one goals and seven assists in 17 appearances with the Sharks, averaging 12:10 a game.

Special thanks to Nikita Sokolov for the Russian translation and reader Nik Zakharau for putting this interview to my attention.