NJ Devils fans spent the night making sure Ilya Kovalchuk knows how much they despise him

BarDown Staff

New Jersey Devils fan , Twitter/alex_faust

Ilya Kovalchuk might be the most disliked man among the New Jersey Devils fan base for the way he abandoned the franchise after the 2012-13 season shortly after signing a massive deal with the team.

On Tuesday night, Devils fans finally got to live out a moment they’ve been waiting for since 2013 as Kovalchuk returned to New Jersey for the very first time since returning to the NHL with the Los Angeles Kings and they made it very clear they haven’t forgotten a thing.

Ilya Kovalchuk being “welcomed” back to New Jersey with some not-so-welcoming signs. Kings at Devils, live on @FOXSportsWest. #GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/M6rId5Gn3v
— Alex Faust (@alex_faust) February 5, 2019

From Kovalchuk jerseys getting altered to things like ‘Traitor’ or ‘KovalSuck’ to harsh, yet creative, signs, the Devils faithful made it a point to dedicate their night to reminding the first overall pick from the 2001 NHL Entry Draft just how much they despise him.

They didn't even announce Kovalchuk's name - just showed his picture - and the boos already started.
— Amanda Stein (@amandacstein) February 5, 2019

Every single time Kovalchuk stepped onto the ice and touched the puck he heard plenty of boos from the home crowd. However, they clearly didn’t get to Kovalchuk as he picked up a goal in the Kings’ 5-1 victory.