Ilya Valerevich Kovalchuk (Russian: Илья́ Вале́рьевич Ковальчу́к; born April 15, 1983) is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger who is an alternate captain of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL). Drafted first overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers, he began his NHL career in 2001–02 with Atlanta and was nominated for the Calder Memorial Trophy as league rookie-of-the-year. He is a three-time NHL All-Star and won the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy as the league's leading goal-scorer in 2004 in a three-way tie with Jarome Iginla and Rick Nash. After eight seasons with the Thrashers, he was traded to the Devils in February 2010, and later signed a 15-year, $100 million contract during the off-season.

Internationally, Kovalchuk has played for Russia in the IIHF World U18 Championship, World Junior Championship, World Championship, World Cup and Winter Olympics, highlighted by back-to-back gold medals in the 2008 and 2009 World Championship.

Ilya, Illya, Iliya, Ilja, or Ilia is the Slavic form of the male Hebrew name Eliyahu (Elijah), meaning "My god is He". It is pronounced with stress on the second syllable. The diminutive form is Ilyusha or Ilyushenka. The Russian patronymic for a son of Ilya is "Ilyich", and a daughter is "Ilyinichna".

Ilya is also a Kurdish name meaning great and glorious.

Brayden Schenn ( /ˈʃɛn/; born August 22, 1991) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre currently playing for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Schenn was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings fifth overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He made his NHL debut for the Kings in October 2009, after being called up on an emergency basis. Schenn has represented Canada internationally at several tournaments, and won two silver medals at the 2010 and 2011 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. At the 2011 tournament, Schenn tied Canada's record for points in a single tournament, and was selected to the Tournament's All-Star Team as well as being named Top Forward, and Most Valuable Player. His older brother Luke is a defenceman for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Schenn played minor hockey in his hometown of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He played AAA midget hockey for the Saskatoon Contacts. During the 2006–07 season, his teammates included Jared Cowen and Carter Ashton. In the 2006 WHL Bantam Draft, Schenn was selected in the first round, ninth overall by the Brandon Wheat Kings. His teammates Cowen and Ashton were selected first and eighth overall respectively. In his last season of midget hockey he scored 70 points in 41 games.

Donald Stewart "Grapes" Cherry (commonly referred to as Don Cherry) (born February 5, 1934) is a Canadian ice hockey commentator for CBC Television. Cherry co-hosts the "Coach's Corner" intermission segment (with Ron MacLean) on the long-running Canadian sports program Hockey Night in Canada, and has also worked for ESPN in the United States as a commentator during the latter stages of the Stanley Cup playoffs. He is known for his outspoken manner, flamboyant dress, and staunch patriotism.

Prior to his broadcast career, Cherry was a professional hockey player and National Hockey League coach. He played one game with the Boston Bruins, and later coached them for 5 seasons, starting with Bobby Orr's final 93 games as a Bruin. He is also well known as an author, syndicated radio commentator for the Sportsnet Radio Network, creator of the Rock'em Sock'em Hockey video series, and celebrity endorser. Cherry was voted as the seventh greatest Canadian on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's television special, The Greatest Canadian. In March 2010, his life was dramatized in a two-part Canadian Broadcasting Corporation made-for-television movie, Keep Your Head Up, Kid: The Don Cherry Story, based on a script written by his son, Timothy Cherry. In March 2012 CBC aired a sequel, The Wrath of Grapes: The Don Cherry Story II.

Martin Pierre Brodeur (French pronunciation: [maʁtɛ̃ bʁɔdœʁ]; born May 6, 1972) is a Canadian ice hockey goaltender who has played his entire National Hockey League (NHL) career with the New Jersey Devils. In his 21-year tenure with the Devils, he has won three Stanley Cup championships and has been in the playoffs every year but two. Brodeur has won two Olympic gold medals with Team Canada in the 2002 and 2010 Winter Olympic Games, as well as several other medals with Team Canada in other international competitions.

Brodeur is the NHL's all-time leader in regular season wins (surpassing Patrick Roy in 2009), losses, shutouts, and games played, and holds numerous other league and franchise records. Brodeur has won at least 30 games in every season since 1995–96, with the exception of 2010–11 season and an injury-shortened 2008–09 season in which he played just 31 games, and is the only goalie in NHL history with eight 40-win seasons. He is a four-time Vezina Trophy winner, a five-time Jennings Trophy winner, a ten-time NHL All-Star, a Calder Memorial Trophy winner, and one of only two NHL goaltenders to score a goal in both the regular season and the playoffs.