PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It was a rollercoaster to get there, but the Pens came to an agreement to sign Evgeni Malkin for four more seasons. Like Kris Letang earlier, Malkin will be a Penguin for life.
Whether you agree with the terms of the contract or not, where all can agree is he’s one of the greatest in team history.
It all started four years into the new millennium as the Pens used the second overall pick in the NHL draft to select Malkin a selection behind his countryman Alexander Ovechkin.
The journey
Unlike a relatively smooth transition for Ovechkin to the NHL, just getting to Pittsburgh was a script for Tom Clancy novel. The Russian Hockey Federation refusing to ratify a transfer agreement between the NHL and International Ice Hockey Federation meant he was going to have to remain in Russia. Another season for the Pens high draft pick to miss as the team has added first round pick Sidney Crosby.
Malkin had other ideas.
As his team, Metallurg Magnitogorsk, landed for team training camp in Finland in August of 2006, Malkin escaped. Immediately leaving his team and going into hiding in Helsinki, not even telling his family where he was. He waited five days, secluded in a room, until the United States would grant a visa. His former Russian teammates staying in a hotel a block from the US consulate.
As soon as he got the visa, he and his agents got on a plane for Los Angeles where he trained with other NHL players for three weeks. He knew very little English and was learning about the United States by living by Venice Beach. September 4 Malkin flew to Pittsburgh, which was another big adjustment from LA. He received a thunderous greeting and had dinner at Mario Lemieux’s house that night. Crosby and countryman Sergei Gonchar attended. Malkin would go on to live with Gonchar and a career was born.
1st year
Malkin scored in his first ever NHL game October 18, 2006 as the Pens hosted the Devils. He scored the next night at the Islanders. He would follow that with goals against Columbus, New Jersey again, at Philadelphia and then a pair against the Kings. He was the first player in nearly 100 years to score at least a goal in each of his first six games.
He went on to win the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league’s best rookie ending with 33 goals and 85 points, joining Mario Lemieux as the only Penguins winners of NHL rookie of the year.
Even better
The 6’3” Russian raised those rookie levels the following season with another hot start, points in his first five games. After he helped lead a win at the first Winter Classic in Buffalo, the Pens came home to face Toronto and Malkin made personal history again. His first hat trick January 3, 2008 against the Maple Leafs and then 11 days later, again at home, a hat trick against the Rangers. He would finish with 22 points in his first 20 playoff games including a monster slapper on a breakaway to get the Pens past Philadelphia and into the Stanley Cup finals.
Malkin played in every game, finishing with 106 points. He excelled with Crosby injured, 20 goals and 26 assists in the 29 games Sid missed. Like a few years previous, Malkin would finish second to Ovechkin again, this time for the Hart Trophy.
Champion
As good as the first two years were, Malkin still had more. He had points in 30 of his first 33 games in his third season. Playing every game for a second consecutive season, Malkin won the Art Ross Trophy with 113 points (35 goals) and led the NHL with 78 assists. He then improved upon that in the playoffs, leading the Pens to a Stanley Cup Championship as the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the postseason MVP with 36 points (14 goals) in 24 games. Malkin led all players in the finals with eight points.
Malkin would be a huge piece of back-to-back Stanley Cups with 170 points (75 goals) in those pair of regular seasons. A star in the playoffs again with 16 goals and 30 assists combined in the postseason leading all NHL players with 28 points in 2016-17.
Have a Hart
The two awards to elude him were earned in 2011-12. Malkin netted 50 goals with 59 assists in 75 games in 2011-12 to win the Hart Memorial Trophy. He had finished second twice previously and won it playing 22 games that year without Crosby. He also won the Ted Lindsay Award as voted on by the players.
Team Records
· 1st in GW goals (78)—tied with Crosby and Jaromir Jagr
· 2nd in games played (981)
· 2nd in power play goals (162)
· 2nd in hat tricks (13)-last on March 27, 2022 vs. Detroit
· 3rd in goals (444)
· 3rd in assists (702)
· 3rd in points (1146)
· 177 playoff games—67 goals (28 power play), 113 assists averaging 19:51 on ice
An incredible career by an incredible player, with four more seasons to add to his legacy.