Evgeni Malkin

Evgeni Vladimirovich Malkin (Евге́ний Влади́мирович Ма́лкин; born 31 July 1986) is a Russian professional ice hockey centre and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Nicknamed "Geno", Malkin began his career with his hometown club Metallurg Magnitogorsk, playing for their junior and senior teams.

Malkin was born on 31 July 1986 in Magnitogorsk to Vladimir and Natalia Malkin.

Vladimir worked for Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works, the largest iron and steel works in Russia and the city's dominant industry, and played in the Metallurg Magnitogorsk youth and club hockey system.

Malkin has one brother, Denis, who is older by one year.

Malkin began skating at age three.

He joined his first organized hockey league two years later.

He showed an aptitude for the sport at an early age, as one might expect from the son of a professional.

However, because both of his parents were short, no one suspected Malkin would be a world-class athlete.

Malkin owns a restaurant in Magnitogorsk which is designed to look like the inside of a prison.

Prior to being drafted, he made his Russian Superleague debut in the 2003–04 season as a 17-year-old.

He also made his international debut for Russia during the 2003 U-18 World Championships, where he skated on the top line with Alexander Ovechkin.

The team went on to claim the bronze medal.

He was then selected second overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins, though an international transfer dispute delayed the start of his NHL career until 2006.

After his first season with the Penguins Malkin was awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's best rookie.

After his first professional season in Russia, Malkin was drafted second overall (behind national teammate Alexander Ovechkin) in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins.

However, a transfer dispute between the NHL and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) delayed his Pittsburgh debut; though he would have stayed in Russia for what would have been his rookie season with the Penguins in any event due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout.

In 2006, he was named tournament MVP.

On 7 August 2006, it appeared the 20-year-old Malkin had come to a compromise with Metallurg and signed a deal that would have kept him in Russia until May 2007.

However, Malkin stated he signed the one-year contract not as a compromise, but because of the immense "psychological pressure" his former club exerted on him.

Desiring to play in the NHL, he left Metallurg Magnitogorsk's training camp in Helsinki before it began on 12 August.

It would later appear the team had taken Malkin's passport away to prevent him from leaving, but it was eventually given back to him, and Malkin was allowed to pass through Finnish customs.

Meeting with his agent, J. P. Barry, the two quickly departed and waited for Malkin's visa clearance from the U.S. Embassy.

In order to legally leave the team, on 15 August, Malkin invoked via fax a law allowing him to cancel his one-year contract by giving his employer two weeks' notice.

Having untied himself of obligations in Russia, he was able to sign an entry-level contract with the Penguins on 5 September 2006.

Following his first NHL game with Pittsburgh, on 19 October 2006, Malkin's former Russian hockey club filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NHL and the Penguins in the United States District Court for the southern district of New York.

In his second season, he helped lead Pittsburgh to the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals and was a runner-up for the Hart Memorial Trophy, awarded to the NHL's most valuable player during the regular season.

The following season saw Malkin win the Art Ross Trophy, awarded to the points leader in the NHL and again place second for the Hart Trophy.

He and the Penguins again reached the Stanley Cup Finals, winning the Stanley Cup championship this time around.

Malkin was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player of the playoffs.

In 2012, Malkin was awarded the Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award, awarded to the best player as voted on by the players, after winning the Art Ross Trophy for the second time; his 12-point lead was the largest margin of victory since 1999.

Internationally, Malkin has competed for Russia in two IIHF World U18 Championships and three World Junior Championships, capturing one gold, two silvers and one bronze medal, as a junior.

As a senior, he has played in four IIHF World Championships, winning gold twice and being named the tournament MVP for the 2012 event.

Malkin has played for Russia in three Winter Olympic Games: Turin, Vancouver and Sochi.

Malkin became engaged to Russian television personality Anna Kasterova in November 2015.

Six months later, on 31 May 2016, their first child, a son was born.

In November 2017, Malkin announced his membership of the PutinTeam social movement, launched by compatriot and fellow NHLer Alexander Ovechkin in support of President of Russia Vladimir Putin during the 2018 Russian presidential election.

Malkin stated, "We just try to offer our support because, in 2018, we have the World Cup in Russia; they have elections, too."

Malkin is a product of the Metallurg Magnitogorsk hockey program.

In 2020, he was named to the IIHF All-Time Russia Team.