May 22, 2009
Need to Know: There are a few athletes that when you tune it to watch them perform, you know you are watching something special. Evgeni Malkin is one of these athletes. The Penguins centre has become a force in the NHL. His size, speed and unparalleled offensive abilities have rocketed him to the top of the NHL star chart. He has found a comfortable home in Pittsburgh, joining forces with another dynamic young star in Sidney Crosby to form the most potent one-two punch in hockey. His rise to the top of the NHL has been forcast for a few years now, as the Penguins were keen on Malkin and drafted him 2nd overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. Evgeni started his NHL career with goals in six-straight contests for the Penguins in late October, 2006 and has not slowed his pace much since. He potted 33 goals and assisted on 52 to walk away with the Calder Trophy as Rookie-of-the-Year in June of 2007. In 2007-08, Malkin was an absolute force during a devastating stretch of injuries to his Penguin teammates. His torrid scoring and leadership kept the Pens in the hunt for the Eastern Conference title, when many pundits had written them off. After bowing out to Detroit in the Stanley Cup in June of 2008, Geno came back hungry and picked up right where he left off. He assaulted opposition defenders and goaltenders all season and led the NHL in scoring with 113 in 2008-09. Geno is now the fourth Penguins player to win the Art Ross in the last 13 years, following in the footsteps of Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, and Crosby . The things that Malkin has done so far in his young career are amazing and he doesn’t seem to be interested in slowing down anytime soon.
Recently: Geno was in top form for the Penguins last night, he scored a goal that only few could pull off and added two others netting him a hat-trick and leading the Pittsburgh to a 7-4 win in Game Two of the Eastern Conference finals against Carolina.
Did You Know: Evgeni became the first rookie in the NHL’s ‘modern era’ to score a at least one goal in each of his first six games in the league in 2006-07.
Position: Centre
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 195
Shoots: Left
Birth Date: 07/31/1986
Place of Birth: Magnitogorsk, Russia
NHLPA.com Bio: Evgeni Malkin was drafted in the first round, second overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins. After two more seasons in his native Russia, Evgeni signed with the Penguins in September 2006 and joined the team in training camp. Evgeni was forced to the sidelines for the start of the season with a separated shoulder. He made his debut earlier than expected, and scored a goal that night in a Penguins loss to the Devils. He scored a goal in his next five games matching a mark that hadn’t been touched since three Hall-of-Famers did it in the NHL’s inaugural season in 1917-18. With 85 points in 78 games, Evgeni walked away with the Calder Trophy after helping the Penguins reach the playoffs. He opened his second season with points in five-straight games. In 2007-08, Evgeni finished second in league scoring with 47 goals and 59 assists for 106 points. He took his scoring one step further in 2008-09, capturing the Art Ross Trophy by leading the NHL in scoring with 113 points in 82 games played.