The Hockey News has released its archive to all THN subscribers: 76 years of history, stories, and features. Subscribe now to view the full THN Archives here [https://archive.thehockeynews.com/] Also, go to thn.com/free [http://thn.com/free] to subscribe. Malkin's Down the Middle – Sept. 19, 2006 – Vol. 60, Iss. 03 – Joe Starkey The moment that Pittsburgh Penguins fans feared would never happen took place Sept. 5 in a packed Mellon Arena media room, when Mario Lemieux stepped to the podium and presented 20-year-old Russian hockey star Evgeni Malkin with a No. 71 Penguins jersey. Malkin, the team’s first-round draft pick (second overall) in 2004, could not contain his smile as he draped the jersey over his button-down shirt. “I am really happy to be here today,” he said through his interpreter, Olga McQueen. “It was my dream to come here and play for the Pittsburgh Penguins.” The Penguins’ new marketing slogan – “Experience the Evolution” – might have to be changed to “Experience the Russian Evolution” in the wake of Malkin’s incredible odyssey. In early August, he abandoned his hometown team, Metallurg Magnitogorsk, at the Helsinki Airport. He’d just signed a one-year deal with the club, but said he did so under extreme pressure from team management. He quickly realized his mistake. One month and a few dramatic twists later, he arrived in Pittsburgh, via Los Angeles, on the night of Sept. 4. Local television stations were there to greet him, and the Penguins were ready with open arms. Malkin spent that first night dining on steak and lobster at Lemieux’s suburban mansion. New teammates Sergei Gonchar and Sidney Crosby, plus GM Ray Shero, also were among those present for the first supper. “His dream was to come to Pittsburgh and start his career in the NHL, and he had to go through a lot in the last couple of weeks to achieve that,” said Lemieux, a player to whom Malkin has been likened. “It’s always difficult when you’ve got a different country and a different language, and it will be tough for him for the next few months.” Malkin immediately moved in with Gonchar, his teammate on the 2006 Russian Olympic team. The coaching staff plans to ease Malkin into the system. Said coach Michel Therrien: “We’re going to be there to help him and make sure he’s comfortable in the city and comfortable with his teammates and the coaching staff so he’ll be able to perform well on the ice.” It will take Pittsburghers a while to get to know Malkin, but a few things seem obvious. He’s clearly strong-minded and courageous, or he wouldn’t have fled his Russian club knowing it would cause massive resentment among team officials and fans. “Not much flusters him,” said J.P. Barry, the agent who hid out with Malkin for five days in Helsinki as Malkin awaited his visa. “He has this ability to deal with pressure. He has a sense of humor, but he’s generally very serious.” During those days in seclusion, Malkin, a big Internet surfer, tracked what people back in Russia were saying. He knew they weren’t pleased. That is why Barry arranged an interview with the Russian daily Sport-Express as soon as Malkin arrived in Los Angeles. “He’s very proud to be a member of the Russian national team,” Barry said. “So he was glad to be able to openly tell his side of the story. At the end of the day, that went a long way with public sentiment. (Fans) realized the (Metallurg) team was using, let’s say, old Russian tactics.” I WAS ALWAYS OPEN IN MY DESIRE TO COME TO NORTH AMERICA AND BECOME ONE OF THE BEST In Los Angeles, Malkin trained with several current and former NHL players. One was Alexander Mogilny, who picked up Malkin at his hotel each day and shared stories of his defection from the Soviet Union many years earlier. Once in Pittsburgh, Malkin was thrilled to meet Lemieux, saying, “To tell the truth, I was a bit nervous.” Malkin signed the same entry-level contract the man picked ahead of him in 2004, Alex Ovechkin, signed with Washington last year, Barry said. The three-year deal is worth $984,200 annually in base salary, plus bonuses that could top $2 million. Malkin is confident things have settled down at home. “I was always open in my desire to come to North America and become one of the best here,” he said. “My friends understood me and I am very grateful for their support.” He’s also confident his parents are free from harassment, despite reports they might flee Magnitogorsk because of fan displeasure and pressure from team general director Gennady Velichkin. “I definitely was a little concerned,” Malkin said. “But, knowing Velichkin for so many years, I had to believe he wouldn’t go for any harsh measures toward me. After I had my visa obtained, I called my parents and informed them everything was fine and I was doing great. They contacted Mr. Velichkin and actually now they are doing well and Mr. Velichkin doesn’t have any hard feelings against me.” Therrien spoke for every hockey fan in the city when he said, “I can’t wait to see him on the ice.”
