Sam Malinski's Ivy League mindset might be stronger than his hockey skills.
DENVER — Sam Malinski is quietly emerging as one of the most underrated assets in the Colorado Avalanche system.
He’s a natural puck mover with a quiet, effortless stride, and at times—especially when he’s walking the blue line with his head up, waiting for a shooting lane—he flashes shades of Cale Makar’s flair, ripping wristers and teeing up slap shots from the point. Watch closely, and you can catch a hint of Brent Burns in his style as well. Then, it hit like a bolt of lightning.
Mixing Ivy League with Hockey
Malinski isn’t just a solid hockey player, he’s also an Ivy League standout. In his final season at Cornell University, he recorded 26 points (8 goals, 18 assists) and captained the team, proving his ability to lead on and off the ice. He carried that momentum into the professional ranks, signing a two-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche on March 30, 2023.
To improve at anything, you need to surround yourself with—or at the very least seek guidance from—those who have already excelled in that field. In my pursuit of becoming a better writer, I studied the work of award-winning journalists such as Dan Rafael, Kevin Iole, Jack Hirsch, Bernard Fernandez, and Springs Toledo. Life came full circle in 2021, when I tied for second in the “Best Feature (over 1,000 words)” category of the Boxing Writers Association of America contest—sharing the honor with Hirsch, a member of the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame, and Fernandez, widely regarded as one of the greatest sports journalists of all-time and a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Springs Toledo ultimately claimed the top prize.
I also sought advice from other esteemed journalists, including Jake Donovan and the late Thomas Gerbasi, whose guidance had perhaps the greatest influence on my career trajectory. Without learning from the best, there is no way I would have come close to joining the association, let alone achieving the level of craft necessary to earn recognition in such a prestigious contest.
Now, when you look at Malinski, he stands out as the Avalanche’s most improved player by a wide margin, with no close runner-up in sight. When The Hockey News recently spoke with him, he didn’t credit his success to himself, but rather to the teammates, coaches, and mentors who helped elevate him to the next level.
“I looked around the room and seen what other guys do and talked to them. The big thing is being consistent with your hot tub/cold tub, saunas, Normatec, all the basic stuff that works. It’s just being consistent with them.
“It’s hard to pick one guy because I’ve talked to basically every guy on the team at this point about what they do and watching the way Burnsy (Brent Burns) treats his body. I mean the guy’s been playing forever, so he’s clearly doing something right.”
It should have hit like a lightning bolt the first time Malinski said it, but for some reason, the connection took a few days to form—now, it’s finally starting to click. This is exactly why Cornell accepted him: he’s highly intelligent, quick to learn and adapt, and though he’s a late bloomer by today’s NHL standards, he is fully committed to making the most of his career. When you’re surrounded by some of the best players in the world and approach your craft with the dedication Malinski shows, improvement is inevitable—and in his case, it has certainly paid off.
Ilya Solovyov
Another player attempting to follow a similar trajectory is Ilya Solovyov, whom Chris MacFarland acquired off waivers from the Calgary Flames. He’s not a household name, and he never really had a fair chance to hone his skills in Calgary. But now, with the Avalanche, Solovyov—beaming with optimism—told The Hockey News what’s already clear: this is an incredible opportunity for him, given the caliber of talent he’s surrounded by in the locker room.
“I said, ‘Oh wow. This is pretty cool to practice with them.’ When you’re practicing with some of the best hockey players in the world, you become better as well, so it’s a really cool (opportunity) for me.”
Avs Should Keep Malinski
Earlier this season, I was guilty of suggesting that the Avalanche would likely trade Malinski at the deadline. I hereby retract that statement. Malinski is a vital part of this team and will continue to refine his game in the years ahead.
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