With a black and gold jersey pulled down over his pads and skates on his feet, Malkin took his first nervous steps onto the ice at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex this week.
Nikita Malkin, that is.
The four-year-old son of Evgeni Malkin spent the NHL's four-month pause ripping shots during floor hockey games and joining his dad for backyard roller hockey sessions. The extra time at home has given Malkin a new appreciation for what life is like at home for his wife, Anna.
"He spends so much energy every day," Malkin said. "He plays hockey, tennis, soccer, everything."
The future of hockey in the Malkin family sure seems bright. And if the early parts of training camp are any indication, so too is the present.
At 33 years old, Malkin acknowledged the finite nature of his profession during the first training camp in September, estimating that he might have "two, three, four" more chances to hoist the Stanley Cup. As the countdown to the NHL's restart continues, Malkin looks and sounds like someone who wants to make the most of this opportunity.
"We all think about Cups for sure," Malkin said. "I'm glad to be back on the ice. It's my job. It's what I do all my life. ... We understand how important this year is for every player."
Malkin entered this season with something to prove after last year's first-round exit to the postseason. He said he wanted to recapture his elite-level play and did just that, flashing the same offensive brilliance that made him a Hart Trophy winner. In 55 regular-season games, he led the Penguins with 74 points (25 goals, 49 assists). Only four players in the NHL had more than Malkin's 1.35 points per game.
More significantly, Malkin committed himself to playing a two-way game and cutting down on his penalty minutes. The tone he set on both ends of the ice and the chemistry he forged with Jake Guetnzel and Bryan Rust carried the Penguins through November and December when they were without Sidney Crosby.
When the COVID-19 pandemic paused the season in mid-March, Malkin approached the four-month layoff almost like an offseason. In Miami, he ran on a treadmill on his balcony, worked out in a home gym and even got a little creative by buying a pair of inline skates.
If the thought of a 14-year-NHL veteran cruising around the sunny shores of Miami is enough to bring a smile to your face, there's more. Malkin decided to get creative when he arrived back in Pittsburgh, going full "Rocky IV" by chopping wood.
"It's good workout, good cardio," Malkin said. "It's not easy."
Whatever the formula, it appears to have worked.
Some questioned how the Penguins' veteran core could respond after an extended layoff. The thinking was that older legs might take longer to get moving. That doesn't appear to be the case at all with Malkin, who is known among his teammates for his ability to jump right into midseason form while the rest of the players are still breaking in skates.
Malkin scored the first goal of Saturday's scrimmage. With Guentzel back in the fold, the Malkin-Rust tandem has added Jason Zucker to the left wing and has begun to show some early chemistry.
"That can be such a special line for us," assistant coach Mark Recchi said. "Both (Zucker and Rust) have tremendous speed. Both guys can score on Geno's wings. And they both have hockey sense."
It continued during Monday's scrimmage. Malkin made a savvy play to find Jack Johnson trailing, setting up one of the goals. The production in more formal settings backs up what coaches and teammates have seen since the Penguins started skating in small groups weeks back.
"His work ethic is terrific," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "I think he's leading through his example. ... The level of intensity that he's playing the game with and practicing with, it's contagious throughout our team.
"I think it's just an indication of how excited he is to play. He likes the group that we have. He likes the opportunity we have in front of us. He's going to do everything in his power to help the team be successful."
