Evgeni Malkin is a warrior. He’s consistently been among the best players in the NHL for the last 15 years. He often ranks just behind teammate Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin in the discussion of the best players this century.
Malkin is strong and fast, has incredible technique, and he’s almost impossible to take the puck from. Not many players have won the Calder, Hart, Ross, Smythe, Ted Lindsay, and the Stanley Cup. But Malkin is one of them, and it just shows what a player Malkin is.
Malkin isn’t just great on the ice but also has an elite mindset. He hates losing and always thinks it’s his responsibility to make sure his team wins. And that’s always been the case.
The Athletic now shares an awesome story on how Malkin tricked his own mother just so he could play in a tournament, despite being in a cast.
Playing in his youth team in Magnitogorsk, Malkin fell and fractured his wrist. It happened just days before a big tournament. Malkin had been eager to play and to lead his team to victory.
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But Malkin had his forearm in a cast. Despite this, his coach and father believed Geno could help the team. However, Malkin’s mother said no, and that was the final call. He wasn’t allowed to play.
But his father had other ideas. He persuaded Geno’s mother that his team needed him, so he traveled with the team for moral support. The father also managed to sneak Geno’s gear without the mother noticing, and when they arrived, Malkin ended up playing.
Malkin had to cut the cast at his wrist so he could manage the stick. When Malkin returned home, he was in tears. He had betrayed his mother and gone through a whole lot of pain, and his team still didn’t win.
“We didn’t win,” Malkin said. “I played my best, but I was not in my best condition. But I could play (and) I should play great if I can play. I was not my best and we lost. I can’t forget even now.”
The first championship Malkin won was, instead, the Stanley Cup in 2009. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy and had the most assists and points in the playoff.
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