The scene inside Mellon Arena on Sept. 5 was the one Penguins fans had been waiting for: Mario Lemieux at the podium, a No. 71 jersey in hand, and Evgeni Malkin finally in Pittsburgh.
For the 20-year-old Russian star, the smile said plenty. Malkin, Pittsburgh’s first-round pick in 2004 at No. 2 overall, slipped the jersey over his button-down shirt and said through interpreter Olga McQueen, “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.”
That moment capped a wild stretch that began in early August, when Malkin left his hometown club, Metallurg Magnitogorsk, at Helsinki Airport. He had signed a one-year deal there, but said it came under extreme pressure from team management.
One month and several twists later, he reached Pittsburgh via Los Angeles on the night of Sept. 4.
The Penguins rolled out the welcome mat immediately. Local TV crews met him on arrival, and that first night he sat down for steak and lobster at Lemieux’s suburban mansion. Sergei Gonchar, Sidney Crosby and GM Ray Shero were also there for the dinner.
Lemieux, who has often been compared to Malkin, said the young center had been through plenty just to get to this point.
“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 has already been placed with Gonchar, his teammate on the 2006 Russian Olympic team, and the Penguins plan to bring him along gradually. Coach Michel Therrien said the team’s job is to make sure the transition goes smoothly.
“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.”
There was plenty of drama before Malkin ever set foot in Pittsburgh. Agent J.P.
Barry hid out with him for five days in Helsinki while he waited for his visa, and Malkin kept tabs on what people back in Russia were saying online. Barry arranged an interview with the Russian daily Sport-Express as soon as Malkin reached Los Angeles, a move Barry said helped shape public opinion.
“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.”
In Los Angeles, Malkin trained with several current and former NHL players, including Alexander Mogilny, who drove him from his hotel each day and shared his own story of defection from the Soviet Union.
Malkin said he was excited - and a little nervous - to meet Lemieux.
“To tell the truth, I was a bit nervous.”
The contract that brought him to Pittsburgh matches the one signed by Alex Ovechkin with Washington last year, Barry said. It is a three-year entry-level deal worth $984,200 per year in base salary, with bonuses that could push the total past $2 million.
Malkin said he feels settled now, both in Pittsburgh and back home. He said his friends understood his decision to come to North America and thanked them for standing by him.
“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 also said he no longer worries about his parents being harassed, despite reports they might leave Magnitogorsk because of fan anger 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 said what every Penguins fan wanted to hear.
“I can’t wait to see him on the ice.”
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