Pittsburgh Review

Evgeni Malkin, a prominent figure in the NHL, has reached significant milestones early in the season. With 498 career goals at the start, Malkin was on the brink of becoming the 48th player in NHL history to achieve 500 goals. During training camp, he humorously set his expectations: “score two goals!”

In his first three games, Malkin achieved other notable feats with four assists. On Thursday in Detroit, he became the 34th player in NHL history to record 800 assists. He joined Sidney Crosby and Patrick Kane as active players with this achievement and became the first Russian-born player to do so.

Malkin credited his teammates for reaching this milestone: “For me, it's all about partners... I play with Sid on power play, probably I give him the most assists in my life.”

On Saturday in Toronto, Malkin reached another milestone by becoming the 37th player to accumulate 1,300 points (498G-802A), tying Hall-of-Famer Jarome Iginla for the 36th-most points in league history. Among Russian-born players, only Alex Ovechkin surpasses him with more points.

Despite a tough loss to the Maple Leafs, Head Coach Mike Sullivan praised Malkin's achievements: “I think it speaks for itself. He's one of the greatest players of all time.”

Teammates expressed their admiration on social media. Kris Letang and others shared graphics celebrating ‘Geno’ on Instagram stories.

Sidney Crosby highlighted Malkin’s impressive start: “He got 800 assists...1,300 points… those numbers are pretty impressive.”

At 38 years old, Malkin remains focused on helping Pittsburgh win games. He emphasized his commitment: “I want to be here to win... My goal this summer and this season is to help the team make playoffs.”

Sullivan acknowledged Malkin’s dedication: “He's such a passionate guy... To continue to play at an elite level like he has shown is just a huge credit to him.”