Evgeni Malkin is a legend, both on and off the ice. One time, Sergei Gonchar was brought in to translate a conversation between Malkin and his coach, Michel Therrien. But what Malkin actually said in Russian—revealed by Gonchar after some persuading—stunned the coach.
Malkin was a generational talent in Russia, and the Pittsburgh Penguins were confident they had selected a real gem when they picked him second overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.
He started his NHL career in 2006 and won the Calder Trophy the following summer as the league’s best rookie. Since then, Malkin has been an offensive powerhouse and, alongside Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang, a cornerstone of the Penguins’ modern dynasty.
But Malkin isn’t just a great player—he’s hilarious, too. And this story certainly proves it. Last week, the Philadelphia Flyers acquired Andrei Kuzmenko from the Calgary Flames. Many believe it was to provide generational talent Matvei Michkov with a Russian connection, as he doesn’t speak much English.
Evgeni Malkin’s hilarious words
On the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast, the hosts agreed with the theory and reminisced about a similar situation in Pittsburgh—one that led to a hilarious moment between Malkin, Gonchar, and then-head coach Michel Therrien.
“It just reminds me of Gonchar with Malkin,” podcast host Ryan Whitney said.
“It’s an all-time classic. Michel Therrien brings Gonch in and says, ‘I’m talking to Gino, and you’re going to translate.’ He had sat him down over turnovers.
“So Therrien’s talking, then Gonch starts translating into Russian, and Malkin responds in Russian. Therrien asks, ‘What did he say?’ and Gonchar hesitates before saying, ‘Oh, nothing … he gets it, he gets it.’
“Therrien insists, ‘No, what did he say?’ And Gonchar finally admits, ‘Uh, he said that if you bench him again, he’ll go back to Russia.’”
Keith Yandle, also on the podcast, added that back then, salaries in the KHL could sometimes be even higher than in the NHL, so everyone took Malkin’s words seriously when he threatened to return to Russia. What a story!
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