Catching up with Manny Malhotra

Manny Malhotra built an NHL career that encompassed 991 games, 116 goals, 179 assists and 295 points with Original Six franchises like the New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens as well as the upstart Columbus Blue Jackets. He spent five seasons in Columbus from 2003 - 2009 and had stops in San Jose, Vancouver, Carolina and Montreal before wrapping up his playing career with a 23-game stint with the Lake Erie Monsters, the Jackets' American Hockey League affiliate, in 2015-16.
As a Jacket, Malhotra led the team in faceoff wins percentage throughout his tenure, and his 59.0% win percentage in 2007-08 is second-best in club history. He was nominated for the Masterton Trophy by Columbus media in 2003-04, and for the King Clancy Trophy, an award for the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice, in three seasons (2005-06, 2006-07, and 2007-08).
Malhotra was an alternate captain for the team during the 2008-09 season and took the opening faceoff, which he won, in the Jackets' first ever playoff game against the Detroit Red Wings.
We recently caught up with Malhotra, who resides in the Vancouver-area with his wife, JoAnn, and their four kids, to talk about his time in Columbus and his new gig as a development coach with the Canucks.

What do you remember most fondly about your time in Columbus?
For me, it's the same thing on and off the ice. It was the fans. That year we made the playoffs, Nationwide Arena was one of the loudest buildings in the league. They were just ravenous fans, they were awesome. Even being in the community, the quality of people, they were down to earth, kind people. My wife and I both reminisce about our time there and how much fun we had.
As a Jacket and throughout your career, you've been acknowledged as a team leader. What does being a leader mean to you?
I think the biggest thing is when guys talk about leading by example and doing the right thing all the time. I remember hearing a quote that you have to work like somebody is always watching you. For the most part that's your teammates. You'll never fool a teammate. They see what kind of work you're putting in on the ice, off the ice, and your attitude when you come to the rink. Your teammates never stop observing that, so you need to be on if you want to be a leader. You need to be on all the time as far as putting your best foot forward and being a positive influence on people.

As a Blue Jacket, you became close with Ryan Salmons, a young fan who ultimately lost his battle to cancer, but not before signing a one-day contract with the team. What did he mean to you and the team?
I'm still in contact with his dad (Brad) and we reminisce about him from time to time. What Ryan taught us was first about understanding what he was going through, that fight he was continuing to battle, and then the way he went about it. I never saw the kid complain or in a bad mood. He was always just so happy, go lucky.
We drew from that in the sense that here's a kid who's fighting for his life, battling cancer, and he comes to our room with nothing but a smile on his face and encouraging us even when we'd go through slides in our schedule. He was just a positive influence when he came around the room. He was a happy kid and that's what I remember most about him.
You suffered a severe eye injury in 2011 while playing for the Vancouver Canucks. How are you dealing with it today?
It was a very trying time for me in my career and my life, but it is what it is and I've moved on from it now. I'm excited to be starting the next chapter of my career.
I'm the player development coach for the Canucks now so I'm at the rink for practices and on game days working with young guys, working with the center, and helping out in any way I can.
Before becoming a coach, you rejoined the Jackets organization as a player with the Lake Erie Monsters (23 GP; 4-2--6). How was that experience?
It was great. Being back in Ohio you get the opportunity to be around those good quality people, and the organization itself was first class. There was great coaching and some really good, talented players who you're seeing now with Columbus. I wasn't there for the playoff run and the championship, but it was fun to be a part of that, and, for the few months, I was there to see the team grow and to see some of those young guys emerge as star players.
Do you still follow the Jackets? What do you think of their success last regular season?
They've been building a good culture there and have been stockpiling a lot of talented players for a while now. I think when you put talent and structure together, the result is what you're seeing right now. Credit to them that they've worked to get where they are.