Evgeni Malkin entered the 2025-26 season, the final campaign of the four-year deal he signed in 2022, with an excellent mindset.
His focus was on trying to play his best, and enjoying every day. Malkin understood that it could be his last year with the Penguins, handling the uncertainty as well as he could, but was hoping to come back for another one in his second home. That feeling was only intensified after Pittsburgh returned to the playoffs for the first time in four years.
“Now I want more, you know?” Malkin said with a chuckle on locker cleanout day.
His teammates and the fans – including one dressed in a penguin suit, holding an ‘EXTEND MALKIN’ sign outside of PPG Paints Arena – felt the same. And on Tuesday, the Penguins announced that they had re-signed Malkin to a one-year contract extension with an average annual value of $5.5 million.
“Last season, Evgeni’s on-ice performance continually showed that he is able to produce at a great level and help the Penguins take strides. Off the ice, he showed tremendous leadership in helping our young Russian and Russian-speaking players adapt to our program and our city," Penguins President of Hockey Operations and GM Kyle Dubas said.
"Over the last several weeks, myself and (Head Coach) Dan Muse have had very open discussions with Evgeni and his camp about him returning for the 2026-2027 season, how his role will evolve, and what all of our expectations are at this stage of Evgeni’s career and the current stage in the evolution of the Penguins.
"The result of that process is Evgeni returning to the Penguins for his 21st season with the club. We look forward to Geno continuing to provide great moments for the city of Pittsburgh, while helping us return the Penguins to Stanley Cup contention through his play on the ice and his leadership off the ice.”
Malkin has put together such a magnificent body of work over the last two decades for the franchise that drafted him second overall in 2004.
“I think he's one of the best players ever,” Bryan Rust said. “He's won a bunch of individual awards. He's won Stanley Cups. He's done a whole lot in this league. And obviously, when you play on a team with (Sidney Crosby), it's not that hard to get overlooked sometimes, but he's been an extremely special player for his entire career.”
But stripping the legacy part away, and just looking at the numbers and impact from last season alone, Malkin is still a very good NHLer.
He finished as a point-per-game player at age 39, putting up 19 goals and 61 points in just 56 games, missing 26 due to injuries and suspension. Malkin then recorded two goals and three points in six playoff games to cap off the season.
“He’s done everything in his power to prove to everybody and himself that he’s still a capable player, and can be an impactful player in this league,” Erik Karlsson said. “He’s an incredible individual, personally and professionally.”
Those young Russian and Russian-speaking players Dubas mentioned got to experience that firsthand. Throughout the season, Malkin made sure to invite Arturs Silovs, Ilya Solovyov and Egor Chinakhov to dinner, both at home and on the road, with his humor and heart shining through. He shared stories that would have them cracking up and helped them through hard times on the ice.
“He’s a really good teammate," Chinakhov said. "He just takes care of us," Solovyov said.
Malkin cares so much about this team, city and fanbase who welcomed him with open arms from the very beginning. During his interview for the 50th anniversary documentary, Pittsburgh is Home, Malkin was asked to name a favorite moment, goal or game.
“Of course, if you win the Stanley Cup, you say that,” Malkin said. “But I remember my first day and my first game in the NHL.
“I wake up, eat breakfast, short morning skate, and I remember when I’m in the locker room, I was very nervous. It’s my first NHL game, right after an injury. When I stepped onto the ice, I looked around at the fans, and everyone stood up and clapped. It was an amazing moment when they all supported me. I believe all the fans were waiting for me. ... People love me, and people waited for me, and people support me. It’s an amazing moment.”
Their support has been unwavering ever since. When they chanted “GENO! GENO!” after he scored a hat trick the night he reached 1,400 points, it nearly brought Malkin to tears. He loves playing at PPG Paints Arena, and didn’t want to be anywhere else.
Here, Malkin went from being a wide-eyed teenager, adjusting to an unfamiliar culture and language, to a franchise player and a family man. All the while, Malkin has kept the same humor and heart that makes his legacy so unique. Pittsburgh is where he grew up, and where his dreams have come true.
“It’s special, you know? It's special for me, for my family,” he said. “My son (Nikita) born here. It’s not just hockey, it's city, it's fans, it's friends. It's lots of memories here.”
