Malkin: Crosby has no superiority complex

NHL star Evgeny Malkin hopes to return to play within a month. The Russian forward has been sidelined with a serious knee injury, but has been receiving treatment in Moscow, where RT caught up with him on his 25th birthday. The Stanley Cup winner and Russian household name is now going through one of the longest and toughest periods in his life. The NHL star, nicknamed Geno, suffered a serious knee injury after a collision with a defenseman in January, and was sidelined for the rest of the season. “It was really hard for me as it's the first time I've been in such a situation. You can't get away without injuries in hockey. You just have to put up with this, and don't let it play on your mind. So it was more of a mental challenge for me,” says Evgeny. However, the surgery went well, and this month the star forward was able to train with a conditioning coach in Moscow. And, in a month, he will start training camp with his team the Pittsburgh Penguins. Malkin developed through the system at Russian powerhouse Metallurg Magnitogorsk… And debuted for that team in 2003, when he was just 17. The following year, he was drafted second overall by Pittsburgh, behind his national team-mate Alexander Ovechkin. But, due to a dispute over his contract with Metallurg, Geno was forced to stay for another year. However, his dream of playing in the NHL came true in 2006, when he finally swapped the Russian Steel City for the American one, to hit the ice alongside the then up-and-coming Canadian Sidney Crosby. And it seems like the rink is wide enough to hold both hockey giants. “Crosby was injured last season too and we spent a lot of time together while we were recovering. We supported and cheered on our team-mates when we could. We keep in touch and I know that his recovery is going well too and he's training on the ice already. He's a nice guy and a big star who has already won almost all the trophies in hockey. And he has no superiority complex,” notes Malkin. Malkin has been adding trophies to his cabinet every year, but there are still no Olympic medals in his collection. And, undoubtedly, it's one of his priorities for the near future “I haven't won a lot with the national side. For me, it's a great honor to play for my country. All the greats like Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky won Olympic gold. Crosby has already grabbed gold too. So I'm determined to win the Olympics, and not only in Sochi. One medal is never enough,” he stresses. Despite Malkin's many honors, the star player remains a straightforward, almost reserved, person while still hungry for victories on the ice. At the age of 25, the career of the Penguins’ forward is just starting, and spectators, both in North America and in Russia, should enjoy his skills for many years to come.