Evgeni Malkin hit one of hockey's rarest milestones on Saturday night, recording his 1,400th career NHL point on a power-play goal — then kept going, completing a hat trick in the Pittsburgh Penguins' 9-4 rout of the Florida Panthers. At age 39, he became the oldest player in franchise history to record a hat trick, and the arena erupted.
"I almost cried a little bit, you know? It's huge for me," Malkin said after the game, his voice thick with emotion. "I scored a hat trick a long time ago, I don't remember when I scored last time. Again, it's lots of emotion. And I want to say thank you. Thank you for the support for myself, the team. It's crazy."
A Historic Night
Malkin is now the 23rd player in NHL history — and the 15th fastest — to reach 1,400 career points, accomplishing the feat in his 1,266th game. He joins Sidney Crosby and Mario Lemieux as the only players in Penguins history to reach the mark. He is also just the fifth player born outside North America to hit the milestone, following Jaromir Jagr, Alex Ovechkin, Stan Mikita, and Teemu Selanne.
The milestone goal came on the power play early in the second period, a classic Malkin move — positioning himself at the right post to chip in a feed from Erik Karlsson. From there, the floodgates opened. His second goal came moments later when a shot from teammate Tommy Novak deflected in off him. The third, which triggered the hat trick, brought the PPG Paints Arena crowd to its feet as hats rained down from every section.
Chants of "Geno! Geno! Geno!" filled the building. Malkin received a standing ovation that seemed to go on forever.
Still Going Strong at 39
What makes this season particularly impressive is Malkin's consistency. Now in his 21st NHL season — all with Pittsburgh — he has 57 points in 53 games, a pace that would be excellent for a player in his prime, let alone one approaching 40.
"Everything he's done has been impressive," Penguins head coach Dan Muse said. "To be doing what he's been doing for as long as he has, it's incredible. The level that he's playing at, it's a huge credit to him, his preparation, and just everything that he's been doing for a very long time."
More Than Points
Beyond the numbers, what has stood out this season is Malkin's role as a mentor. The Penguins' roster now includes several young Russian-speaking players — Egor Chinakhov, Ilya Solovyov, and Arturs Silovs — and Malkin has taken each of them under his wing. He invites them to dinner at home and on the road, shares stories from his two-decade career, and helps them navigate the challenges of playing in the NHL far from home.
"Every story he tells, I find myself laughing at," Chinakhov said. "He's a really good teammate."
Penguins GM Kyle Dubas echoed the sentiment: "The year that Geno's had has been spectacular for someone who's 39 years old. But more importantly, it's been watching him as we've had some of these guys come in, and the way that Geno has handled them from the leadership side. It's really been special to watch."
When asked what comes next, Malkin didn't hesitate: "I don't want to stop, and I want the next milestone to be fifteen hundred." Given the way he's playing, no one is betting against him.
