Penguins' Evgeni Malkin pursues U.S. citizenship, brushes off report of investment gone wrong
Penguins superstar forward Evgeni Malkin wasn’t terribly busy over the past three weeks.
True, he had the business of rehabilitating an unspecified injury which has sidelined him since Oct. 5, but beyond the visits with team medical staff and the individual skating sessions, life for an injured player can be boring.
So he found a way to bide his time.
He took on the process of becoming a U.S. citizen.
“My child, he has an American passport,” said Malkin, a native of Magnitogorsk, Russia. “It’s my second home. I’m here (13) years. Maybe he go to school. My wife (is) here. I don’t like U.S. fight against Russia. We have rules in Russia. You have two passports. It’s nothing bad. I’m OK about that. My child has two passports. I’m fine.”
The initial report of Malkin pursuing U.S. citizenship came from Sports.ru, a Russian news site, which reported, at length, of Malkin losing approximately $4 million in a blockchain or cryptocurrency startup in his home country. According to the report, his involvement with the startup could present legal issues for Malkin.
Malkin offered something of a dismissal of the report while speaking with Pittsburgh media after practice in Cranberry on Monday.
“No, forget it.” Malkin said. “Garbage. I don’t like that, you know.
“I don’t want like this right now. It’s garbage for me. I knew I’m a good guy. I don’t know what to say about that. A little like bit crazy this morning for me. I know it’s nothing bad for me.”
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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