Russian star Evgeni Malkin said he intends to go to the Olympics, should the Pittsburgh Penguins allow it, according to an Associated Press translation of a “Soviet Sport” report.
Malkin, 30 and a three-time Olympian, hopes to defy the NHL’s stance of not participating in the Winter Games, but he’s not quite as adamant as countryman Alex Ovechkin.
Malkin hasn’t played since March 15 due to a shoulder injury and thus hasn’t spoken much (or at all) with U.S. media since the NHL’s announcement on Monday that it will not participate at the Winter Games.