I would imagine you know who Evgeni Malkin is since you opened this article, or it’s possible you’re just interested in seeing what his wife looks like. So for those of you that don’t know, Malkin was selected second overall in the 2004 NHL Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins, though an international transfer dispute delayed the start of his NHL career until 2006. After his first season with the Penguins Malkin was awarded the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s best rookie. In his second season, he helped lead Pittsburgh to the 2008 Stanley Cup Final and was a runner-up for the Hart Memorial Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s most valuable player during the regular season. The following season saw Malkin win the Art Ross Trophy, awarded to the top-scorer in the NHL and again place second for the Hart Trophy.

Malkin has had a considerably amount of success in the NHL and is a guaranteed first round Hall of Famer. As much success as he’s had on the ice, he’s had even more off the ice.

Introducing, Anna Kasterova.

It appears that the NHL is going to be relaxing virus protocols considerably for the playoffs. The new protocols take hold once 85% or more of the traveling party has been fully vaccinated. For a team with 56 members in its traveling party, 48 would need to be fully vaccinated. Below are comments from various coaches and players in the NHL on the loosened restrictions.

“It could be really big, I think, just for the mindset of the players, more than anything, just to get back to some sort of normalcy,” Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said Saturday. “The playoffs are a grind, just like this season has been, so any type of getting your mind away from it by being around the guys I think will help.”

“The only thing we’ve missed is those team bonding (meals), going out to dinner and kind of going to those small-group type things where you really get to know a teammate that way,” veteran Washington Capitals goaltender Craig Anderson said Saturday. “As far as meals at the hotels and whatnot, we still can kind of get together for the most part and it feels for the most part as normal as can be considering the circumstances.”

“We’ve been in total isolation,” Vegas Golden Knights goalie Robin Lehner said last month. “We can’t get out of our house. We can’t go out of our hotel. We can’t do anything. And it’s been over a year now, and no one ever talks about the mental health impact about that stuff.”

“It all comes down to the government guidelines, and it’s out of our control,” U.S.-born Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck said earlier this season. “You definitely see the States getting out the vaccinations well and it’s very good, very nice, and it’d be nice to see that in Canada, but I don’t know the logistics of it all.”

“It’ll be great,” Hurricanes defenseman Brady Skjei said. “It’ll be nice for us to be able to go out for lunch or dinner and sit out on a patio. We haven’t been able to do that for a while. Just to get that team bonding, that part of it. We’ve, obviously, been together the whole year and been in the hotel rooms together. But, yeah, it’ll be awesome to get outside and get some fresh air.”

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