Evgeni Malkin is a famous Russian hockey player, player of the Russian national team. Even in his youth, he began dating an ordinary student girl, unfortunately, we still don’t know anything about her. She never appeared in newspapers or on television, and she never gave interviews to anyone. She, as it turned out, never dreamed of a star life.

Evgeni Malkin - hockey player

Soon this romance of the hockey player ended. It was then that Evgeniy felt complete freedom: his personal life blossomed. For some time, the athlete dated actress Masha Kozhevnikova, after breaking up he switched to Oksana Kondakova. This is a girl from Magnitogorsk, who is four years older than the hockey player, and has already been married.

Evgeni Malkin and Maria Kozhevnikova together

Her first marriage collapsed due to Oksana's infidelity. But she did not grieve for long, soon meeting a famous and successful hockey player. At first they lived in their hometown, but soon Evgeniy took the girl to Moscow. There Malkin bought an apartment for his beloved and gave her an education at a good institute.

Oksana and Evgeniy

Oksana was never afraid of journalists; on the contrary, she really liked being in the center of events. After some time, the lovers began to prepare for the wedding, but it was not destined to take place. Evgeniy and Oksana broke up. Now little is known about the hockey player’s personal life, but he is single and looking for his one and only.

The most titled Russian hockey player in the NHL, owner of super statistics and three Stanley Cups. Right now he is fighting for his fourth cup: the main ice battle of the NHL begins in May, the final match will take place in June. If the powerful Pittsburgh takes off - although there is practically no chance of this - we will see Zhenya at the World Hockey Championship, which is also in May.

August 7, 2006, Magnitogorsk. Russian national hockey player Evgeni Malkin wakes up after a night that he would later call the worst of his life. The day before, negotiations with his native Metallurg about a new contract dragged on. There was something to argue about: it was obvious to everyone around that Zhenya was ready to move to the American National Hockey League. Pittsburgh is already waiting for him, but the management of Magnitogorsk insists - one more year, it’s really necessary.

As a result, at the eleventh hour of negotiations, Malkin succumbs to the persuasion of management, signs an annual contract and goes to bed. But in the morning he still realizes that he made a mistake and makes a fateful decision - to call the agent, refuse the contract and go to the States. “You can’t do this to people, you can’t force them to sign contracts at three in the morning,” Zhenya will later say disappointedly in an interview. Despite accusations of unpatriotism and skepticism from “well-wishers” regarding his future overseas career, the long-awaited event for Zhenya and fans of his talent soon took place - in September Malkin made his debut for the Penguins.

Around the same time in Moscow, Anya Kasterova, an excellent student from Zelenograd who had studied to become a psychologist, was on the verge of making a very important decision. The thought was pulsating in her head that she had had enough of management and work alien to her heart - it was time to realize her childhood dream and become a TV presenter. I started sending out my resume to everyone, and the answer came from Rossiya 24. However, without experience and specialized education, Anya was offered only a free internship: to go on filming with the channel’s star correspondents, carry a microphone behind them, carry out small assignments, at the same time watch how they work, and quietly shake her head. She had to stay in this status for two years - and this after a quiet office job in a financial company!

“Yes, before television I managed to try myself in several areas at once. But usually everything I took on worked out. Well, I’m not a stupid woman,” - thin, tall and tanned Kasterova contains not only a funny contralto, but also a healthy dose of self-irony.

“Kris Letang is also a good guy, sometimes you can be friends with him,” Zhenya adds. But overall, Pittsburgh is a small town, with a population of three hundred thousand. It used to be the center of the steel industry, but since it moved to third world countries, it has been looking for itself in high-tech and biohoney. For now he’s just looking, so there’s nowhere to spend his leisure time here. The nearest metropolis, New York, is seven hours by car - too much for Zhenya’s schedule, in which there is a maximum of one and a half days without games or training. Las Vegas?

I wasn’t there, but Evgeniy? - Kasterova looks questioningly at her husband. - And Evgeniy loves Vegas! - Malkin booms about himself in the third person with hussar enthusiasm, but it immediately becomes clear that this is still bravado. He was only in Vegas a couple of times, and then for work: he played with a local team. - It’s probably cool to go there on vacation, listen to concerts, play in the casino. But when the season ends, I usually want to go to the sea, plus this year I need to show my great-grandson to my grandmother. So sometime later. Homesickness in their situation, of course, rises to its full height. They fight it as best they can: sometimes they watch domestic channels (his favorite film is “Operation Y”, hers is “Cruel Romance”), more often they go to a Russian store for bagels, at the peak of nostalgia Malkin bought Russian billiards. In Magnitogorsk, he loved to play it and has now seriously raised his level of skill. Sports where you have to score something somewhere are definitely his.

In Pittsburgh, Anya misses Moscow friends, relatives and friends, as well as the city’s infrastructure. “But I knew what I was getting into,” she says, “and I consciously made a choice in favor of my future husband, family and his career. And this decision was not easy for me, it was not without tears. Then entertainment, you know, is not the main thing in life. But for athletes, for example, Pittsburgh is ideal - there are no distractions.”

And indeed, Malkin is clearly not distracted by anything. For the Penguins, Gino (his American nickname, a derivative of his name, is written Geno) is a leader in the broad hockey sense of the word: he has the most goals scored, points in the “goal + pass” system and the best utility indicator (ratio of goals scored to goals scored) while he is directly in the game).

A Siberian giant moving across the ice at supersonic speed, an archetypal Russian hero who will come and, saying two words with a characteristic accent, will solve all problems - this is how Malkin is perceived in the States. And Penguins fans also see him as the reincarnation of Mario Lemieux, the legendary No. 66 who led their then second-rate club to two Stanley Cups in the early nineties. In this component, by the way, Malkin has surpassed Lemieux: he already has three cups - in 2009 and in the last two seasons in a row. And this year there are serious chances to take the fourth. But in the regular season, Pittsburgh's performance is more modest. Why?

“After two Cups in a row, most opponents play against us with a special attitude,” says Malkin. “On the one hand, they are afraid, on the other, they want to beat at all costs.” For Zhenya personally, this means increased attention from defenders. And not always within the rules. Hockey provides plenty of scope for aggression: 26 types of violations, for which you are sent off for two minutes, and another 15, for which you are sent off for five. There are simply no matches in which Malkin has not experienced at least one of them. This, of course, is not the story of Pavel Bure, the main Russian NHL star of the previous generation. Bure, nicknamed the Russian Rocket, could not have entered the court at all without his “bodyguards” Odzhik and Brashear - his opponents would have simply smeared him across the ice.

With 191 cm and almost 90 kg Zhenya, such a trick, of course, will not work. He himself is not a fool to push around - he also has enough penalty minutes - and even to fight. But the straightforward and complacent Malkin does not know how to hit on the sly and cannot tolerate dirty playing techniques. When provoked, he does not hesitate to strike first. Magnitogorsk-style!

From a combat point of view this may be good, but from a strategic point of view it is a disaster.

Gino could easily be removed before the end of the match, and Pittsburgh will be left without its main sniper. To solve this problem, before the start of this season the club acquired the black bully Ryan Reeves, who knocked out six opponents in six months - more than a decent result. This allowed Malkin to reduce the number of his deletions by fifty percent. But in February, the “party line” changed, and Reeves was traded for reinforcement for the third line. Apparently, in the playoffs the Penguins will need glasses more than black eyes under their opponent’s eyes. However, Evgeniy still has his own personal, loud-voiced and blue-eyed Ryan Reeves at home, his name is Anya.

When she once again pulls Zhenya and me back and encourages us to move on with the interview questions, I notice that Anna is not relaxed at all. “This is my usual state,” Kasterova calmly states. But Malkin is relaxed, he jokes, shines with new punchlines, laughs. Thanks to his tireless wife, all his worries begin and end on the hockey ice. And this at a time when their son Nikita is one year and eight months old (very soon he will demand food with the final siren and announce the end of the interview) - a difficult period in the life of any young family! It is not surprising that under such conditions, Gino recently broke the 900-point mark in the NHL. It is not unreasonable for the fans to expect him to play to at least one and a half thousand, or even two.

When asked whether they were going to return to Russia after finishing their career, Malkin was already beginning to speak positively in a booming bass voice, but then Kasterova’s contralto burst in to cut him off with a well-spoken wording: “We are still in dialogue on this topic. A lot will depend on the children.”

At this moment it becomes clear: as long as Anya is around, Zhenya will never sign anything unnecessary again, no matter who and no matter how much pressure is put on him. Not at three o'clock in the morning, not at five o'clock in the morning. Happy man.

Biography of the talented athlete Evgeni Malkin: how did he become a hockey legend, and who is his wife?

Evgeny Malkin is a world-famous athlete, a hockey legend, who is known both in Europe and Russia, and on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean - in Canada and the USA. The young and talented hockey player has many fans who are interested in his life, and here we will talk about how the man became famous, what is happening in his personal life: does he have a wife and children.

The path to success and fame

Evgeny is from Magnitogorsk; was born on one of the summer days – 07/31/1986. His father instilled a love for sports and, in particular, hockey from an early age; Vladimir himself played this sports game. Of course, he himself was involved in amateur sports, but he saw his son as a successful and famous athlete. And the father’s dream was passed on to his son. The boy stood on the ice for the first time at the age of 3.

Evgeni Malkin in training

Already at the age of eight, Evgeniy began training at a sports school. Here the boy showed fortitude - at first he did not show much talent. Many failures almost forced the future star to quit his studies, but the internal energy and support of his father did not allow this to happen. The growing athlete decided to continue training and achieve success, learn to play hockey professionally, even despite all the difficulties. His development was led by coach Sergei Vitman.

Gradually, Evgeniy played better and better, his talent awakened, he began to perceive the game as a certain mechanism, teamwork that can be directed to victory. Already at the age of 16, the young man crossed the first step in achieving his goal: he got into the youth team of the region, and by the time he came of age, Evgeni Malkin became the best player on the team, with his help the team got to the Russian Championship in 2003 and scored two goals against the Yaroslavl " Lokomotiv". Then he became the captain of the team, playing for his native club for 3 seasons.

At the age of 18, the athlete joined the Russian youth team, and in 2005 he already performed in the United States of America and Canada, a year later he took part in the youth championship in Canada in 2006.

Malkin showed himself superbly at the Olympics in Turin, playing for the Russian national team. In the same 2006, Evgeniy was recognized as the Best Player of the Season and received the Golden Helmet.

In Canada, clubs are constantly looking for new sports stars with whom they can achieve new victories. They pay attention to the young and incredibly talented Evgeniy; his impeccable play and amazing performance attracts specialists. The hockey player began playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins. With Malkin's participation, this team achieved real success in the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 seasons. Almost every time, Evgeniy's participation seriously affects the outcome of the game.

The hockey player also continues to play for the Russian national team, but in 2007, even with the participation of a professional and other NHL stars, the Russian team was unable to show itself at the World Championship, taking only 3rd place. According to an audience poll, Malkin became the best player in the championship.

After a triumphant 59 successful passes and 17 goals scored in 13 games in 2008, the athlete becomes a member of the NHL All-Star Game and wins. In the same year, Evgeniy leads his team to the Stanley Cup in the playoffs.

In 2010, the man suffered a knee injury, but soon he recovered and again received a special prize for the maximum number of points in a season.

He continues to win victories with the Pittsburgh Penguins club, and in 2014 he played on the Russian team at the Sochi Olympics, although it played unsuccessfully.

Who is Malkin's wife and how many children does he have?

Evgeniy’s first more or less serious romance was back in Magnitogorsk with a student Zhenya, who came from Ufa, but it did not last long: the girl wanted to get into show business, and she was of little interest in relationships.

The athlete’s next chosen one was Oksana Kondakova. He helped the girl settle down in Moscow, bought her an apartment and helped her settle down at the institute. The couple dated for several years, but the marriage never took place. Some people believed that Oksana was with Evgeny only for money.

Later, the athlete married Anna Kasterova, a famous TV presenter. The couple got married in the United States, and the celebration itself took place in Russia in 2016. Soon the young husband became a father - his wife gave birth to his son Nikita.

Famous hockey player Evgeni Malkin achieved fame through his talent and ability to overcome difficulties. He is happily married, he has a beloved wife and child. Perhaps in the future the young athlete will become a father of many children. We wish him happiness in all his endeavors.

One of the best hockey players in the world won the Stanley Cup for the third time in his career (only four Russians had done this before him), becoming the top scorer in the playoffs.

We decided to sum up the results of the year for Evgeniy in an unusual format, interviewing his beautiful wife - a famous TV presenter Anna Kasterova. They dated for more than two years, after which, in June 2016, they got married. And shortly before this, the couple had a son, Nikita.

SON'S FAVORITE TOY - SMALL PUCK

- Your departure was an almost irreparable loss for our TV. Can't see the screen now?

At first it was very difficult, everything was going well for me - up the career ladder. There were many proposals for projects on other channels. So, why hide it, of course, I miss TV. But I’m in America, next to my husband, he always needs support, and the child is small. So far there have been no offers for which I would come to Russia for a short time. Everyone is asking to stay permanently.

- Were there any options in Pittsburgh?

My English is at a good level, but my accent is too strong to conduct a program in this language.

- And in Russian?

There were offers to work on NHL stories. But from the very beginning, Zhenya and I clearly separated family and work, so we can hardly imagine that he will encourage some eminent hockey players to come to us in Pittsburgh, and I will run after them with a microphone. Our agreements are still being respected, and even when my close work colleagues ask for Zhenya’s comments, I recommend that they communicate through his agent.

- What projects are you involved in?

Currently I am participating in a large-scale advertising project for a large financial company - I will soon become their “face”. From time to time there are some shootings and interviews. Zhenya is quite spoiled by attention; after all, he won the Stanley Cup for two years in a row. The other side of the coin is the tension in our house during the decisive games of the season. During such periods he needs support, and my attention is completely focused on him. Well, on my son, of course ( laughs).

Nikita is already one and a half years old. How do the genes of a star hockey player and a famous sports TV presenter manifest themselves in him?

You won't believe it, but my son's favorite toy is a small hockey stick. He can fiddle with it all day long. Are these genes? Don't even know ( smiling).

AFTER WINNING, I COOK A FART DISH FOR MY HUSBAND

- What is it like for hockey player Malkin’s loved ones during the playoffs?

Differently. It is clear that we are always very worried and worried. You remember that in the first half of the 2015/16 season, Pittsburgh did not make the playoffs. And then such a miracle! You get involved and participate in it. We even have some traditions regarding food, because all athletes are superstitious. When they win, they observe to the smallest detail everything that preceded success.

- Will you reveal at least one secret for SE?

I completely can't. But I will say that I cook a certain dish after every series win. You see, it turns out to be lucky and helps us. Perhaps someday I’ll reveal the secret and even give you the recipe. This year, I don’t know how the situation will develop. The guys have a very tough schedule - a large number of double games, and many hockey players have left.

But, remembering the 2015/16 season, you understand that a miracle is always possible. There are strong teams with iconic players like Sasha Ovechkin - they are ahead of the rest during the regular season, but then something is missing in the Stanley Cup. And “Pittsburgh” trudges on the verge of eight and then wins the trophy. Everything is very unpredictable, and luck is also important.

Back in 2016, after the dismissal of the previous coach, he gave a chance to young guys from the AHL. At first it upset me, because it’s hard for guys without experience to get a ticket to the playoffs. But the call to the main team turned out to be a powerful incentive for them. The coaching staff somehow manages to competently and correctly spur the guys on, as well as put pressure on them. After all, after two Stanley Cups, many people calm down psychologically, but as long as Sullivan and Sullivan are behind the guys, I’m calm for them.

- By the way, Gonchar became an assistant coach of Pittsburgh in the summer. How did this affect him?

He found an approach to all the guys. I started working only with defenders, and there were good results. We are very glad that he is on the team, Gonchar is a close friend of our family. We celebrated Thanksgiving together.

LIVING IN PITTSBURGH? I WILL NEVER GET USED TO MANY THINGS

- Remember how you moved to Pittsburgh?

It so happened that I moved with Zhenya and became pregnant. We lived together. My husband travels periodically, and I am alone, without work, and also expecting a child, hormones have added to my temperament and emotionality. It was hard, but my husband was very supportive.

- Do you communicate with family and friends mainly via the Internet?

More on the web. Our house is located in the forest, and Zhenya and I lead a secluded lifestyle. We only have close ones, and we are wary of new acquaintances. I think you know what I mean.

- Of course. What was the most difficult thing for you in America?

Probably the most important thing is to remain idle and unemployed. After all, I’m used to the frantic rhythm of Moscow. This is my city. Although Pittsburgh is rather large and developed, you still feel like you are in a big village. You are surrounded by other people and the traffic is calmer.

- How did you get used to local speeds?

But it’s still difficult for me, and I don’t hide it. I am not used to many things and traditions and will never get used to them. For example, “Baby Shower” - it’s very strange when a pregnant mother is congratulated on her unborn child. By the way, after giving birth I began to drive more calmly, but I still get nervous. Locals drive at 20 miles per hour in heavy traffic, absolutely not caring that people may be late. All this can only be taken for granted. We're just different.

- Do you really miss our capital?

Now I can bear this separation much easier, because adaptation has passed - I devote a lot of time to my husband and child. Of course, there are not enough loved ones - mother, brother, grandmother.

- Do you often manage to go to Russia?

In July we vacation on the islands or in Miami, then we fly to Moscow for 2 - 3 months. I hope I can get home after the New Year.

Before leaving for Penguins training camp, Evgeniy presented his own clothing line. Have you inspired your husband?

It wasn’t my idea, but I’ve been telling my husband for a long time that we could do something interesting with his name. Many of Zhenya’s circle offer to implement their ideas. The talented designer created a good collection, which I generally liked. I don’t really agree with the pricing policy, since the clothes could have been aimed at a simpler segment. I hope things work out.

- What are your plans for the future?

It's hard to predict anything when you're married to a hockey player. Now he is a top player in Pittsburgh with a long-term contract. But sport is unpredictable - exchanges happen, different relationships develop with coaches. At one time I wanted to open a kindergarten in Pennsylvania for the large Russian community. But it’s hard to focus only on our children, and Americans are brought up differently - they have many of their own rules. I was dissuaded from this idea.

-Has your spouse discussed changing your last name with you? Of course, unless you offered him yours.

Yes, he wants me to take his last name. To be honest, it’s all about bureaucratic issues - in the USA changing documents is problematic, just like in Russia. But after a while we will formalize everything.

Anna: I try to instill in my family – my son, my husband (Anna’s husband is hockey player Evgeni Malkin. – MS).

I grew up in a large and friendly family. In our house it was not customary to raise your voice, scold, or forbid anything. My parents raised me by example. For example, if at school they handed out candy for some holiday, I always brought a few pieces home to treat my mom and dad and my grandparents. Nobody taught me this, it was just the way it was in the family. If everyone had one piece of chocolate, it went around in a circle: everyone took a bite and the last one remained untouched - each of us wanted the other to get it.

Elena: Anya has always been a self-sufficient girl. At school I got straight A's, won competitions, and at the same time managed to attend several clubs - embroidery, drawing. From the age of ten I dreamed of becoming a TV presenter - in front of a mirror with a comb instead of a microphone, I repeated their text after the announcers. Therefore, when I decided that I would go to study journalism, I was not even surprised.

Anna: I wanted to master a serious profession. Although many friends predicted a career as a model. And to be honest, when in high school I received an offer to try myself in this field, having heard enough stories about the beautiful life of fashion models, I already wanted to agree, but, fortunately, my mother dissuaded me. Mom always knew how to find an approach to me. She knows that I need arguments. And the argument that with a good education all doors would be open to me worked.

I was terribly worried: I imagined what a tragedy my prank would be for you.

Elena: I'm lucky to have you. I never controlled you. I knew that you were so serious and responsible that if I asked you to come at 21:00, you would not be late for a minute so that your mother would not worry.

Anna: You are probably forgetting one incident. Remember, at the age of 16 I had very long hair - below my butt. While my classmates were getting their hair cut and dyed, I was forbidden to do the same. You said: no scissors, you have gorgeous hair! This bothered me... And one day after school, the girls and I were walking from school, and I saw large scissors near one of the flower beds - the gardener was trimming the bushes and forgot the tool. A minute later, my friend cut off my tail... I walked home, terribly worried, imagining what a tragedy my prank would be for you. And you were right: you were very upset and even took offense at me for some time. But after that there were no taboos regarding appearance.

Elena: Maybe also because I gave birth to a son just then - there was one more object of attention in the family. Although you were never jealous of him, on the contrary, you tried to help. By that time, I had already forgotten how to bathe the baby, change diapers, and you and I did everything together, which brought us even closer. Other girls at this age go on dates, but you were messing around with your brother.

Anna: At that time I had little interest in the opposite sex. I was busy - the boys ran after me, but I somehow took my studies and clubs very seriously and did not pay attention to the boys. Plus I tried to spend more time with my brother, to walk with him. Such a close connection with my family led to the fact that I had a very hard time moving to the States to be with my husband. At first, I missed my loved ones impossibly. It became easier when my son was born. Now, when I come to Russia, I try to spend as much time as possible with my family to make up for lost time.

Elena: When you left, I admit, I almost fell into depression, I missed you so much. My family and I didn’t even turn on the TV, because we were used to seeing you there. But, as in the case of a slice of chocolate, they shared their experiences, and they set you up for the positive - that everything is for the best, family is the main thing!