Evgeni Malkin always says Pittsburgh is his second hometown. So, when he re-signed with the Penguins in the summer of 2022, he wanted to give back to the community.
Malkin began the ‘I’m Score for Kids’ initiative, benefiting the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Pittsburgh and Morgantown. RHMC provides families who travel for their children’s medical care a place to call home.
“It’s very important for me. I play here 19 years,” said Malkin, who will turn 39 this summer. “I like to work with the Ronald McDonald House, and I hope this might help with families, kids. Because I have a great life, I’m a lucky guy, but I try to do my best to help other people.”
In honor of his jersey number, Malkin has committed to donating $710 per each of his regular-season points, which amounted to $35,500 this season after he recorded 50 in 68 games. Local McDonald’s restaurants are matching Malkin’s donation, increasing the total to $71,000 (more details here).
“I think it’s a good number, 71,” said Malkin, who wore 11 until he began playing for his hometown team Magnitogorsk. A veteran player already had it, so Malkin switched to 71 since it looked similar. “It’s not small, but not too big. We can’t go higher number because we can’t go over 87. You know rules [laughs].”
Malkin wanted to present this year’s check in person. Even though he’s heading out for the summer in just a couple of days, Malkin made time to stop at the Ronald McDonald House located adjacent to UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh to do so. It was a gesture inspired by Sidney Crosby, Malkin’s teammate for the entirety of his Penguins tenure.
“Players from the NHL try to do their best for charity, (as) team, individual… I see what Sid has done, I try learning, and now I know how important it is to be here today,” Malkin said. “Not just send the check, but see people, meet people, talk a little bit. It’s huge, too.”
It’s a wonderful example of how Malkin has evolved over the years, and his growth helped inspire the program’s name. When the second overall pick in 2004 came to Pittsburgh from Russia, he did not speak much English.
While veteran forward Sergei Gonchar and Penguins employee George Birman would translate for Malkin, he worked hard to overcome the language barrier. As he moved forward in his career, Malkin bravely did more media in English, even though the forward knew he couldn’t express himself as well as he could in Russian.
It resulted in some unique phrasing that fans loved, with Malkin ending his walk-off interview following a hat trick against Carolina in 2009 with the line, “I’m score.” Calling this initiative “I’m Score for Kids” is a nod to the beginning, and a reminder that his points are about more than hockey.
“I hope next year, I score a little bit more points and get more money, because the more I score, the more money and help to more families,” said Malkin, dad to 8-year-old son Nikita.
So far, Malkin and local McDonald’s restaurants have donated a grand total of $284,000 to RMHC of Pittsburgh and Morgantown over the past three seasons.
“It’s really important to think about not just the monetary donation – which is very important, obviously, to help with operations – but to bring awareness to what we do each and every day for the families that we support during the time they are seeking medical care for their children,” said Eleanor Reigel, CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Pittsburgh and Morgantown.
“We are very blessed to have him involved with our charity and raising that awareness in the community and beyond. Cannot thank him enough, and the last three years have been absolutely amazing. Even though he may not have had a winning season, as he says, the house always wins, I like to say. So, we have benefited tremendously, as we always do, with unique and special relationships – such as the one we have with Mr. Malkin.”
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