Text Size:
A|
A|
A
Email
Print |
 |
|
|
Tony Tye, Post-Gazette Penguins rookie Evgeni Malkin, right, lives with teammate and fellow Russian Sergei Gonchar. Click photo for larger image. 
|
 |
Game: Penguins at Rangers, 7 p.m.
The tenant didn't put down a security deposit when he moved in early last month and hasn't made a single rent payment.
He does almost no chores around the house.
And for a guy whose job is supposed to require him to work a lot of nights, he has had plenty of free time in the evening lately.
None of which seems to bother Evgeni Malkin's landlord much.
"Nothing comes to my mind that he does wrong," Sergei Gonchar said.
Of course, even if there were something, Gonchar might be wise to keep it to himself. No point alienating a teammate who can distribute pucks the way Malkin does when he isn't dealing with a dislocated shoulder.
While the current set-up is temporary -- Malkin, a rookie center, already is making noises about getting his own place reasonably soon -- Malkin seems to have benefited from the stability of living with a family that speaks his language and shares his heritage.
"I think Sergei's been invaluable," Penguins general manager Ray Shero said.
When Gonchar, a defenseman, returned from Russia shortly before training camp, he had a wife and daughter. Shortly thereafter, he picked up a 20-year-old son of sorts, when Malkin moved in.
Gonchar and Malkin not only are co-workers, but also countrymen, and Penguins officials believed being around people from his homeland would help ease Malkin into his new life in North America.
So far, things appear to be unfolding as planned. Gonchar's wife, Ksenia, cooks Russian food often enough to satisfy any cravings Malkin might have, and Malkin has done nothing to disrupt the normal rhythms of life for the Gonchars and their daughter, Natalie.
He has his own room and spends considerable time in front of a television set in the basement.
"It's very quiet at home," Gonchar said. "He watches movies and plays computer games. And now he has a car, so he has a chance to go out and entertain himself."
While Malkin is asked to respect a few basic guidelines -- "No girls in the house," Gonchar said, smiling. "I have enough" -- he has given Gonchar no reason to consider imposing new ones.
"He's very good," Gonchar said. "He's done everything the right way. He's quiet and nice. No complaints from me."
 |
|||
|
|
|||
|
|||
If there were, Gonchar might be able to express them in English and have his point get through. Malkin's English vocabulary has expanded considerably since he arrived on Labor Day, and he'll get a tutor next week to accelerate the process.
"It seems like he's willing to do whatever it takes to learn," Gonchar said. "Even though he doesn't say much, he understands a lot.
"The hardest part for him now is that he can't separate the words [if a speaker puts them] all together. If you speak to him slowly, he can understand a little bit more.
"If you hear him around the locker room, every now and then, he throws some [English] words around. He already feels comfortable enough to say a few words here and there. I'm sure he'll be fine by the end of the year."
Malkin should be well-established in his own residence long before that.
"He really wants to get out on his own," Shero said. "We'll see. We'll evaluate this, maybe next week. See how Sergei -- and, probably more important, his wife -- is feeling about the arrangement."
Malkin's parents plan to visit when he is healthy enough to resume playing -- "They're working on getting their visas right now," Gonchar said -- and are expected to stay for an extended period later in the season.
"The first time, they'll come just to visit him," Gonchar said. "Then, probably around Christmastime, he'll get his own apartment, move out and stay with his family."
If Malkin's mother and father are lucky, perhaps he'll be a bit more domesticated by then.
"Once in a while, he helps me move the garbage [cans] outside, then bring them back," Gonchar said. "That's the only thing he does."
