Ryan Malone - Playing Career

Playing Career

Ryan Malone was drafted in the fourth round, 115th overall by the Penguins in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft.

Malone was born near Pittsburgh, where he attended Upper St. Clair High School in suburban Pittsburgh for two years. He played hockey during his junior year at Shattuck-St. Mary's in Faribault, Minnesota, a school later attended by Zach Parise and Sidney Crosby. During his senior year, Malone played with the Omaha Lancers of the USHL and attended Millard North High School.

Malone was drafted shortly after graduating high school, and went on to play at St. Cloud State University for four seasons. Malone played 3 games of the 2002–03 AHL season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins after his last season at St. Cloud State. He played 81 games of his rookie season with the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2003–04 season. Malone finished third on the team in scoring behind Dick Tarnstrom and Aleksey Morozov. Malone did not play with the Penguins again until the 2005–06 season, spending time during the 2004–05 lockout in Finland, Italy, and Switzerland.

Playing on a line with Sidney Crosby and Mark Recchi during the 2006–07 season, Malone notched his first four-point NHL game on December 13, 2006 against the Philadelphia Flyers. Two days later, he scored his first NHL hat trick, against the New York Islanders. With this feat, Malone and his father became only the second father-son duo in NHL history to score hat-tricks for the same team, along with Ken Hodge, Sr. and Ken Hodge, Jr.

Malone achieved another career oddity against the Islanders on February 19, 2007, when he recorded his second career hat trick by scoring a goal in the first minute of all three periods.

In January 2008, Malone and defenceman Darryl Sydor were named as alternate captains for the Penguins, following the departure of Mark Recchi and a long-term injury to Gary Roberts.

In game one of the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals, Niklas Kronwall checked Malone and broke his nose. In game five, he took a Hal Gill slapshot in the face, opening a gash on his cheek and damaging his nose again. He returned for the rest of the game.

On June 28, 2008, the Tampa Bay Lightning acquired exclusive negotiation rights with Malone and Gary Roberts from the Penguins for a third-round draft pick in 2009. One day later, the Lightning signed Malone to a seven-year contract worth $31.5 million, which paid him $6 million for the first season. Roberts then signed a one-year deal the next day.

On January 1, 2010, Malone was named to the United States Olympic Ice Hockey Team.