Shell
03-22-2003, 01:50 PM
Very nice article about Malik. He is definitely and doing well, glad to see it!
Malik has found a home with Jovo
Six-foot-five rearguard a steadying influence on the Canucks' blue line
By BRAD ZIEMER
Vancouver Sun
Marek Malik has contributed a career-high seven goals this season.
At the end of each regular season, the Vancouver Canuck Booster Club selects the winner of the Fred J. Hume Award, which goes to the team's unsung hero.
Last year, it went to Scott Lachance, a reliable stay-at-home defenceman who formed an effective blue-line partnership with Ed Jovanovski.
This year, the guy who was brought in to fill the role of the departed Lachance is certainly worthy of consideration.
Look up, look way up and you will see that Marek Malik, the six-foot-five friendly giant on the Canucks' defence, is quietly putting together a solid season.
Acquired Nov. 1 along with Darren Langdon in exchange for Jan Hlavac and Harold Druken, Malik has been especially strong of late. With defenceman Mattias Ohlund out of the lineup with a knee injury, the 27-year-old Czech's minutes have increased. He's logging an average of about 21 minutes a game these days and is playing perhaps his best hockey of the season.
Malik's plus-16 rating is tops among Canuck defencemen. And although his main job is to back up the free-wheeling Jovanovski, Malik has also contributed some timely goals.
"I'm kind of more of a stay-at-home defenceman," says Malik. "Eddie likes to jump up more. I talked to [general manager] Brian Burke a little bit when he traded for me and one of the reasons he got me was to play with Eddie and watch his back.
"Eddie has been a great partner. He helped me a lot when I first got here. I just kind of try and hang back and watch his back, that's part of my job for this team and I'm happy so far that it seems to be working."
Burke knew more than a little something about Malik when he pulled off the trade last fall. It was Burke, then the GM in Hartford, who selected Malik in the third round of the 1993 entry draft.
"You can't teach six-foot-five," Burke said Friday. "And he's got a pretty good skill set for a man that tall.
"We tried to get Marek at the trade deadline last year and were unsuccessful. And we tried to get him at the draft and were unsuccessful. And then we had a chance to get Sami Salo, who I think has been another good addition. Then when Marek's name came up again we got to make the deal. He's a guy I have been interested in for a while."
While trying to concentrate mainly on his defence, Malik has managed to chip in offensively. Two of his career-high seven goals this season have been game-winners.
And his last goal, on March 13, gave the Canucks a 4-4 tie with the St. Louis Blues in a game in which he was selected the first star.
"Everyone likes to play their best hockey at this time of the year," Malik said. "Every game is important and you want to do your best, especially with a guy like Mattias out. He is such a big part of our defence, a big part of this team, so not just me but everybody has to step up and play well.
"I'm just trying to keep things simple. I'm glad I have been able to score some goals and make some good plays for the team. Some of those goals have been the result of great plays by my teammates. It's nice to score and to have a career-high but that really doesn't mean much. As long as we are in the playoffs and doing well I am going to be happy. I don't care how many goals I score. I just want to help my team. I'm here to be more of a defensive guy so that is what I try and do. If I score some that's a bonus for me and the team."
Malik actually has two more goals than Jovanovski, who does, however, have a career-high 36 assists this season. Jovanovski said he and Malik have reached a nice comfort level on the ice.
"I didn't know that much about him," Jovanovski said. "I knew he was a big guy and that everyone called him Harry (after the character in the Harry and the Hendersons movie), but he definitely has come in and fit nicely. He's a great partner and we have a good chemistry out there. I feel like right now we're playing some of our best hockey."
Malik would be the first to admit that it took him a few games to get settled with his new team. At times, he looked lost and awkward as he tried to adapt to new teammates and a new system.
"I had a tough time the first five or six games, maybe the first two weeks, before I figured out where I should play on the ice and really understood the system."
Now that he has all that figured out, Malik hopes he can stay. He is one of a large number of Canucks whose contract will expire at season's end.
"I am not thinking about that right now," he said.
"I have my contract for this year and I'm just trying to help this team keep winning. But absolutely, I'd like to stay here. This is a very talented team and a very young team. Lots of the key guys are under 30. If this team stays together it's going to be an awesome team. I'd love to remain part of this organization."
Malik has found a home with Jovo
Six-foot-five rearguard a steadying influence on the Canucks' blue line
By BRAD ZIEMER
Vancouver Sun
Marek Malik has contributed a career-high seven goals this season.
At the end of each regular season, the Vancouver Canuck Booster Club selects the winner of the Fred J. Hume Award, which goes to the team's unsung hero.
Last year, it went to Scott Lachance, a reliable stay-at-home defenceman who formed an effective blue-line partnership with Ed Jovanovski.
This year, the guy who was brought in to fill the role of the departed Lachance is certainly worthy of consideration.
Look up, look way up and you will see that Marek Malik, the six-foot-five friendly giant on the Canucks' defence, is quietly putting together a solid season.
Acquired Nov. 1 along with Darren Langdon in exchange for Jan Hlavac and Harold Druken, Malik has been especially strong of late. With defenceman Mattias Ohlund out of the lineup with a knee injury, the 27-year-old Czech's minutes have increased. He's logging an average of about 21 minutes a game these days and is playing perhaps his best hockey of the season.
Malik's plus-16 rating is tops among Canuck defencemen. And although his main job is to back up the free-wheeling Jovanovski, Malik has also contributed some timely goals.
"I'm kind of more of a stay-at-home defenceman," says Malik. "Eddie likes to jump up more. I talked to [general manager] Brian Burke a little bit when he traded for me and one of the reasons he got me was to play with Eddie and watch his back.
"Eddie has been a great partner. He helped me a lot when I first got here. I just kind of try and hang back and watch his back, that's part of my job for this team and I'm happy so far that it seems to be working."
Burke knew more than a little something about Malik when he pulled off the trade last fall. It was Burke, then the GM in Hartford, who selected Malik in the third round of the 1993 entry draft.
"You can't teach six-foot-five," Burke said Friday. "And he's got a pretty good skill set for a man that tall.
"We tried to get Marek at the trade deadline last year and were unsuccessful. And we tried to get him at the draft and were unsuccessful. And then we had a chance to get Sami Salo, who I think has been another good addition. Then when Marek's name came up again we got to make the deal. He's a guy I have been interested in for a while."
While trying to concentrate mainly on his defence, Malik has managed to chip in offensively. Two of his career-high seven goals this season have been game-winners.
And his last goal, on March 13, gave the Canucks a 4-4 tie with the St. Louis Blues in a game in which he was selected the first star.
"Everyone likes to play their best hockey at this time of the year," Malik said. "Every game is important and you want to do your best, especially with a guy like Mattias out. He is such a big part of our defence, a big part of this team, so not just me but everybody has to step up and play well.
"I'm just trying to keep things simple. I'm glad I have been able to score some goals and make some good plays for the team. Some of those goals have been the result of great plays by my teammates. It's nice to score and to have a career-high but that really doesn't mean much. As long as we are in the playoffs and doing well I am going to be happy. I don't care how many goals I score. I just want to help my team. I'm here to be more of a defensive guy so that is what I try and do. If I score some that's a bonus for me and the team."
Malik actually has two more goals than Jovanovski, who does, however, have a career-high 36 assists this season. Jovanovski said he and Malik have reached a nice comfort level on the ice.
"I didn't know that much about him," Jovanovski said. "I knew he was a big guy and that everyone called him Harry (after the character in the Harry and the Hendersons movie), but he definitely has come in and fit nicely. He's a great partner and we have a good chemistry out there. I feel like right now we're playing some of our best hockey."
Malik would be the first to admit that it took him a few games to get settled with his new team. At times, he looked lost and awkward as he tried to adapt to new teammates and a new system.
"I had a tough time the first five or six games, maybe the first two weeks, before I figured out where I should play on the ice and really understood the system."
Now that he has all that figured out, Malik hopes he can stay. He is one of a large number of Canucks whose contract will expire at season's end.
"I am not thinking about that right now," he said.
"I have my contract for this year and I'm just trying to help this team keep winning. But absolutely, I'd like to stay here. This is a very talented team and a very young team. Lots of the key guys are under 30. If this team stays together it's going to be an awesome team. I'd love to remain part of this organization."