RYAN MALONE: Former Penguins is part of hockey history in Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH — Ryan Malone is part of hockey history in Pittsburgh and an Olympic silver medalist.

Malone was the first Pittsburgh born and raised hockey player to suit up for the Penguins. Historians said he started the wave of Pittsburgh natives playing in the NHL.

“Growing up, I was very blessed to be around the rink,” Malone said. “And you know, Badger Bob, with (the saying) you know, ‘It’s a great day for hockey’ every day. And Brian Trotty (Trottier), his son was on my team at Upper St. Clair. He was our coach. Being around the locker room and see how much fun always guys had pulling pranks on each other. And I just that all this what all hockey had to kind of offer is why I fell in love with it.”

That love took Malone to the 2010 Olympic games in Vancouver.

Team USA suffered a heartbreaking loss in the gold medal game in overtime. It was Malone’s NHL linemate, Sidney Crosby, who scored the game-winning goal for Team Canada.

Malone said that while it was hard to lose, he was happy for Sid.

“Knowing him and how hard, just everything he’s done for the game, but just knowing as a person, and teammate and leader, you know, he is a, if not the best leader I’ve ever played with that really get everyone involved and treat everyone the same,” he said of Crosby.

For now, Malone keeps his silver medal in a drawer. His Team U.S.A. jersey is framed along with a couple of pucks from warm-ups. One of his proudest treasures is a hockey stick from the military warrior he represented at the games.

“It’s pretty cool. And then they got a constitution kind of written in the warrior there so it’s you know all about representing the U.S.A obviously, you know, proud we all are, our freedoms and like, and T.J. Oshie kind of said it best when everyone was calling him a hero and he’s like, the real heroes were camo, right?” Malone said.