Malik adjusting to new surroundings with Greyhounds

It’s going to be an adjustment, but Nick Malik is ready and excited to get going.

After officially signing with the Soo Greyhounds on Friday, Malik practiced with the team for the first time on Tuesday after arriving in town on Sunday evening.

“The players are really good,” Malik said of his new teammates.

The 17-year-old netminder said he isn’t nervous about joining his new team and is looking forward to working with the current Greyhounds goaltenders in Bailey Brkin and Ethan Taylor.

With Brkin solidified as the starter, Malik, with his mother Michaela Malikova interpreting for him, told reporters on Wednesday the need for the goaltenders “to be friends and support each other” while adding that he’s “going to fight for playing time.”

Malik, whose father Marek was drafted by the NHL’s Hartford Whalers in 1993 and went on to play nearly 700 in the league, was a member of the Czech Republic entry at the recently completed World Junior Hockey Championship, which was held in the Czech Republic.

“It’s something new for me, with a lot of fans,” Malik said. “I had one game, against Canada. It was a good game for me.”

Malik entered the game in relief of Czech starter Lukas Parik, who was pulled after the Canadians took a 4-0 lead.

Malik stopped 19 of 22 shots in just over 45 minutes of work in the game.

The move to North America was one that Malik sees as a chance to play against quality competition on a nightly basis.

With his club team in the Czech Republic, Malik players much of the first half of the season with HC Frydek in the Czech league where he posted a 2.46 goals against average and 0.927 save percentage in 19 games.

The league begins the season with 16 teams, with each team facing one another twice. At mid-season, the schedule sees the league group the top eight teams together to face each other while the bottom eight do the same.

That also played a role in Malik’s decision to join the Greyhounds.

Malik spoke of wanting to “play quality games against the best quality players in the world in the CHL.”

Greyhounds general manager Kyle Raftis said Friday after announcing Malik’s signing that the young goaltender that there will be an adjustment period but having depth in goal is a good thing.

“We would have liked to have done it (the signing) a lot sooner but at the same time, we’re happy that he can get comfortable here over the next little bit and add a new boost to our lineup,” Raftis said. “It’s going to be a bit of an adjustment for him but at the same time it’s great any time you can add depth to every position.”

The OHL isn’t completely unfamiliar territory for the Malik family as Nick’s brother Zack split time in the league with the Sudbury Wolves and North Bay Battalion.

Zack played in 43 games with the Wolves split over two seasons, beginning in 2017-18 before being dealt to North Bay where he played 27 games to finish off the 2018-19 season.