Vladimir Malakhov

On December 19, 2005, reports surfaced that Malakhov, who joined the Devils for the second time, had unexpectedly retired from the NHL. However, shortly after the story broke, his agent claimed that Malakhov had not retired and was taking a leave of absence "to deal with some internal, personal and medical issues." This claim was disputed by Lou Lamoriello, Devils CEO, president, general manager, and interim head coach. Lamoriello rejected the request for a leave of absence and treated Malakhov's absence as a retirement. This marked the end of Malakhov's pro career.

In 1999 Donald Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, was given a check for $350,000 from Vladimir to be given as a loan to a friend of Vladimir's, Yulia Fomina. The friend, however, swore in an affidavit that she never received the money and never even knew the check had been written until it was discovered years later in a Florida lawsuit.

Malakhov was drafted by the New York Islanders in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft, tenth round, 191st overall. He has played for Spartak Moscow, CSKA Moscow, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils (winning the Stanley Cup in 2000), New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers.

Vladimir Igorevich Malakhov (Russian: Владимир Игоревич Малахов ; born August 30, 1968) is a Russian retired professional ice hockey player of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has also played in the Russian Super League. Currently, Malakhov is a Player Development coach for the New York Islanders.