{{Short description|Canadian ice hockey player (born 1958)}} {{Infobox ice hockey player | caption = | alt = | image = | image_size = 230px | position = Centre | shoots = Left | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 0 | weight_lb = 190 | played_for = Colorado Rockies<br>New Jersey Devils<br>Hartford Whalers<br>Arosa | ntl_team = CAN | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1958|9|27|mf=y}} | birth_place = North Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada | draft = 27th overall | draft_year = 1978 | draft_team = Colorado Rockies | career_start = 1978 | career_end = 1991 }} '''Merlin "The Magician" Malinowski''' (born September 27, 1958) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. Malinowski was born in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, but grew up in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan.
==Playing career== Malinowski was drafted in the 2nd Round, 27th overall by the Colorado Rockies in the 1978 NHL entry draft. He played 5 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Rockies, the New Jersey Devils and the Hartford Whalers. He then had a long spell in Switzerland, playing for the EHC Arosa and later the SCL Tigers from 1983 until his retirement in 1991. He also played for the Canadian Olympic Team that finished 4th in the 1988 Winter Olympics.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20200418095844/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ma/merlin-malinowski-1.html Merlin Malinowski at Sports Reference] Sports Reference</ref>
==Career statistics== ===Regular season and playoffs=== {| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em" |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! colspan="5"|Regular season ! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! colspan="5"|Playoffs |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Season ! Team ! League ! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM ! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM |- | 1973–74 | Drumheller Falcons | AJHL | 2 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1974–75 | Drumheller Falcons | AJHL | 59 || 23 || 44 || 67 || 58 | — || — || — || — || — |- | 1975–76 | Drumheller Falcons | AJHL || 59 || 60 || 86 || 146 || 79 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1976–77 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WCHL | 70 || 22 || 48 || 70 || 40 | 4 || 1 || 5 || 6 || 4 |- | 1977–78 | Medicine Hat Tigers | WCHL | 72 || 48 || 78 || 126 || 131 | 11 || 9 || 11 || 20 || 16 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1978–79 | Colorado Rockies | NHL | 54 || 6 || 17 || 23 || 10 | — || — || — || — || — |- | 1978–79 | Philadelphia Firebirds | AHL | 25 || 3 || 9 || 12 || 12 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1979–80 | Fort Worth Texans | CHL | 66 || 34 || 42 || 76 || 58 | 15 || 8 || 16 || 24 || 34 |- | 1979–80 | Colorado Rockies | NHL | 10 || 2 || 4 || 6 || 2 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1980–81 | Colorado Rockies | NHL | 69 || 25 || 37 || 62 || 61 | — || — || — || — || — |- | 1981–82 | Colorado Rockies | NHL | 69 || 13 || 28 || 41 || 32 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1982–83 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 5 || 3 || 2 || 5 || 0 | — || — || — || — || — |- | 1982–83 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 75 || 5 || 23 || 28 || 16 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1983–84 | EHC Arosa | NDA | 32 || 37 || 26 || 63 || — | — || — || — || — || — |- | 1984–85 | EHC Arosa | NDA | 38 || 49 || 33 || 82 || 35 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1985–86 | EHC Arosa | NDA | 32 || 25 || 29 || 54 || 44 | — || — || — || — || — |- | 1986–87 | SC Langnau | SUI.2 | 36 || 29 || 44 || 73 || 50 | 5 || 8 || 9 || 17 || 14 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1987–88 | SC Langnau | NDA | 36 || 30 || 35 || 65 || 88 | — || — || — || — || — |- | 1987–88 | Canadian National Team | Intl | 10 || 3 || 2 || 5 || 0 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1988–89 | SC Langnau | SUI.2 | 36 || 28 || 34 || 62 || 58 | 10 || 7 || 8 || 15 || 28 |- | 1989–90 | SC Langnau | SUI.2 | 36 || 31 || 31 || 62 || 60 | 9 || 9 || 16 || 25 || 4 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1990–91 | SC Langnau | SUI.2 | 33 || 21 || 29 || 50 || 40 | 10 || 6 || 15 || 21 || 10 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3"| NHL totals ! 282 !! 54 !! 111 !! 165 !! 121 ! — !! — !! — !! — !! — |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3"| NDA totals ! 138 !! 141 !! 123 !! 264 !! 167 ! — !! — !! — !! — !! — |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3"| SUI.2 totals ! 141 !! 109 !! 138 !! 247 !! 208 ! 34 !! 30 !! 48 !! 78 !! 56 |}
===International=== {| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" ID="Table3" style="text-align:center; width:40em" |- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Year ! Team ! Event ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM |- | 1988 | Canada | OG | 8 || 3 || 2 || 5 || 0 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3"| Senior totals ! 8 !! 3 !! 2 !! 5 !! 0 |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{icehockeystats}} {{Canada-icehockey-winger-1950s-stub}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Malinowski, Merlin}}
Category:1958 births Category:Living people Category:Canadian ice hockey right wingers Category:Canadian people of Polish descent Category:Colorado Rockies (NHL) draft picks Category:Colorado Rockies (NHL) players Category:20th-century Canadian sportsmen Category:Drumheller Falcons players Category:EHC Arosa players Category:Fort Worth Texans players Category:Hartford Whalers players Category:Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States Category:Sportspeople from Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan Category:Ice hockey people from North Battleford Category:Ice hockey players at the 1988 Winter Olympics Category:Medicine Hat Tigers players Category:New Jersey Devils players Category:Olympic ice hockey players for Canada Category:Philadelphia Firebirds (AHL) players Category:SCL Tigers players Category:Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in Switzerland