Dean Malkoc

Dean Malkoc
Born	(1970-01-26) January 26, 1970 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Occupation(s)	Ice hockey player, scout
Years active	1991–2006
Known for	NHL defenseman for Vancouver Canucks, Boston Bruins, New York Islanders; Boston Bruins scout

Dean Malkoc (born January 26, 1970) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenseman who competed in the NHL for four seasons from 1995 to 1999, representing the Vancouver Canucks, Boston Bruins, and New York Islanders. The majority of his playing years were spent in the American Hockey League (AHL).

Playing career

Known for his physical style of play, Malkoc was selected 95th overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft. He turned pro in 1991 and spent four years within the Devils' organization, earning a reputation for his rugged defensive approach and significant penalty minutes, though he never appeared in an NHL game with New Jersey.

In 1995, Malkoc signed as a free agent with the Vancouver Canucks, his hometown team, and secured a spot on their NHL roster during the 1995–96 campaign as a seventh defenseman. Throughout that season, he participated in 41 games, contributing 2 assists alongside accumulating 136 penalty minutes.

The Boston Bruins acquired him through the 1996 NHL Waiver Draft, where he played as a versatile defenseman over two seasons. During his tenure with Boston, Malkoc appeared in 73 games and netted his first NHL goal in the 1997–98 season.

For the 1998–99 season, he joined the New York Islanders but featured in only two NHL contests before being reassigned to minor league play. Subsequently traded to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim franchise, he spent two additional seasons without NHL ice time prior to retiring from professional hockey. He made a brief comeback in Austria during the 2004–05 season.

Throughout his NHL tenure, Malkoc totaled 116 games played, registering one goal and three assists while amassing 299 penalty minutes. His lone NHL goal was scored against the Florida Panthers on November 26, 1997, while playing for Boston. Following his playing career, he transitioned into scouting with the Boston Bruins.

Post-playing career

After hanging up his skates, Malkoc began working as a scout for the Boston Bruins starting in 2007.