Former Penguin Max Talbot Switched Hockey to Jiu-Jitsu: Q&A

Max Talbot is retiring much differently than other former NHL players.

Lately, that means trying to stifle men much bigger than him. But even after Talbot left the ranks of professional hockey players, he tried his hand at every possible second act. He worked with CAA, tried his hand as a TV analyst and coached in San Diego.

MAX TALBOT HAS TO STAY IN THE STAND! pic.twitter.com/BjQFz7KpAS

Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) December 2, 2022

And now, of course, he practices jiu-jitsu.

Why not? Talbot said on the phone. I can’t be one of these guys who just sits around. I have to be in it, whatever it is.

Talbot recently returned to Pittsburgh with his family to help the Penguins celebrate a 21st century theme night at PPG Paints Arena. His mark from that decade will be forever remembered in Pittsburgh and probably places on Planet Hockey, as he scored twice for the Penguins in their 2-1 victory over the Red Wings in Game 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals in Detroit.

Back in the city he still calls home, Talbot watched Game 7 from start to finish for the first time with his 2009 Penguins teammate Tyler Kennedy. The Penguins filmed their Game 7 watch party for the website’s video segment.

It was strange to see it all these years later, Talbot said. Like, I’m playing with (Evgeni Malkin) and I’m having so much fun. We were like a family in that team and we didn’t think about making history.

Talbot joined the Malkins line in the 2009 postseason. Former coach Dan Bylsma made the move to take advantage of Talbots’ experience at center. Talbot took most of the defensive zone faceoffs at even strength, and Malkin handled most of the offensive zone coverage.

Talbot had been mostly a top-six forward for the Penguins the previous season before Bylsma had a hunch and paired him with Malkin on the second line that postseason. It paid off, as Malkin won the Conn Smythe and paced all NHL players in playoff scoring, with Talbot specializing in big moments like his Game 7 heroics and famously suffocating Philadelphia fans as the Penguins closed out the opening round against the Flyers. Game 6.

But from that Game 7 against the Red Wings, Malkin still claims his frontcourt forced a move that led to one Talbots goal.

Genos always says that, Talbot said with a laugh. I let him believe it. He hadn’t done a pre-check before that, and he hasn’t since.

Time has not dulled Talbot’s notoriously sharp tongue. And anyway, who’s going to say anything to a growing jiu-jitsu nail?

Yevgeni Malkin, Max Talbot and Ruslan Fedotenko. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Are you giving jiu-jitsu the superstar treatment these days?

I currently train four or five times a week. I started in September and did my first race (at the end of November). There were 15 guys and I won bronze. Pretty proud. That was cool.

It was very rewarding because I put a lot of effort into it. And you know, I really didn’t know if I could compete, and I ended up (doing) pretty well, so I was very proud.

How did you end up training jiu-jitsu?

I found the website. I’ve always wanted to do that and I just emailed: Hi, Can I do a free trial that I see as part of the program?

I just reported. I didn’t know what to wear. It was really something. I didn’t know the rules or the techniques. And I just found a great community, a great coach, and great friends. I learn every day.

My Instagram feed is just, you know, jiu-jitsu chokes, stuff like that, actually my five year old is practicing her chokes on me right now. Do it!

So it became like a little family fun. My wife says that’s what I’ve been talking about just now. So, I’m pretty, pretty passionate when you get into something and go all in, and right now I’m having fun.

Where does that bronze medal rank in your personal trophy collection?

Seriously, Rob, that’s pretty high. And it’s something I had no idea about, no background, nothing. And I was fighting in front of my kids, they were on the mat. And they showed me that they saw me lose my semi-final match, they saw me choke in front of them. And they just have fun being, like dad? Hey daddy!

When my general manager and I go to practice, he reminds me that it’s never too late to find a new passion or learn something new and put in the hard work and (main) good, put the time into something, you need to be rewarded. So it’s very, very rewarding. And it’s also very stressful, like getting ready for a fight. I knew the first guy I was going to fight and he was bigger (and) more experienced than me, beating him was pretty special.

I’m not going to lie, I saw some posts on your Instagram and had to do a double take. But now that we’ve talked, this sounds like something Max Talbot.

Yes, it gives me a lot of dopamine. It is a very physical sport. It is very demanding and very extreme. You have to be able to think when you’re tired, and the techniques are infinite, right? And like you can learn things and work on things and get better, but you never know enough.

At the gym, you have to have a good attitude to learn sometimes and come back. You get guys who are bigger than you and you just have to put your ego aside, tap and work.

I’m having a blast.

(Top photo: Gregory Shamus / NHLI via Getty Images)