Malcolm Subban not just P.K.’s little brother anymore at NHL Draft

PITTSBURGH -- Malcolm Subban wasn't always a goaltender. Growing up, he was a defenseman just his like brothers P.K. and Jordan. It wasn't until age 12 when he took advantage of the opportunity to the switch to net.

"I always wanted to be a goaltender, but my dad wasn't too fond of me being a goalie," said Subban during the NHL Draft Top Prospects media availability on Thursday. "He was my coach when I was a defenseman and so he always wanted me to stay a defenseman. The one year he stopped coaching me I asked if I could play and he said give it a shot and ended up sticking with it."

Guess father didn't know best.

This season with Belleville of the OHL, Subban was 25-14 with a 2.50 goals against average and .923 save-percentage while fighting through groin and ankle injuries. In April, he was named the top-ranked North American goaltender in NHL Central Scouting's final rankings.

Mock drafts have him, along with Oscar Dansk and Andrei Vasilevski as the first netminders selected, but not until late first round or sometime in the second round.

Draft Day can be a nerve-wracking affair for any prospect, whether you're expected to be selected early on or have to wait a bit to hear your name called. Subban said he asked friends drafted last year in Minnesota for advice on how to handle the entire weekend.

Their takeaway? Don't let nerves affect the experience.

Entering the Draft with a well-known last name, Subban couldn't escape the questions involving his brother P.K. of the Montreal Canadiens. In fact, when asked how many of the questions he'd received so far were about his brother, Subban said about half of them.

But don't expect another outspoken Subban sibling to enter the NHL this time around. Malcolm and P.K. are polar opposites. P.K. is the brash, confident one. Malcolm is more reserved, level-headed one and he knows older brother still has some bragging rights over him at the moment.

"He still has two gold medals [from the 2008 and 2009 World Juniors] and played in the NHL, so I still have a lot of work to do," he said.

Follow Sean Leahy on Twitter at @Sean_Leahy