HELSINKI, Finland -- While there was no formal announcement, Penguins coach Michel Therrien tipped his hand about his new alternate captains during the team's final warm-up game last night.

Center Evgeni Malkin and defenseman Brooks Orpik each wore an "A" during the team's 4-1 exhibition victory against Jokerit of the Finnish Elite League.

Malkin, who finished second in the NHL scoring race and MVP voting last season, this week began doing group interviews in English after shying away from that his first two seasons.

"I feel great. Thank you, guys. Thank you, coach," Malkin said of being awarded an alternate captaincy.

The short, same-day trip to Helsinki and back to Stockholm, Sweden, took Malkin back to the city where in 2006 he snuck away from his Russian team, Metallurg Magnitogorsk, so that he could sign with the Penguins.

Orpik, meanwhile, is the longest tenured Penguin, having broken in to the NHL during the 2002-03 season.

"It's something new," he said. "I'll just keep going the same way. I won't do anything differently. It's a pretty tight team. Leadership comes from a lot of different places. But it's definitely an honor, especially with the group we have here."

Kris Letang, Orpik's defensive partner, sees the two new alternate captains as deserving but different types of leaders.

Of Orpik, Letang said: "In the room, when he's talking, everybody listens. He's an example on the ice and off the ice."

Malkin, although his English is improving, is just starting to be vocal leader.

"He talks more than he was," Letang said. "He's a great player. You watch him play and he's an inspiration for us. It's well deserved."

The primary alternate captains last season were Ryan Malone, who is now with Tampa Bay, and defenseman Sergei Gonchar, who is out at least four months after having successful arthroscopic surgery yesterday to repair a dislocated left shoulder.

Sykora under weather

After the morning skate, Therrien's plan was to scratch wingers Bill Thomas and Paul Bissonnette for the game at Hartwell Arena, but Bissonnette ended up playing while Petr Sykora, who recently missed five days of practice because of a respiratory illness, sat.

Also out was center Max Talbot, who had a bruised leg from a shot a week ago. He was re-evaluated during the day and given clearance to play in the season opener tomorrow against Ottawa in Stockholm.

Janne Pesonen, a Finland native, took Sykora's place at right wing on a line with Malkin and left winger Jordan Staal. Pesonen had an assist.

On defense, Therrien dressed seven players because the Penguins were allowed 21 for this game and mixed his pairings some throughout.

Malkin got the first goal of the game, on a power play. Ruslan Fedotenko, Tyler Kennedy and Pascal Dupuis also scored.

Team captain Sidney Crosby had three assists. Jokerit's goal came on Janne Lahti's penalty shot against goaltender Dany Sabourin.

Slap shots

Forward Ryan Stone, a second-round draft pick in 2003 who played his first six NHL games last season, was put on waivers. Stone had been playing in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton since being assigned there last week. ... Jokerit showed Penguins videos during the intermissions.