Maltby grew up in the town of Cambridge, Ontario and played most of his minor hockey for the Hespeler Shamrocks A club of the OMHA. As a Midget-aged player, Maltby suited up for the Cambridge Winterhawks Jr.B. club of the OHA in 1988-89. After that season, Maltby was a 4th round selection of the Owen Sound Platers in the 1989 OHL Priority Selection. While in Owen Sound, he played with future NHL'ers Andrew Brunette, Scott Walker, Kevin Weekes and Jamie Storr. Having spent his junior years with the Owen Sound Platers of the OHL, Maltby was selected in the 3rd round, 65th overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 1992 Draft. Maltby spent his entire rookie year at the Cape Breton Oilers of the AHL and played his first NHL season in 1993 playing 68 games and scoring 11 goals and 8 assists for 19 points and 74 penalty minutes. He played for the Oilers another 2 seasons before moving to the Detroit Red Wings during the 1995–96 NHL season, in which he was traded on March 20 by the Oilers to the Red Wings in exchange for defenceman Dan McGillis. Maltby spent 14 seasons with the Red Wings, helping them win 4 Stanley Cup titles (1997, 1998, 2002, 2008). He played on the Grind Line" with teammates Kris Draper and Darren McCarty and Joe Kocur for a number of years. Although Maltby was a rather prolific scorer in the Canadian junior leagues, he has never netted a 20 goal season nor has he reached 40 points. Instead, he has gained a reputation around the NHL as a solid checking forward and agitator who is able to instigate his opponents into taking a cheap penalty. As a result, he was named to the Canadian National Team for the 2005 World Championships. His best statistical season was 2002–03, when he set career highs in goals (14), assists (23), points (37), and penalty minutes (91). On February 27, 2009, Maltby played in his 1000th career game, in which the Red Wings defeated the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. Maltby's most recent contract with the Red Wings expired following the 2009-2010 season. On October 12, 2010, Maltby officially announced his retirement from the NHL. The same day he also announced he will take a job as a pro scout with the Detroit Red Wings."
