subject: A Look At The Pittsburgh Penguins [print this page] A Look At The Pittsburgh Penguins A Look At The Pittsburgh Penguins
It really was not surprising that the Pittsburgh Penguins were awarded an expansion franchise by the NHL in 1966. The investor group vying for the franchise included some of America's (and all Pittsburghers) most influential captains of industry. The names included Heinz, Mellon and Pittsburgh Steeler owner Art Rooney. And so it began for the hockey fans of Pittsburgh. With this as a backdrop, let's take a closer look at the Penguin fortunes over the years.
Typically, in any sport, expansion teams have a tendency to do less then well during their first few years. This was not how it went for the Penguins. They ended their debut season (1967-68) with only four more losses than wins. This is hardly great, but is not too bad for a new team. They also pulled off a feat of embarrassing one of the NHL's "Original Six" with a 4-2 defeat over the Chicago Blackhawks.
1969 was a year of hope for Pittsburgh fans. The team managed to land a budding rookie superstar by the name of Michel Briere. He racked up more points than any other rookie during that 69-70 season. The club rode his talent all the way to the Western semi-finals, where they ultimately lost to the St. Louis Blues four games to two. Regardless of this outcome, fans of the Pens were ecstatic about the team's future.
Shortly after the Penguins' playoff run, fans were horrified to learn of the news of their new star Briere. While driving in Quebec, Briere had a catastrophic automobile accident. He suffered massive head injuries. He was fully comatose for a full year, and subsequently passed away shortly thereafter.
Let's fast forward to the NHL draft of 1984. To say it was a landmark occasion for the Penguin franchise is not an exercise in hyperbole. It was at this draft that they got their hands on a player who would go on to be arguably the greatest of all time. This first pick in the draft was not without controversy. Many rival executives felt that the Pens went in the tank during the end of the season to ensure themselves the first overall draft pick.
Whether it was true, the fact still remained that the newest Penguin was Mario Lemieux. The accomplishments of Lemieux are all but endless. He led his team to championship victories in 1991 and 1992. He was won literally dozens of trophies and awards. And among his amazing feats is this gem: in one game against the New Jersey Devils, he scored all five possible ways. He scored on a penalty shot, empty net, shorthanded, regular strength and a power play.
When rivaling teams (and fans) were able to finally sigh with relief that Lemieux was retiring, another superstar Penguin came on the scene. And that would be Sidney Crosby. At age 21 he became the youngest captain to lead his team to the Cup. His awards at this time were still well fewer than those of Lemieux.
Today, the Pittsburgh Penguins remain a powerful force in the league. They can always be found at or near the top of the standings. Oh, and they still have Sidney Crosby skating around making a difference.
