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'{{Infobox NHL team |team_name = Pittsburgh Penguins |current = 2012–13 Pittsburgh Penguins season |bg_color = black |text_color = #D1BD80 |logo_image = Pittsburgh Penguins logo.svg |conference = [[Eastern Conference (NHL)|Eastern]] |division = [[Atlantic Division (NHL)|Atlantic]] |founded = [[1967–68 NHL season|1967]] |history = '''Pittsburgh Penguins'''<br>[[1967–68 NHL season|1967]]–present |arena = [[Consol Energy Center]] |city = [[Pittsburgh]], [[Pennsylvania]] |uniform_image=ECA-Uniform-PIT.png |team_colors = Black, Vegas Gold, White {{color box|black}} {{color box|#D1BD80}} {{color box|white}} |media_affiliates = [[Root Sports Pittsburgh]]<br />[[WXDX-FM|The X (105.9 FM)]]<br />[[WBGG (AM)|ESPN Pittsburgh (970 AM)]]<br />[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]<br />[[Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]] |head_coach = [[Dan Bylsma]] |general_manager = [[Ray Shero]] |owner = [[Mario Lemieux]]<br />[[Ronald Burkle]] |captain = [[Sidney Crosby]] |minor_league_affiliates = [[Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins]] ([[American Hockey League|AHL]])<br />[[Wheeling Nailers]] ([[East Coast Hockey League|ECHL]]) |stanley_cups = '''3''' ([[1991 Stanley Cup Finals|1990–91]], [[1992 Stanley Cup Finals|1991–92]], [[2009 Stanley Cup Finals|2008–09]]) |presidents'_trophies = '''1''' ([[1992-93 NHL Season|1992–93]]) |conf_titles = '''4''' ([[1990–91 NHL season|1990–91]], [[1991–92 NHL season|1991–92]], [[2007–08 NHL season|2007–08]], [[2008–09 NHL season|2008–09]]) |division_titles = '''6''' ([[1990–91 NHL season|1990–91]], [[1992–93 NHL season|1992–93]], [[1993–94 NHL season|1993–94]], [[1995–96 NHL season|1995–96]], [[1997–98 NHL season|1997–98]], [[2007–08 NHL season|2007–08]]) |website = [http://penguins.nhl.com/ penguins.nhl.com] }} The '''Pittsburgh Penguins''' are a professional [[ice hockey]] team based in [[Pittsburgh]], [[Pennsylvania]]. They are members of the [[Atlantic Division (NHL)|Atlantic Division]] of the [[Eastern Conference (NHL)|Eastern Conference]] of the [[National Hockey League]] (NHL). The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's [[1967 NHL Expansion|original expansion]] from six to twelve teams. The Penguins played in the [[Civic Arena (Pittsburgh)|Civic Arena]], also known to Pittsburgh fans as "the Igloo", from the time of their inception through the end of the 2009–10 season. They moved into their new arena, [[Consol Energy Center]], to begin the 2010–11 NHL season. They have qualified for four [[Stanley Cup Finals]], winning the [[Stanley Cup]] three times in their history – in [[1990–91 NHL season|1991]], [[1991–92 NHL season|1992]], and [[2008–09 NHL season|2009]]. ==Franchise history== ===Beginnings (1965 to 1967)=== Before the Penguins, Pittsburgh had been the home of the NHL's [[Pittsburgh Pirates (NHL)|Pirates]] from 1925 to 1930 and of the [[Pittsburgh Hornets|Hornets]] [[American Hockey League|AHL]] franchise from the 1930s to 1967. In the spring of 1965, [[Jack McGregor]], a [[state senator]] from [[Kittaning, Pennsylvania|Kittanning]], began lobbying campaign contributors and community leaders to bring an NHL franchise back to Pittsburgh. The group focused on leveraging the NHL as an urban renewal tool for Pittsburgh. The senator formed a group of local investors that included [[H. J. Heinz Company]] heir [[H. John Heinz III|H. J. Heinz III]], [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] owner [[Art Rooney]], and the [[Mellon family]]'s [[Richard Mellon Scaife]]. The [[1967 NHL Expansion]] depended on securing votes from the [[Original Six|then-current NHL owners]]; to ensure that Pittsburgh would be selected for expansion, McGregor enlisted Rooney to petition votes from [[James D. Norris]], owner of the [[Chicago Blackhawks|Chicago Black Hawks]], and his brother [[Bruce Norris]], owner of the [[Detroit Red Wings]]. The effort was successful, and on February 8, 1966, the [[National Hockey League]] awarded an [[expansion team]] to Pittsburgh for the [[1967–68 NHL season|1967–68]] season. The Penguins paid $2.5 million (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|2.5|1967|r=1}}}} million today) for their entry and $750,000 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|0.75|1967|r=1}}}} million today) more for start-up costs. The [[Pittsburgh Civic Arena|Civic Arena]]'s capacity was then boosted from 10,732 to 12,500 to meet the NHL requirements for expansion. The Pens also paid an indemnification bill to settle with the Detroit Red Wings, who held the rights to the Pittsburgh Hornets. The investor group named McGregor president and chief executive officer, and he represented Pittsburgh on the NHL's Board of Governors.<ref name="Steel City Legend">{{cite web | url=http://pittsburghhockey.net/penguins| title=Steel City Legend: Sen. Jack McGregor | publisher=Pittsburgh Hockey.net}}</ref> After deciding on the "Penguin" nickname (which was inspired by the fact that the team was to play in the "Igloo", the nickname of the Pittsburgh Civic Arena),<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.letsgopens.com/pensname.php | publisher=LetsGoPens.com | title=Why the name Pittsburgh Penguins? | date=2002-09-19}}</ref> a logo was chosen that had a penguin in front of a triangle, which symbolized the "[[Golden Triangle (Pittsburgh)|Golden Triangle]]" of downtown Pittsburgh."<ref>{{cite web | url=http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NHLPage&bcid=his_history | title=Uniform History | publisher=Pittsburgh Penguins}}</ref> The Penguins' first general manager, [[Jack Riley (ice hockey b. 1919)|Jack Riley]] opened the first preseason camp for the franchise in [[Brantford, Ontario]]<ref>{{cite news|title=Penguins Start Training Sessions|url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=L8pRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=bGwDAAAAIBAJ&dq=pittsburgh%20penguins&pg=1504%2C2339093|newspaper=''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''|date=September 14, 1967}}</ref> on September 13, 1967, playing the franchise's first exhibition match in Brantford against the [[Philadelphia Flyers]] on September 23, 1967. The Pens, along with the rest of the expansion teams were hampered by restrictive rules that kept most major talent with the "[[Original Six]]". Beyond aging sniper [[Andy Bathgate]] and tough defenseman [[Leo Boivin]], the first Penguins team was manned by a cast of former minor leaguers. On October 11, 1967, league president [[Clarence Campbell]] and McGregor jointly dropped the ceremonial first puck of the Penguins opening home game against the [[Montreal Canadiens]].<ref name="Steel City Legend" /> On October 21, 1967, they became the first team from the expansion class to beat an Original Six team, as they defeated the [[Chicago Blackhawks|Chicago Black Hawks]] 4–2. However, the Penguins went 27–34–13, missing the playoffs and ending with the third worst record in the league. Though Bathgate led the team in scoring, both he and Boivin were soon gone. [[George Sullivan (ice hockey)|George Sullivan]] was the head coach for the club's first two seasons until he was replaced by [[Hockey Hall of Fame]]r [[Red Kelly]]. ===Triumph of Playoff berths and Tragedy of Briere (1970–1974)=== With the exception of a handful of decent players such as [[Ken Schinkel]], [[Keith McCreary]], agitator [[Bryan Watson (ice hockey)|Bryan Watson]] and goaltender [[Les Binkley]], talent was otherwise thin, but enough for the Penguins to reach the playoffs in both 1970 and 1972. In the [[1969 NHL Entry Draft|1969 draft]] the Penguins selected [[Michel Brière|Michel Briere]] who although being chosen 26th soon was drawing comparisons to [[Phil Esposito]] and [[Bobby Clarke]]. Joining the team in November, he finished as the top rookie scorer in the NHL with 44 points (57th overall), and third on the Penguins. Briere placed second in [[Calder Memorial Trophy]] voting for Rookie of the Year honors to Chicago goalie [[Tony Esposito]] in leading Pittsburgh to its first NHL playoff berth since the 1928 Pirates. The Penguins defeated the [[Oakland Seals]] in a four game sweep in the quarter-finals, with Briere scoring the series-clinching goal in overtime. In the semi-final round, defending conference champions [[St. Louis Blues]] got the best of the Penguins during six games. Briere led the team in playoff scoring, recording five goals (including three game winners) and eight points. Tragedy struck the Penguins just days after their playoff heroics. On May 15, 1970, Briere was in a car crash in his native [[Quebec]], suffering brain trauma and going into a coma from which he would never recover, dying a year later. His #21 jersey was never reissued, remaining out of circulation for the Penguins until it was formally retired in 2001. [[1970-71 NHL season|The next season]] the Penguins finished five games out of the playoffs with a 21–37–20 record, the fourth worst record in the league. Pittsburgh achieved a playoff berth in [[1971-72 NHL season|1972]] only to be swept by the [[Chicago Blackhawks|Chicago Black Hawks]] in the first round. The Penguins battled the [[California Golden Seals]] for the division cellar in [[1973–74 NHL season|1974]], when Riley was fired as general manager and replaced with [[Jack Button]]. Button traded for [[Steve Durbano]], [[Ab DeMarco, Jr.|Ab DeMarco]], [[Bob Kelly (ice hockey b. 1946)|Bob "Battleship" Kelly]] and [[Bob Paradise]]. The personnel moves proved successful, as the team improved to a 28–41–9 record, although they remained nine points away from a playoff berth. In early 1975, however, the Penguins' creditors demanded payment of back debts, forcing the team into [[bankruptcy]]. The doors to the team's offices were padlocked, and it looked like the Penguins might fold or relocate.{{Citation needed|date=January 2012}} Around the same time, rumors had begun to circulate that the Penguins and [[California Golden Seals]] were to be relocated to [[Seattle]] and [[Denver]] respectively, the two cities that were to have been the sites of an expansion for the [[1976–77 NHL season|1976–77 season]].<ref>[http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lfRUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3DwNAAAAIBAJ&dq=pittsburgh%20penguins%20seattle&pg=1128%2C1617031 Penguins Like Feel of Home]</ref> Through the intervention of a group that included former [[Minnesota North Stars]] head coach [[Wren Blair]], the team was prevented from folding and remained in Pittsburgh. ===Playoff Runs and a Uniform Change (1975–1982)=== Beginning in the mid-seventies, Pittsburgh iced some powerful offensive clubs, led by the likes of the "Century Line" of [[Syl Apps, Jr.|Syl Apps]], [[Lowell MacDonald]] and [[Jean Pronovost]]. They nearly reached the Stanley Cup semifinals in [[1974–75 NHL season|1975]], but were ousted from the playoffs by the [[New York Islanders]] in one of the only three best-of-seven game series in NHL history where a team came back from being down three games to none. As the 1970s wore on, the Penguins brought in other offensive weapons such as [[Rick Kehoe]], [[Pierre Larouche]] and [[Ron Schock]], along with solid blue-liners [[Ron Stackhouse]] and [[Dave Burrows]]. But the Pens' success beyond the regular season was always neutralized by mediocre team defense. Goaltender [[Denis Herron]] was a stalwart in goal for parts of six seasons. [[Baz Bastien|Aldege "Baz" Bastien]], a former coach and general manager of the AHL Hornets, later became general manager. The Penguins missed the playoffs in [[1977–78 NHL season|1977–78]] when their offense lagged, and Larouche was traded for [[Peter Mahovlich]] and [[Peter Lee (ice hockey)|Peter Lee]]. Bastien traded prime draft choices for several players whose best years were already behind them, such as [[Orest Kindrachuk]], [[Tom Bladon]] and [[Rick MacLeish]], and the team would suffer in the early 1980s as a result. The decade closed with a playoff appearance in 1979 and a rousing opening series win over the [[Buffalo Sabres]] before a second-round sweep at the hands of the [[Boston Bruins]]. The Penguins began the 1980s by changing their team colors. In January 1980, the team switched from wearing blue and white to their present-day scheme of black and gold to honor Pittsburgh's other sports teams, the [[Pittsburgh Pirates|Pirates]] and the [[Pittsburgh Steelers|Steelers]], as well as the [[Flag of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Flag of Pittsburgh]]. Both the Pirates and Steelers had worn black and gold for decades, and both were fresh off world championship seasons at that time. The Bruins protested this color change, claiming a monopoly on black and gold, but the Penguins defended their choice by stating that the [[Pittsburgh Pirates (NHL)|NHL Pirates]] also used black and gold as their team colors, and that that black and gold were Pittsburgh's traditional sporting colors. The NHL agreed, and Pittsburgh was allowed to use black and gold. On the ice, the Penguins began the 1980s with defenseman [[Randy Carlyle]], and prolific scorers [[Paul Gardner (ice hockey)|Paul Gardner]] and [[Mike Bullard (ice hockey)|Mike Bullard]], but little else. During the early part of the decade, the Penguins made a habit of being a tough draw for higher-seeded opponents in the playoffs. In 1980, the 13th seeded Penguins took the Bruins to the limit in their first round playoff series. The following season, as the 15th seed, they lost the decisive game of their first-round series in overtime to the heavily favored St. Louis Blues. Then, in the [[1981–82 NHL season|1982 playoffs]], the Penguins held a 3–1 lead late in the fifth and final game of their playoff series against the reigning champions, the [[New York Islanders]]. However, the Islanders rallied to force overtime and won the series on a goal by [[John Tonelli]]. It would be the Pens' final playoff appearance until [[1988–89 NHL season|1989]]. ===Decline and the arrival of Mario Lemieux (1983–1988)=== The team had the league's worst record in both the [[1982–83 NHL season|1983]] and [[1983–84 NHL season|1984]] seasons, and with the team suffering financial problems, it again looked as though the Penguins would fold. [[Mario Lemieux]], one of the most highly touted NHL draft picks in history, was due to be drafted in the [[1984 NHL Entry Draft]]. Heading towards the end of the season ahead of the [[New Jersey Devils]], who were placed last, the Penguins made a number of questionable moves that appeared to weaken the team in the short-term. The Penguins posted three six-game winless streaks in the last 21 games of the season and earned the right to draft Lemieux amidst protests from Devils management.<ref>[http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09351/1021485-125.stm Did the Penguins tank the '83–'84 season to draft Lemieux] Pittsburgh Post-Gazette</ref> Pittsburgh coach [[Lou Angotti]] later admitted that a conscious decision was made to finish the season as the team with the worst record, stating in an interview with the ''[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]'' that a mid-season lunch prompted the plan, in light of the fact that there was a high chance of the franchise folding if Lemieux was not drafted.<ref name="Angotti">[http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04088/292486.stm Finder: Lessons can be learned from Angotti and 1984] Pittsburgh Post-Gazette</ref> In particular, Angotti gave the example of a game the Penguins were winning 3–1, at which point general manager [[Eddie Johnston]] asked the coach "what are you doing?" in the first intermission of the game that was eventually lost 6–3. The Penguins were still, despite losing ten of their last twelve games, only two games away from losing Lemieux to the Devils.<ref name="Angotti"/> However, Angotti stated that he did not feel comfortable with the plan, even though it worked and saved the franchise. Other teams offered substantial trade packages for the draft choice, but the Penguins kept the pick and drafted Lemieux first overall. [[Image:Mario Lemieux 2001.jpg|upright|thumb|[[Mario Lemieux]] played for the Penguins from 1984–94, 1995–97, 2000–06.]] Lemieux paid dividends right away, scoring on the first shot of his first shift in his first NHL game. However, the team spent four more years out of the playoffs after his arrival. In the late 1980s, the Penguins finally gave Lemieux a strong supporting cast, trading for superstar defenseman [[Paul Coffey]] from the [[Edmonton Oilers]] (after the Oilers' [[1986–87 NHL season|1987]] [[Stanley Cup]] win) and bringing in young talent such as scorers [[Kevin Stevens]], [[Rob Brown (ice hockey)|Rob Brown]] and [[John Cullen]] from the minors. Also, the team at last acquired a top-flight goaltender with the acquisition of [[Tom Barrasso]] from Buffalo. All this talent had an immediate impact in helping Lemieux lead the Pens; but the Penguins struggled to make the playoffs. The [[1985–86 NHL season|1985–86]] Pens unluckily missed the playoffs on the final day of the season by one game. In [[1986–87 NHL season|1986–87]] the Penguins missed the playoffs by just two games and saw four teams with equal or worse records qualify. In [[1987–88 NHL season|1987–88]] the team again missed the playoffs on the last day of the season by one game. ===The Era of Mario Lemieux (1989–1997)=== In [[1988–89 NHL season|1989]], Pittsburgh finally broke through the barrier and made the playoffs, on the back of Lemieux leading the league in goals, assists and points. On December 31, 1988, Lemieux became the only player in history to score a goal in all five possible game situations in the same game (even strength, shorthanded, penalty shot, power play, and empty net). The Pens shocked the [[New York Rangers]] in a four game sweep in the first round, however their run was halted by the [[Philadelphia Flyers]] in the second round. The seven game defeat featured Mario Lemieux scoring five goals in the fifth game. A herniated disc in Lemieux's back cut short his [[1989–90 NHL season|1989–90]] NHL season, although he still amassed 123 points. However this was not enough and the Pens slipped out of the playoff picture. The Penguins opted to strengthen their roster and support Lemieux in the 1990 offseason. Free agent signings ([[Bryan Trottier]]) and talents acquired via trade ([[Joe Mullen]], [[Larry Murphy (ice hockey)|Larry Murphy]], [[Ron Francis]] and [[Ulf Samuelsson]]) played a major part of this. The signings culminated in the Penguins winning their first Stanley Cup by defeating the [[Minnesota North Stars]] in the [[Stanley Cup]] finals in six games, punctuated by a 8–0 victory in the deciding game, the largest margin of victory in a final Cup game in over 80 years. After the [[1991 Stanley Cup Finals]], the Penguins met with President [[George H. W. Bush]], the first NHL team to ever visit the [[White House]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.penguinjersey.com/Common/open.php | title=Pittsburgh Hockey History | publisher=PenguinsJersey.com}}</ref> The following season, the team lost coach [[Bob Johnson (ice hockey b. 1931)|Bob Johnson]] to [[cancer]], and [[Scotty Bowman]] took over as coach. Under Bowman, they swept the [[Chicago Blackhawks]] to repeat as Stanley Cup champions in [[1991–92 NHL season|1991–92]]. [[Cancer]] revisited the Penguins in 1993, when Lemieux was diagnosed with [[Hodgkin's disease]]. Only two months after the diagnosis, missing 24 out of 84 games, he came back to win his fourth [[Art Ross Trophy]] as scoring champion with 160 points, edging out [[Pat LaFontaine]] and [[Adam Oates]]. Despite the off-ice difficulties, Pittsburgh finished with a 56–21–7 record – the franchise's best regular season ever – winning the franchise's first (and, as of 2012, only) [[Presidents' Trophy]]. After Lemieux's return, the team played better than it ever had before, winning an NHL-record 17 consecutive games. Despite all of this success, they were eliminated in the second round by the [[New York Islanders]] in overtime of Game 7. [[Image:Penguins 3 Stanley Cup Banners.jpg|thumb|left|The Penguins' three Stanley Cup championship banners during the [[Civic Arena (Pittsburgh)|Mellon Arena]]'s final season.]] The Penguins continued to be a formidable team throughout the 1990s. The stars of the Stanley Cup years were followed by the likes of forwards [[Alexei Kovalev]], [[Martin Straka]], [[Aleksey Morozov]], [[Robert Lang (ice hockey)|Robert Lang]] and [[Petr Nedvěd|Petr Nedved]], and defensemen [[Sergei Zubov]], [[Darius Kasparaitis]] and [[Kevin Hatcher]]. The Pens would use this talent to reach the first round of the playoffs in 1994, the second round in 1995, seven game into the conference finals in 1996, until the success was halted a five-game first round exit to the [[Philadelphia Flyers]] in 1997. ===Mario Lemieux Retires and Returns, Second Bankruptcy (1998–2001)=== Mario Lemieux also then announced retirement due to health-related issues. Lemieux was so respected in the league, and his achievements over the course of his career were so great, that he was inducted into the [[Hockey Hall of Fame]] in the same year as he retired, the three-year waiting period being waived. However, it left the Penguins struggling to fill in the void he had left, with a first round exit in 1998 despite being the second seeded team in the East followed by a second round exit in 1999 this time from eighth seed. In 2000 the Penguins stunned the highly touted Washington Capitals 4–1 in the first round only to fall to the [[Philadelphia Flyers]] 4–2 in the second round. The Penguins were simultaneously in the midst of a battle for their survival. Their free-spending ways in the early 1990s came with a price; at one point they owed over $90 million to various creditors. Owners [[Howard Baldwin]] and [[Morris Belzberg]] (who bought the Penguins after their first Cup win) asked the players to defer their salaries to help pay the bills. When the deferred salaries finally came due, combined with other financial pressures, the Penguins were forced to file for Chapter 11 [[bankruptcy]] in November 1998. For much of the 1998–99 season, it looked like the Penguins would either move or fold. {{Citation needed|date=February 2012}} At this point, Lemieux stepped in with an unusual proposal. Years of deferred salary adding up to $30 million made him one of the team's largest creditors. He proposed to recover this money by converting it into equity and buying the team, and promised to keep it in Pittsburgh. The league and the court agreed, and Lemieux, with help from supermarket tycoon [[Ronald Burkle]], assumed control on September 3, 1999 — thus saving the franchise for the second time. Lemieux shocked the hockey world by deciding to come back as a player on December 27, 2000, having gained a stake in ownership of the franchise in 1999, becoming the first player–owner in NHL history. Lemieux helped lead the Penguins deep into the [[2000–01 NHL season|2001]] playoffs, highlighted by an overtime victory against the [[Buffalo Sabres]] in Game 7 of the second round. Kasparaitis scored the series-clinching goal to advance the Penguins to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they lost in five games to the [[New Jersey Devils]]. ===Bankruptcy, Losing Seasons, Rebuilding and Mario Lemieux Retires again (2002–2006)=== [[File:Marc-Andre Fleury3.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Penguins goaltender [[Marc-Andre Fleury]], drafted first overall in 2003.]] The Penguins attendance had dwindled in the late 90s. In 1998–99, the Penguins had an average attendance 14,825 tickets at home games, the lowest it had been since Lemieux's rookie year.<ref name="attendance">[http://www.hockeycentral.co.uk/penguins/records/Penguins-Records.php Hockey Central] Penguins attendance records</ref> Reducing revenue on top of the previous bankruptcy necessitated salary shedding. The biggest salary move was the trading of superstar [[Jaromir Jagr]] to the [[Washington Capitals]] in the summer of 2001. The return for Jagr was mediocre, at best, as it returned prospects [[Kris Beech]], [[Michal Sivek]], and [[Ross Lupaschuk]]. The Penguins missed the playoffs for the first time in 12 years in [[2001–02 NHL season|2002]], finishing in a tie for third-to-last in the conference. Further financial difficulties saw them trade [[Alexei Kovalev]] to the [[New York Rangers]] the next season, quickly followed by the departure of Lang in free agency. The 2002–03 season was little better, with the team finishing second-last in the conference. The situation began to echo the dark days of the early 1980s. However, just like in the 1980s, the Penguins used the opportunity to rebuild through the draft and acquire elite prospects. In the [[2003 NHL Entry Draft]], the Penguins picked with their first-overall selection goaltender [[Marc-André Fleury|Marc-Andre Fleury]]. The 2003–04 season was a difficult ordeal, with Lemieux suffering a season-ending hip injury early in the season, and attendance dipping to an average of 11,877 (the lowest average out of any NHL team) and only one game sold out.<ref name="attendance"/> As the season went on, the Penguins signed new head coach (and former Penguin and commentator) [[Eddie Olczyk]], traded [[Martin Straka]] to the [[Los Angeles Kings]], and opted not to include the highly rated Fleury in the lineup for the bulk of the 03–04 season. This culminated in the worst record in the NHL, winning just 23 games, putting the Penguins in line to draft 'can't-miss' Russian phenom [[Alexander Ovechkin]] with the number one pick. However, the Penguins were unable to secure the first overall draft pick as they lost the draft lottery for the [[2004 NHL Entry Draft]] to the [[Washington Capitals]]. Ovechkin went to Washington, but the Penguins did select [[Evgeni Malkin]] with the second overall pick. Several years later, Malkin would be hailed as the best pick of that draft; a pick that would help to propel the Penguins back to a competitive level in future years. The Penguins had collapsed financially since the cup winning years of the early 90s. The situation was so dire that there was a suggestion that the franchise be moved to [[Kansas City, Missouri]].<ref>[http://penguins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=590199 It was a great night for hockey – in Kansas City]</ref> The [[2004-05 NHL season]] was canceled due to the NHL lockout. One of the many reasons for the lockout included disagreements on the resolution of the financial struggles of teams like the Penguins and Ottawa Senators, who had filed for bankruptcy protection.<ref>[http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2003/01/09/senators_030109.html Judge grants Ottawa senators bankruptcy protection]</ref> In the midst of the lockout, the Penguins dispersed between the club's [[American Hockey League]] affiliate [[Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins]] and European leagues. Morozov and [[Milan Kraft]] would elect to not return to the Penguins after the lockout, and instead remain in the European leagues. With the lockout resolved in 2005, the league organized an unprecedented draft lottery to set the 2005 draft order. The draft lottery, which was held behind closed doors in a "secure location", ended with the Penguins holding the first overall pick for the second time in three years.<ref name="lottery">[http://slumz.boxden.com/f16/penguins-wins-nhl-draft-lottery-right-draft-sidney-crosby-first-overall-370549/ Penguins win NHL draft lottery: earn right to draft Sidney Crosby 1st overall]</ref> The Penguins chose highly touted junior league player [[Sidney Crosby]] from the [[Rimouski Océanic]] of the [[Quebec Major Junior Hockey League]], who had been training with Lemieux over the summer.<ref name="lottery"/> The Penguins then began rebuilding the team under a salary cap. They signed free agents [[Sergei Gonchar]], [[John LeClair]], and [[Zigmund Palffy]], and traded for goaltender [[Jocelyn Thibault]]. However, [[Evgeni Malkin]], the Penguins' [[2004 NHL Entry Draft]] selection with their 2nd overall pick, could not come to Pittsburgh immediately due to a dispute with his Russian league. The addition of Crosby paid dividends in attendance and revenue – with attendance rising by approximately 4,000 on average in the 2005–2006<ref name="attendance"/> – but was not as effective in translating to wins, as the team began the season with a long winless skid that resulted in a coaching change from Olczyk to [[Michel Therrien]]. Palffy announced his retirement due to a lingering shoulder injury while the team's second-leading scorer. Then on January 24, 2006, Lemieux announced his second retirement, this time for good, after developing an [[Atrial fibrillation|irregular heart beat]]. He finished as the NHL's seventh all-time scorer (1,723), eighth in goals (690) and tenth in assists (1,033), but also with the second highest career points per game average (1.88), which is second to [[Wayne Gretzky]]'s 1.92.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2304087 | publisher=[[ESPN]] | title=Lemieux announces retirement | date=2006-01-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last=Allen | first=Kevin | url=http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/nhl/penguins/2006-01-24-lemieux-retire_x.htm | work=[[USA Today]] | title=Lemieux says goodbye for final time | date=2006-01-25}}</ref> As the poor season continued, Crosby had a highly productive rookie season. On the Penguins' final game of the season, Crosby scored a goal and an assist to become the top scoring rookie in Penguins history with 102 points (eclipsing Lemieux), despite losing the rookie scoring race to Russian superstar Ovechkin, who, unlike Malkin, was also set to debut that season, been able to make his way to the NHL. The Penguins once again posted the worst record of the Eastern Conference and the highest goals-against in the league. They received the second overall draft pick after losing the lottery, their fourth top 2 pick in four years, in the [[2006 NHL Draft]] and picked highly touted two-way forward [[Jordan Staal]]. The team announced on April 20 that the contract for General Manager [[Craig Patrick]] would not be renewed. Patrick had been GM since December 1989. On May 25, [[Ray Shero]] signed a five-year contract as General Manager. ===The Crosby-Malkin Era (2006–present)=== ====2006–07 season: The entry of Malkin and an arena deal==== [[File:Evgeni Malkin 2012-02-26.JPG|thumb|upright|250px|Penguins star [[Evgeni Malkin]], drafted 2nd overall in 2004, would make an immediate impact in his rookie season, driving the Penguins to their first playoff appearance in six years]] [[File:Jordan Staal2.jpg|thumb|right|225px|[[Jordan Staal]], drafted 2nd overall in 2006, scored 29 goals in his first NHL season]] Change came for the Penguins on October 18, 2006, when the rookie [[Evgeni Malkin]] made his NHL debut. He went on to set the modern NHL record with a goal in each of his first six games. On February 27, 2007, the Penguins acquired [[Gary Roberts (ice hockey)|Gary Roberts]] from [[Florida Panthers|Florida]] and [[Georges Laraque]] from [[Phoenix Coyotes|Phoenix]]. Malkin would go on to tally points in 16 consecutive games with 14 wins and 2 OT losses in early 2007. The streak ended on February 19 with a last-minute loss to the [[New York Islanders]].<ref>{{Cite document | url=http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20062007/GS020892.HTM | title=Game Summary | publisher=[[National Hockey League|NHL]] | date=2007-02-19 | postscript=<!--None-->}}</ref> It was the second longest point streak in club history. The Pittsburgh Penguins have had to deal with a number of threats {{Citation needed|date=January 2012}} to relocate. As early as the mid-1970s, with the Penguins struggling to make the playoffs, the ownership group experienced cash flow issues and sought to sell the team, even if it meant [[Relocation of professional sports teams|relocation]] or merging. A decade later, a similar financial situation faced the team. As recently as the [[2006–07 Pittsburgh Penguins season|2006–07 season]], nearing the end of their most recent draft rebuild, the franchise ownership sought alternatives that would provide a [[Returns (economics)|return]] on their [[investment]]. Various prospective owners sought to buy the team; however, the Lemieux Group eventually decided to keep ownership rather than sell the team to the highest bidder, thus resulting in the Penguins being set to remain in Pittsburgh. As in the mid-1970s and 1980s, the fanbase and local government officials were successful in persuading the ownership that Pittsburgh and the surrounding region were capable of meeting the needs of a modern NHL team. The possible relocation sites about which there was the greatest speculation and discussion were [[Houston]], [[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]], [[Oklahoma City]] and Hamilton, Ontario. The decision to keep the team in Pittsburgh proved favorable, as the Penguins enjoyed franchise-record home crowds throughout the [[2007–08 NHL season]] and [[2008 Stanley Cup playoffs]] – which were more successful given the presence of young superstar Evgeni Malkin – in some cases, their home playoff games were sold out in minutes.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sager |first=Joe |url=http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=356694 |publisher=Pittsburgh Penguins |title=Pens Fans Set Sellout Record |date=2008-03-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://kdka.com/sports/penguins/Penguins.tickets.playoffs.2.702941.html | publisher=[[KDKA-TV]] |title=Pittsburgh Penguins Tickets For second Playoff Round Sold Out}}</ref> On March 13, 2007, in a joint announcement by [[List of Governors of Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania Governor]] [[Ed Rendell]], [[Allegheny County, Pennsylvania|Allegheny County]] [[County executive|Chief Executive]] [[Dan Onorato]], [[Pittsburgh]] [[Mayor of Pittsburgh|Mayor]] [[Luke Ravenstahl]], and [[Mario Lemieux]] of the Pittsburgh Penguins ownership group, it was made public that an agreement had been reached between the parties. A new state-of-the-art multi-purpose arena, the [[Consol Energy Center]], will be built, guaranteeing that the Penguins will remain in Pittsburgh. Following the announcement of this plan, the Lemieux ownership group announced that they no longer have plans to sell the team. On June 8, 2007, a $325 million [[Bond (finance)|bond]] was issued and the Penguins signed a 30-year [[lease]], binding the Penguins to the city of Pittsburgh for the next 30 years, and the lease agreement was signed on September 19. On May 6, 2008, the Pittsburgh planning commission unanimously approved the final design. The arena will include a glass [[Atrium (architecture)|atrium]] overlooking downtown Pittsburgh and rooftop lights shining into the sky. The new [[US dollars|$]]290 million dollar arena was expected to open in time for the 2010–11 NHL season.<ref>{{cite web | title=Penguins to open new arena in 2010–11 season | url=http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?articleid=335606&page=NewsPage&service=page | publisher=[[NHL.com]] | date=2007-08-02}}{{dead link|date=August 2010}}</ref> On August 14, 2008, the ground breaking ceremony for the new arena was held, thus officially beginning construction on the new facility. On December 15, 2008, it was announced by the Penguins they had entered into an agreement with Consol Energy on a 21 year deal for naming rights to the new arena. The Penguins finished the 2006–07 season in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 47–24–11, totaling 105 points, only two points behind the division winner, [[New Jersey Devils]]. It was the franchise's first 100-point season in 11 years, and represented a healthy 47-point leap from the previous season. In the first round of the [[2007 Stanley Cup playoffs]], the Penguins were defeated 4–1, by Stanley Cup runners-up, the [[Ottawa Senators]]. At the season's end, rookies Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal were finalists for the [[Calder Memorial Trophy]], awarded to the Rookie of the Year, which Malkin won. ====2007–08 season: Runners up==== [[Image:SidneyCrosby.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Current Penguins captain [[Sidney Crosby]], drafted first overall in 2005]] After a mediocre start to the [[2007–08 NHL season|2007–08 season]], Crosby and starting goaltender Fleury were both injured long-term due to high right ankle sprains. In their absence, the Penguins flourished due to the play and leadership of center [[Evgeni Malkin]] and backup goaltender [[Ty Conklin]]. The Penguins markedly improved in January, and fell no lower than the third seed in the East from that point onward. On February 26, the Penguins would acquire Atlanta star right winger [[Marian Hossa]] and forward [[Pascal Dupuis]] at the NHL trade deadline, relinquishing [[Colby Armstrong]], [[Erik Christensen]], [[Angelo Esposito]], and a first round pick in the [[2008 NHL Entry Draft]]. The Penguins also acquired defensemen [[Hal Gill]] from the [[Toronto Maple Leafs]] for a second round pick in the [[2008 NHL Entry Draft]] and a fifth round pick in the [[2009 NHL Entry Draft]]. On April 2, 2008, the Penguins clinched the Atlantic Division title—their first division title in 10 years—with a 4–2 win against rivals the [[Philadelphia Flyers]]. However, they closed the season with a loss to the Flyers on the next night, relegating them to the second seed in the East behind the [[Montreal Canadiens]]. The Pens had spent most of the second half going back and forth with the Habs for first place in the East. Evgeni Malkin finished the season with 106 points for second place in the league just behind Washington's [[Alexander Ovechkin]] and become a finalist for the [[Hart Memorial Trophy]]. This was the first time that neither the [[Devils–Flyers rivalry|New Jersey Devils nor the Philadelphia Flyers]] won the Atlantic Division since the New York Rangers won the inaugural one, when they won the [[1994 Stanley Cup Finals|1994 Stanley Cup]]. The team launched into their first extended playoff run in many years, beating Ottawa 4–0, defeating the New York Rangers 4–1 and then defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 4–1 to clinch the [[Prince of Wales Trophy]]. Pittsburgh went on to lose the [[2008 Stanley Cup Finals]] to the [[Detroit Red Wings]] in six games, finishing the playoffs with a 14–6 record. Sidney Crosby finished the playoffs with 27 points (6g, 21a in 20 games), tying Conn Smythe-winner Henrik Zetterberg (13g, 14a in 22 games) for the playoff scoring lead. ====2008–09 season: Third Stanley Cup==== {{Main|2008–09 Pittsburgh Penguins season}} [[Image:Stanley Cup Pittsburgh 2008-09 Engraved.jpg|thumb|Engraved names of the [[2009 Stanley Cup Finals|2009]] Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup championship team.]] In the [[2008–09 NHL season|2008–09 season]], Malkin won the Art Ross by narrowly defeating rival Ovechkin in the points race and was a candidate for the Hart Memorial Trophy for MVP. Crosby finished third in league scoring with 33 goals and 70 assists for 103 points despite missing 5 games. The Penguins' record dipped mid-season but lifted after head coach Michel Therrien was replaced by [[Dan Bylsma]] and defenseman [[Sergei Gonchar]] returned from injury. The effect was almost instantaneous and the Penguins recovered enough to secure home ice advantage in their first round matchup against the [[Philadelphia Flyers]], whom the Penguins defeated in six games. The next series, against Washington, took all seven games for the Penguins to win, sending them to the Eastern Conference Finals where they beat the [[Carolina Hurricanes]] in four games. After defeating the Hurricanes, the Penguins earned their second consecutive trip to the [[2009 Stanley Cup Finals|Stanley Cup Finals]] against the [[Detroit Red Wings]], to whom they had lost the previous. After losing Games 1 and 2 in Detroit, just like the previous years, the Penguins won Games 3 and 4 in Pittsburgh. Each team won on home ice in Games 5 and 6. In Game 7 in Detroit, [[Max Talbot]] scored two goals and the Penguins won 2–1 to earn their third [[Stanley Cup]].<ref>{{cite news | first=Kevin | last=Allen | title=Penguins ride Talbot to 2–1 Game 7 win over Red Wings | date=2009-06-13 | url =http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/cup/2009-06-12-penguins-red-wings-game-7_N.htm | work =USA Today | accessdate = 2009-07-02}}</ref> Malkin's dominant playoff performance was rewarded by the [[Conn Smythe]] trophy. ====2009–10 season: The last season at Mellon Arena==== {{Main|2009-10 Pittsburgh Penguins season}} On Friday October 2, the Penguins season got underway against the [[New York Rangers]]. It was the last home opener at the Mellon Arena and it was also the night the team raised the championship banner. The Penguins started the season by winning a franchise record seven road games to start a season.<ref>{{cite web|author=Aaron Beard |url=http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/recap?gid=2009101407 |title=Penguins beat Hurricanes 3–2 in shootout |publisher=Yahoo! Sports |date=2010-10-14 |accessdate=2010-12-29}}</ref> For the second straight year the Penguins finished the season in second place behind New Jersey. Crosby scored 109 points (51 goals, 58 assists) in 81 games finishing second in scoring to Henrik Sedin 112 points (29 goals, 83 assists) in 82 games. Crosbys 51 goals earning him the Maurice Rocket Richard Trophy awarded to the leading goal scorer of the NHL. The Penguins seeded 4th in the conference started their title defense against the [[Ottawa Senators]]. The Penguins lost Game 1 5–4 but went on to win the next 3. With the Penguins up 3–1 in their series, they looked to close out the series in 5 games. Game 5 went to 3 overtimes before [[Matt Carkner]] won the game. The Penguins won Game 6 in overtime despite being down 3–0 early in the game. In the next round the Penguins faced the [[Montreal Canadiens]]. The teams would swap wins with the Penguins taking a 3–2 series lead. The Penguins lost Game 6 4–3. In Game 7, the Penguins never got off on the right foot and lost 5–2 ending their season and their tenure at the [[Mellon Arena]]. In a weird twist, the Canadiens open and closed the Mellon Arena with wins. ====2010–11: New arena and beyond==== {{Main|2010-11 Pittsburgh Penguins season}} In 2010–11, the Penguins played their first game in the [[Consol Energy Center]], a loss to their rivals the [[Philadelphia Flyers]]. The start of the season was reasonably successful, and the Penguins played in the NHL Winter Classic versus the [[Washington Capitals]]. However, the season was marred by a season ending concussion to [[Sidney Crosby]] and a season ending knee injury to [[Evgeni Malkin]]. After some difficulties, the Penguins managed to cope, particularly through the enhanced play of Jordan Staal and a 10–3 record in shootouts, and ended up second in the [[Atlantic Division (NHL)|Atlantic Division]] to the Philadelphia Flyers. Despite this success, the Penguins made an early exit in the playoffs, losing the series after taking a 3 games to 1 lead over the [[Tampa Bay Lightning]], with the goaltending of [[Marc-Andre Fleury]] called into question. ====2011–12: Battling through injuries==== {{Main|2011–12 Pittsburgh Penguins season}} With Sidney Crosby still sidelined with [[post concussion syndrome]], Evgeni Malkin led the Penguins' top line and dominated league scoring. He finished with 50 goals and 109 points as the Penguins earned 51 wins on the season. The Penguins' offense was reinforced by the breakout performances of [[James Neal (ice hockey)|James Neal]], who scored 40 goals, and Jordan Staal, who set a career high in points while missing significant time with injuries. With Malkin's [[Art Ross Trophy|Art Ross]] winning performance and Crosby's late season return from injury, the Penguins headed into the playoffs with high hopes of making a significant Cup run. However, the highly favored Penguins were defeated in six games by their cross-state rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gelston|first=Dan|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=629282|title=Penguins humbled, disappointed after being ushered from playoffs by rival Flyers|publisher=National Hockey League|accessdate=2012-06-23|date=April 23, 2012}}</ref> Malkin was later awarded the [[Hart Trophy]] and Lester B. Pearson Award. Following the Penguins' disappointing playoff exit, general manager Ray Shero made sweeping changes to the team at the [[2012 NHL Entry Draft]]. After Jordan Staal rejected a 10-year offer to stay with the Penguins, he was traded to the [[Carolina Hurricanes]] for the 8th overall draft pick ([[Derrick Pouliot]]), [[Brandon Sutter]], and [[Brian Dumoulin]]. The Penguins then traded [[Zbynek Michalek]] to the [[Phoenix Coyotes]] for a third round draft pick, [[Marc Cheverie]], and minor prospect Harrison Ruopp. The Penguins also signed veteran goaltender [[Tomas Vokoun]] to a two-year contract after acquiring his negotiating rights for a 7th round draft pick.<ref>{{cite web|last=Masisak|first=Corey|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=635610|title=Penguins deal Jordan Staal to 'Canes|publisher=National Hockey League|accessdate=2012-06-23|date=June 22, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=399048|title=Penguins trade Michalek back to Phoenix for Ruopp, pick|publisher=TSN|accessdate=2012-06-23|date=June 23, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1207852-pittsburgh-penguins-acquire-goalie-tomas-vokoun-sign-him-to-a-2-year-deal|title=Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Goaltender Tomas Vokoun to Multi-Year Deal|publisher=Bleacher Report|accessdate=2012-11-24|date=June 4, 2012}}</ref> ==Logos and uniforms== <gallery> File:Pittsburgh Penguins Logo 1967-1968.svg|The original Penguins logo, used 1967–1968, Winter Classic 2011, Alternate Jersey 2011–Present File:Pittsburgh Penguins Logo 1968-1972.svg|Logo used 1968–1972, Winter Classic 2008; Alternate Jersey 2008–2011 File:Pittsburgh Penguins logo 1972-1992.svg|Logo used 1972–1992 File:Pittsburgh Penguins Logo 1992-2001.svg|Logo used 1992–2001 File:Pittsburgh Penguins Logo 1992–2001, Alternate 2001-2007.svg|Alternate logo used 2001–2007 (the Penguins logo from 1992–2001 period, with a Vegas gold triangle as opposed to yellow) Image:Pittsburgh Penguins logo.svg|Pittsburgh's current logo, used since 2001 (the Penguins logo from the 1972–1992 period, with a Vegas gold triangle as opposed to yellow) Image:Pittsburgh Penguins Typing.svg|Team wordmark, used 2003–2008 </gallery> With the exception of the 1992–2001 period, the Penguins have used a variation of the "skating penguin" logo since the team's inception. For their inaugural season, the logo featured a hefty-looking skating penguin wearing a scarf, on a yellow triangle inside a circle reading "Pittsburgh Penguins". The yellow triangle is a reference to the [[Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Golden Triangle]] in the city of Pittsburgh. General manager Jack Riley felt the team's name and logo were ridiculous, and refused to have either appear on the team's uniforms, which featured only the word "PITTSBURGH" diagonally. A refined version of the logo appeared on a redesigned uniform in the second season, which removed the scarf and gave the penguin a sleeker, "meaner" look. The circle encompassing the logo was removed mid-season in 1971–72. The team's colors were originally [[powder blue]], [[navy blue]], and white. The powder blue was changed to [[royal blue]] in 1973, but returned in 1977 when navy became the predominant uniform color. The team adopted the current black and gold color scheme in January 1980 (the announcement was made at halftime of [[Super Bowl XIV]]) to unify the colors of the city's professional sports teams, although like the [[Pittsburgh Pirates|Pirates]] and [[Pittsburgh Steelers|Steelers]], the shade of gold more closely resembled yellow. The change was not without controversy, as the [[Boston Bruins]] protested by claiming to own the rights to the black and gold colors. However the Penguins cited the colors worn by the now-defunct NHL team [[Pittsburgh Pirates (NHL)|Pittsburgh Pirates]] in the 1920s, thus were able to secure permission to use the black and gold colors. This would remain unchanged until the [[1992–93 NHL season|1992–93 season]], when the team unveiled new uniforms and a new logo. The logo featured a modern-looking "flying penguin". Although the logo survived in various forms for 15 years, it received mixed responses from fans and was never as widely accepted as the "skating penguin" logo. Longtime [[KDKA-TV|KDKA]] anchor [[Bill Burns (anchor)|Bill Burns]] even went as far as calling the penguin in the logo "a [[pigeon]]." After [[Mario Lemieux]] (a personal fan of the "skating penguin" logo) purchased the team from bankruptcy court in 1999, he announced plans to bring back the "skating penguin" logo. This occurred for the [[2000–01 NHL season|2000–01 season]], when the team revived the logo (albeit with a "Vegas gold" triangle instead of yellow) on the chest of the team's new [[third jersey|alternate jerseys]]. In 2002–2003, the logo became the primary logo, and the "flying penguin" logo (also with a "Vegas gold" triangle instead of yellow) was relegated to secondary status, and only on the shoulders of the team's jerseys, until it was quietly retired in 2007 when the team introduced their version of the [[Rbk Edge]] uniforms. The uniforms themselves have changed several times over the years. The original jerseys from the team's first season had diagonal text reading "Pittsburgh". Currently, only images of these uniforms survive, although the jersey is available in [[NHL Hitz 20-03]] and several [[EA Sports]] [[NHL series]] games as an alternate jersey for the team. The uniforms themselves were discovered nearly thirty years later in a garbage bag by a [[Mellon Arena|Civic Arena]] employee at the arena. Due to the years of neglect in the bag, the uniforms were damaged beyond repair. The following season, a revised version of the logo was used on a completely redesigned uniform. Player names were first added in 1970. Until 1977, the team had some minor striping patterns on the jerseys change every few years. But in 1977, the team basically adopted their longest-lasting uniform style to date and a style they would wear for the next 16 seasons, winning the [[Stanley Cup]] twice in the process. When the colors were swapped from blue and white to black and gold in 1980, the uniform patterns themselves remained unchanged. This was likely due to the fact that the change was made in the middle of the season. From the [[1981–82 NHL season|1981–82 season]] to the [[1984–85 NHL season|1984–85 season]], the team had a gold [[third jersey|"Sunday" jersey]], called as such because the team only worn them on Sundays. This was a rare example of an NHL team having a [[third jersey]] before the rule allowing such jerseys was officially implemented in 1995. After winning their second [[Stanley Cup]] in 1992, the team completely redesigned their uniforms and introduced the "flying penguin" logo. The team's away uniforms were somewhat of a throwback to the team's first season, as they revived the diagonal "Pittsburgh" script. In 1995, the team introduced their second [[third jersey|alternate jersey]], which was a black Penguins jersey with the team's logo and had blue accents, an obvious throwback to the original team colors. This jersey would prove to be so popular that the team adopted it as their away jersey in 1997. In 2000, the team unveiled yet another [[third jersey|alternate jersey]], the aforementioned black jersey featuring the revival of the "skating penguin" logo. This would later prove to be a test to see how the revived logo would do with fans, and the following season became the team's away uniform with a white version as the team's home jersey. This time, the gold used is known as "Vegas gold", a more metallic shade. When the [[Rbk Edge]] jerseys were unveiled for the [[2007–08 NHL season|2007–08 season]] leaguewide, the Penguins made some major striping pattern changes and quietly removed the "flying penguin" logo from the shoulders. They also added a "Pittsburgh 250" gold circular patch to the shoulders to commemorate the 250th birthday of the city of Pittsburgh. While the Penguins, as with the rest of the NHL, have worn their dark jerseys at home since the league made the initiative to do so starting with the [[2003–04 NHL season]], the team wore their white jerseys in some home games during the [[2007–08 NHL season]] and at least once during the [[2008–09 NHL season]], as well as wearing their powder blue, 1968–72 [[throwback uniform|throwbacks]] against the [[Buffalo Sabres]] in the [[AMP Energy NHL Winter Classic]]. On November 5, 2008, this jersey was introduced as the current third jersey. This was worn for select home games during the [[2008–09 NHL season|2008–09]], [[2009–10 NHL season|2009–10]] and [[2010–11 NHL season|2010–11 seasons]]. This throwback was supposedly to be retired with the introduction of a new dark blue [[third jersey]] that made its debut at the [[2011 NHL Winter Classic]] at [[Heinz Field]]<ref>{{cite news| url=http://post-gazette.com/pg/10149/1061717-61.stm | work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | title=Heinz 'in' place to be Jan. 1 | first=Shelly | last=Anderson | date=May 29, 2010}}</ref> but it has been worn at several games since the Winter Classic. The new 2011 Winter Classic jersey was first worn as the third jersey against the [[LA Kings]] on February 10, 2011. For the 2011–2012 season, the 2011 Winter Classic jersey is now the team's official [[Third jersey|third uniform]], with the 2008 Winter Classic uniform being retired.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11256/1174363-100.stm | work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | first=Dave | last=Molinari | title=Penguins to use Winter Classic sweaters | date=September 13, 2011}}</ref> ==Season-by-season record== {{main|List of Pittsburgh Penguins seasons}} This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Penguins. '''''Note:''' GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against'' <small>Records as of April 10, 2011.</small> {| class="wikitable" |- style="font-weight:bold; background:#ddd;" | |Season || GP || W || L || OTL || Pts || GF || GA || Finish || Playoffs |- |[[2007–08 NHL season|2007–08]] || 82 || 47 || 27 || 8 || 102 || 247 || 216 || 1st, Atlantic || Lost in '''Finals''', 2–4 ([[Detroit Red Wings|Red Wings]]) |-style="font-weight:bold" bgcolor="#eeeeee" |[[2008–09 NHL season|2008–09]] || 82 || 45 || 28 || 9 || 99 || 264 || 239 || 2nd, Atlantic || [[2009 Stanley Cup Finals|Stanley Cup Champions]], 4–3 ([[Detroit Red Wings|Red Wings]]) |- |[[2009–10 NHL season|2009–10]] || 82 || 47 || 28 || 7 || 101 || 257 || 237 || 2nd, Atlantic || Lost in Conference Semifinals, 3–4 ([[Montreal Canadiens|Canadiens]]) |- style="background:#eee;" |[[2010–11 NHL season|2010–11]] || 82 || 49 || 25 || 8 || 106 || 238 || 199 || 2nd, Atlantic || Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 3–4 ([[Tampa Bay Lightning|Lightning]]) |- |[[2011–12 NHL season|2011–12]] || 82 || 51 || 25 || 6 || 108 || 282 || 221 || 2nd, Atlantic || Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2–4 ([[Philadelphia Flyers|Flyers]]) |} ==Players== ===Current roster=== {{Pittsburgh Penguins roster}} ===Retired numbers=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Pittsburgh Penguins Retired Numbers |- ! width=40px" | No. ! width=130px" |Player ! width=40px" |Position ! width=150px" |Career ! width=150px" |No. retirement |- | '''21'''<ref>{{cite web|last=Kovacevic|first=Dejan|title=Penguins Report: 01/06/01|url=http://old.post-gazette.com/penguins/20010106penslog7.asp|publisher=''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''|accessdate=March 3, 2013|date=January 6, 2001}}</ref> || [[Michel Brière|Michel Briere]] || C || {{NHL Year|1969|start}}–{{NHL Year|1969|end}} || January 5, 2001{{ref label|Note1|A|A}} |- | '''66'''<ref>{{cite web|last=Robinson|first=Alan|title=Lemieux Teary as His Jersey Retired|url=http://old.post-gazette.com/Penguins/mario.asp|publisher=''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''|accessdate=March 3, 2013|date=November 20, 1997}}</ref> || [[Mario Lemieux]] || C || {{NHL Year|1984|start}}–{{NHL Year|1997|end}}, {{NHL Year|2000|start}}–{{NHL Year|2006|end}} || November 19, 1997{{ref label|Note1|B|B}} |- | '''99'''<ref>{{cite web|title=Gretzky's number retired before All-Star Game|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/hockey/nhl/2000/nhl_allstar/news/2000/02/06/gretzky_99/|publisher=''Sports Illustrated''|accessdate=March 3, 2013|date=February 7, 2000}}</ref> || [[Wayne Gretzky]] || C || — || February 6, 2000{{ref label|Note1|C|C}} |} ;Notes *{{Note label|Note1|A|A}} Taken out of circulation following Briere's death (1971) but not officially retired until January 5, 2001. *{{Note label|Note1|B|B}} Lemieux's number was "unretired" when he began his comeback on December 27, 2000. The #66 was then re-retired on October 5, 2006. *{{Note label|Note1|C|C}} Although Gretzky did not play for the team, the NHL retired the #99 for all its teams. ===Hall of Famers=== ;Players *[[Andy Bathgate]], RW, (1967–68, 1970–71) inducted 1978 *[[Leo Boivin]], D, (1967–69) inducted 1986 *[[Paul Coffey]], D, (1987–92) inducted 2004 *[[Ron Francis]], C, (1990–98) inducted 2007 *[[Tim Horton]], D, (1971–72) inducted 1977 *[[Mario Lemieux]], C, (1984–97, 2000–06) inducted 1997 *[[Joe Mullen]], RW, (1990–95, 1996–97) inducted 2000 *[[Larry Murphy (ice hockey)|Larry Murphy]], D, (1990–95) inducted 2004 *[[Luc Robitaille]], LW, (1995) inducted 2009 *[[Bryan Trottier]], C, (1990–94) inducted 1997 ;Builders *[[Scotty Bowman]], director of player development & head coach, (1990–93) inducted 1991 *[[Bob Johnson (ice hockey b. 1931)|Bob Johnson]], head coach, (1990–91) inducted 1992 *[[Craig Patrick]], GM & head coach, (1989–06) inducted 2001 *[[Herb Brooks]], head coach, (1999–2000), head scout (1994–99, 2000–03) inducted 2006 ;Other *Media – [[Mike Lange]], broadcaster (1974–75, 1976–present) inducted 2001 – [[Foster Hewitt Memorial Award]] *Media – [[Dave Molinari]], Newspaper Writer [[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] inducted 2009 – [[Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award]] ===Penguins Hall of Fame=== *[[Bob Johnson (ice hockey coach)|Bob Johnson]], head coach (1990–91) inducted 1992 *[[Jean Pronovost]], RW (1968–78) inducted 1992 *[[Rick Kehoe]], RW (1974–85) inducted 1992 *[[Syl Apps, Jr.]], C (1970–78) inducted 1994 *[[Edward J. DeBartolo Sr.]], owner (1977–91) inducted 1996 *[[Dave Burrows]], D (1971–78, 1980–82) inducted 1996 *Elaine Heufelder, front office (1967–2003) inducted 1996 *[[Mario Lemieux]], C (1984–97, 2000–06), owner (1999–present) inducted 1999 *[[Jack Riley (ice hockey b. 1919)|Jack Riley]], GM (1967–70, 1972–74) inducted 1999 *[[Joe Mullen]], RW (1990–95, 1996–97) inducted 2000 *[[Craig Patrick]], GM (1989–2006) inducted 2001 *[[Mike Lange]], broadcaster (1974–75, 1976–present) inducted 2001 *Anthony "A.T." Caggiano, locker room (1967–2000) inducted 2001 *[[Les Binkley]], G (1967–1972) inducted 2003 *[[Ulf Samuelsson]], D (1991–1995) inducted 2003 *[[Vince Lascheid]], organist (1970–2003) inducted 2003 *[[Paul Coffey]], D (1987–1992) inducted 2007 *Frank Sciulli, locker room (1967–2007) inducted 2007 ===Team captains=== <div style="float:left; width:48%;"> *[[Ab McDonald]], 1967–68 *[[Ron Schock]], 1973–77 *[[Jean Pronovost]], 1977–78 *[[Orest Kindrachuk]], 1978–81 *[[Randy Carlyle]], 1981–84 *[[Mike Bullard (ice hockey)|Mike Bullard]], 1984–86 *[[Terry Ruskowski]], 1986–87 *[[Dan Frawley (ice hockey)|Dan Frawley]], 1987 </div><div style="float:right; width:48%;"> *[[Mario Lemieux]], 1987–94 *[[Ron Francis]], 1995<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=10497 | title=Ron Francis | publisher=Legends of Hockey | accessdate=2008-02-04}}</ref> *Mario Lemieux, 1995–97 *Ron Francis, 1997–98 *[[Jaromír Jágr|Jaromir Jagr]], 1998–2001 *Mario Lemieux, 2001–06 *[[Sidney Crosby]], 2007–''present'' </div>{{-}} ===Penguins' Ring of Honor=== A mural honoring members of the franchise's "Millennium Team", it was first displayed September 26, 2003.<ref>{{cite news | last=Molinari | first=Dave | url=http://www.post-gazette.com/penguins/20030927pensnotes0927p7.asp | title=Penguins Notebook: Patrick undecided on whether to sign No. 1 pick Fleury | publisher=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] | date=2003-09-27}}</ref> This was a permanent display at [[Mellon Arena]] until its demolition, designed to honor past greats without having to retire their numbers. Current members are: <div style="float:left; width:48%;"> *[[Tom Barrasso]] (G) *[[Les Binkley]] (G) *[[Herb Brooks]] (Coach) *[[Dave Burrows]] (D) *[[Paul Coffey]] (D) *[[Ron Francis]] (F) *[[Jaromír Jágr|Jaromir Jagr]] (F) *[[Bob Johnson (ice hockey b. 1931)|Bob Johnson]] (Coach) </div><div style="float:right; width:48%;"> *[[Rick Kehoe]] (F) *[[Mario Lemieux]] (F) *[[Larry Murphy (ice hockey)|Larry Murphy]] (D) *[[Craig Patrick]] (GM-coach) *[[Jean Pronovost]] (F) *[[Ulf Samuelsson]] (D) *[[Kevin Stevens]] (F) </div>{{-}} ===Dapper Dan Sportsman of the Year=== Eight Penguins have won the [[Dapper Dan Charities|Dapper Dan Sportsman of the Year Award]] at ten banquets. The award has been bestowed on the most outstanding athlete in [[Western Pennsylvania]] since 1939 at an annual charitable banquet in the city. The following Penguins have won: *Baz Bastien (1967) *Mario Lemieux (1986, 1988, 1999) *Bob Johnson (1991) *Jaromir Jagr (1995) *Sidney Crosby (2006, 2007) *Evgeni Malkin (2009) *Dan Bylsma & Marc-Andre Fleury (2011) ===Franchise scoring leaders=== These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history.<ref>{{cite web|title=Regular Season - All Skaters - Career for Franchise - Career Points - NHL.com - Stats|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/careerstats.htm?gameType=2&team=PIT&position=S&country=&active=&viewName=careerLeadersForFranchise|publisher=''National Hockey League''|accessdate=March 3, 2013}}</ref> Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season. '''''Note:''' Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/{{neg|}} = Plus/Minus; PIM = Penalty Minutes'' <!--PLEASE DO NOT UPDATE STATISTICS MID-SEASON, AS IT CREATES MORE PROBLEMS THAN IT SOLVES, AND WIKIPEDIA'S PURPOSE IS NOT TO PROVIDE UP-TO-THE-MINUTE STATISTICS. PLEASE SAVE THE UPDATING OF STATISTICS UNTIL THE END OF THE REGULAR SEASON AND/OR PLAYOFFS.--> {| class="wikitable sortable" width=70% |- ! class=unsortable | Player ! class=unsortable | Seasons ! class=unsortable | Pos ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! +/{{neg|}} ! PIM |- align=center | style="text-align:left;"| [[Mario Lemieux]] || 1984–97, 2000–06 || C || 915 || 690 || 1,033 || '''1,723''' || 115 || 834 |- align=center | style="text-align:left;"| [[Jaromír Jágr|Jaromir Jagr]] || 1990–01 || RW || 806 || 439 || 640 || '''1,079''' || 207 || 593 |- align=center | style="text-align:left;"| [[Rick Kehoe]] || 1974–85 || RW || 722 || 312 || 324 || '''636''' || {{neg|86}} || 88 |- align=center | style="text-align:left;"| [[Ron Francis]] || 1990–98 || C || 533 || 164 || 449 || '''613''' || 70 || 295 |- align=center bgcolor=#cfc | style="text-align:left;"| [[Sidney Crosby]] || 2005–Present || C || 434 || 223 || 386 || '''609''' || 80 || 401 |- align=center | style="text-align:left;"| [[Jean Pronovost]] || 1968–78 || RW || 753 || 316 || 287 || '''603''' || 32 || 306 |- align=center | style="text-align:left;"| [[Kevin Stevens]] || 1987–95, 2000–02 || LW || 522 || 260 || 295 || '''555''' || {{neg|40}} || 1,048 |- align=center bgcolor=#cfc | style="text-align:left;"| [[Evgeni Malkin]] || 2006–Present || C || 427 || 208 || 319 || '''527''' || 43 || 426 |- align=center | style="text-align:left;"| [[Syl Apps, Jr]] || 1970–78 || C || 495 || 151 || 349 || '''500''' || 94 || 241 |- align=center | style="text-align:left;"| [[Martin Straka]] || 1992–95, 1997–04 || C || 560 || 165 || 277 || '''442''' || 49 || 215 |} <!--PLEASE DO NOT UPDATE STATISTICS MID-SEASON, AS IT CREATES MORE PROBLEMS THAN IT SOLVES, AND WIKIPEDIA'S PURPOSE IS NOT TO PROVIDE UP-TO-THE-MINUTE STATISTICS. PLEASE SAVE THE UPDATING OF STATISTICS UNTIL THE END OF THE REGULAR SEASON AND/OR PLAYOFFS.--> ''{{colorbox|#cfc}} = current Penguins player'' ==NHL awards and trophies== {{col-start}} {{col-2}} '''[[Stanley Cup]]'''<ref>{{cite web|title=Stanley Cup Champions and Finalists|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=25426|publisher=''National Hockey League''}}</ref> *[[1990–91 NHL season|1990–91]], [[1991–92 NHL season|1991–92]], [[2008–09 NHL season|2008–09]] '''[[Presidents' Trophy]]'''<ref>{{cite web|title=Presidents' Trophy|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=24945|publisher=''National Hockey League''}}</ref> *[[1992–93 NHL season|1992–93]] '''[[Prince of Wales Trophy]]'''<ref>{{cite web|title=Prince of Wales Trophy|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=24967|publisher=''National Hockey League''}}</ref> *[[1990–91 NHL season|1990–91]], [[1991–92 NHL season|1991–92]], [[2007–08 NHL season|2007–08]], [[2008–09 NHL season|2008–09]] '''[[Art Ross Trophy]]'''<ref>{{cite web|title=Art Ross Trophy|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=24960|publisher=''National Hockey League''}}</ref> *[[Mario Lemieux]]: [[1987–88 NHL season|1987–88]], [[1988–89 NHL season|1988–89]], [[1991–92 NHL season|1991–92]], [[1992–93 NHL season|1992–93]], [[1995–96 NHL season|1995–96]], [[1996–97 NHL season|1996–97]] *[[Jaromír Jágr|Jaromir Jagr]]: [[1994–95 NHL season|1994–95]], [[1997–98 NHL season|1997–98]], [[1998–99 NHL season|1998–99]], [[1999–2000 NHL season|1999–2000]], [[2000–01 NHL season|2000–01]] *[[Sidney Crosby]]: [[2006–07 NHL season|2006–07]] *[[Evgeni Malkin]]: [[2008–09 NHL season|2008–09]], [[2011–12 NHL season|2011–12]] '''[[Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy]]'''<ref>{{cite web|title=Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=24940|publisher=''National Hockey League''}}</ref> *[[Lowell MacDonald]]: [[1972–73 NHL season|1972–73]] *[[Mario Lemieux]]: [[1992–93 NHL season|1992–93]] '''[[Calder Memorial Trophy]]'''<ref>{{cite web|title=Calder Memorial Trophy|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=24931|publisher=''National Hockey League''}}</ref> *[[Mario Lemieux]]: [[1984–85 NHL season|1984–85]] *[[Evgeni Malkin]]: [[2006–07 NHL season|2006–07]] '''[[Conn Smythe Trophy]]'''<ref>{{cite web|title=Conn Smythe Trophy|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=24964|publisher=''National Hockey League''}}</ref> *[[Mario Lemieux]]: [[1990–91 NHL season|1990–91]], [[1991–92 NHL season|1991–92]] *[[Evgeni Malkin]]: [[2008–09 NHL season|2008–09]] '''[[Frank J. Selke Trophy]]'''<ref>{{cite web|title=Frank J. Selke Trophy|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=24962|publisher=''National Hockey League''}}</ref> *[[Ron Francis]]: [[1994–95 NHL season|1994–95]] '''[[Hart Memorial Trophy]]'''<ref>{{cite web|title=Hart Memorial Trophy|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=24934|publisher=''National Hockey League''}}</ref> *[[Mario Lemieux]]: [[1987–88 NHL season|1987–88]], [[1992–93 NHL season|1992–93]], [[1995–96 NHL season|1995–96]] *[[Jaromír Jágr|Jaromir Jagr]]: [[1998–99 NHL season|1998–99]] *[[Sidney Crosby]]: [[2006–07 NHL season|2006–07]] *[[Evgeni Malkin]]: [[2011–12 NHL season|2011–12]] '''[[James Norris Memorial Trophy]]'''<ref>{{cite web|title=James Norris Memorial Trophy |url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=24942|publisher=''National Hockey League''}}</ref> *[[Randy Carlyle]]: [[1980–81 NHL season|1980–81]] '''[[Lady Byng Memorial Trophy]]'''<ref>{{cite web|title=Lady Byng Memorial Trophy|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=24938|publisher=''National Hockey League''}}</ref> *[[Rick Kehoe]]: [[1980–81 NHL season|1980–81]] *[[Ron Francis]]: [[1994–95 NHL season|1994–95]], [[1997–98 NHL season|1997–98]] '''[[Ted Lindsay Award|Lester B. Pearson/Ted Lindsay Award]]'''<ref>{{cite web|title=Ted Lindsay Award|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=24944|publisher=''National Hockey League''}}</ref> *[[Mario Lemieux]]: [[1985–86 NHL season|1985–86]], [[1987–88 NHL season|1987–88]], [[1992–93 NHL season|1992–93]], [[1995–96 NHL season|1995–96]] *[[Jaromír Jágr|Jaromir Jagr]]: [[1998–99 NHL season|1998–99]], [[1999–2000 NHL season|1999–2000]] *[[Sidney Crosby]]: [[2006–07 NHL season|2006–07]] *[[Evgeni Malkin]]: [[2011–12 NHL season|2011–12]] '''[[Lester Patrick Trophy]]'''<ref>{{cite web|title=Lester Patrick Trophy|url=http://www.nhl.com/trophies/patrick.html|publisher=''National Hockey League''}}</ref> *[[Joe Mullen]]: [[1994–95 NHL season|1994–95]] *[[Mario Lemieux]]: [[1999–2000 NHL season|1999–2000]] *[[Craig Patrick]]: [[1999–2000 NHL season|1999–2000]] *[[Herb Brooks]]: [[2001–02 NHL season|2001–02]] {{col-2}} '''[[Mark Messier Leadership Award]]'''<ref>{{cite web|title=Bridgestone Messier Leadership Award|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=62987|publisher=''National Hockey League''}}</ref> *[[Sidney Crosby]]: [[2009–10 NHL season|2009–10]] '''[[Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy]]'''<ref>{{cite web|title=Maurice Richard Trophy|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=24958|publisher=''National Hockey League''}}</ref> *[[Sidney Crosby]]: [[2009–10 NHL season|2009–10]] <small> (shared with [[Steven Stamkos]] of the [[Tampa Bay Lightning]]) </small> '''[[Jack Adams Award]]'''<ref>{{cite web|title=Jack Adams Award|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=24929|publisher=''National Hockey League''}}</ref> *[[Dan Bylsma]]: [[2010–11 NHL season|2010–11]] '''[[NHL Plus/Minus Award]]''' *[[Mario Lemieux]]: [[1992–93 NHL season|1992–93]] *[[Ron Francis]]: [[1994–95 NHL season|1994–95]] '''[[NHL all-star game|NHL All-Star Game MVP]]'''<ref>{{cite web|title=NHL All-Star Game MVPs|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=614281|publisher=''National Hockey League''}}</ref> *[[Greg Polis]]: 1973 *[[Mario Lemieux]]: 1985, 1988, 1990 '''[[NHL All-Rookie Team]]''' *[[1984–85 NHL season|1985]]: [[Mario Lemieux]], [[Warren Young]] *[[1988–89 NHL season|1989]]: [[Zarley Zalapski]] *[[1990–91 NHL season|1991]]: [[Jaromír Jágr|Jaromir Jagr]] *[[1996–97 NHL season|1997]]: [[Patrick Lalime]] *[[2002–03 NHL season|2003]]: [[Sébastien Caron]] *[[2003–04 NHL season|2004]]: [[Ryan Malone]] *[[2005–06 NHL season|2006]]: [[Sidney Crosby]] *[[2006–07 NHL season|2007]]: [[Evgeni Malkin]], [[Jordan Staal]] '''First Team All-Star''' *[[1980–81 NHL season|1981]]: [[Randy Carlyle]] *[[1987–88 NHL season|1988]]: [[Mario Lemieux]] *[[1988–89 NHL season|1989]]: [[Paul Coffey]], [[Mario Lemieux]] *[[1991–92 NHL season|1992]]: [[Kevin Stevens]] *[[1992–93 NHL season|1993]]: [[Mario Lemieux]] *[[1994–95 NHL season|1995]]: [[Jaromír Jágr|Jaromir Jagr]] *[[1995–96 NHL season|1996]]: [[Jaromír Jágr|Jaromir Jagr]], [[Mario Lemieux]] *[[1996–97 NHL season|1997]]: [[Mario Lemieux]] *[[1997–98 NHL season|1998]]: [[Jaromír Jágr|Jaromir Jagr]] *[[1998–99 NHL season|1999]]: [[Jaromír Jágr|Jaromir Jagr]] *[[1999–2000 NHL season|2000]]: [[Jaromír Jágr|Jaromir Jagr]] *[[2000–01 NHL season|2001]]: [[Jaromír Jágr|Jaromir Jagr]] *[[2006–07 NHL season|2007]]: [[Sidney Crosby]] *[[2007–08 NHL season|2008]]: [[Evgeni Malkin]] *[[2008–09 NHL season|2009]]: [[Evgeni Malkin]] *[[2011–12 NHL season|2012]]: [[Evgeni Malkin]], [[James Neal (ice hockey)|James Neal]] '''Second Team All-Star''' *[[1985–86 NHL season|1986]]: [[Mario Lemieux]] *[[1986–87 NHL season|1987]]: [[Mario Lemieux]] *[[1989–90 NHL season|1990]]: [[Paul Coffey]] *[[1990–91 NHL season|1991]]: [[Kevin Stevens]] *[[1991–92 NHL season|1992]]: [[Mario Lemieux]] *[[1992–93 NHL season|1993]]: [[Tom Barrasso]], [[Larry Murphy (ice hockey)|Larry Murphy]], [[Kevin Stevens]] *[[1994–95 NHL season|1995]]: [[Larry Murphy (ice hockey)|Larry Murphy]] *[[1996–97 NHL season|1997]]: [[Jaromír Jágr|Jaromir Jagr]] *[[2000–01 NHL season|2001]]: [[Mario Lemieux]] {{col-end}} <!-- PLEASE DO NOT UPDATE STATISTICS MID-SEASON, AS IT CREATES MORE PROBLEMS THAN IT SOLVES, AND WIKIPEDIA'S PURPOSE IS NOT TO PROVIDE UP-TO-THE-MINUTE STATISTICS. PLEASE SAVE THE UPDATING OF STATISTICS UNTIL THE END OF THE REGULAR SEASON AND/OR PLAYOFFS. IT'S LIKE I'M SHOUTING IF I TYPE IN ALL CAPS!!! --> ==Franchise individual records== '''Season''' *Most goals in a season: [[Mario Lemieux]], 85 (1988–89) *Most assists in a season: Mario Lemieux, 114 (1988–89) *Most points in a season: Mario Lemieux, 199 (1988–89) *Most penalty minutes in a season: [[Paul Baxter]], 409 (1981–82) *Most points in a season, defenseman: [[Paul Coffey]], 113 (1988–89) *Most points in a season, rookie: [[Sidney Crosby]], 102 (2005–06) *Most wins in a season: [[Tom Barrasso]], 43 (1992–93) '''Playoffs''' *Most Goals in a playoff season: [[Kevin Stevens]], 17 (1990–91) *Most Assists in a playoff Season: Mario Lemieux, 28 (1990–91) *Most Points in a playoff Season: Mario Lemieux, 44 (1990–91) *Most Points in a playoff Season, defenseman: [[Larry Murphy (ice hockey)|Larry Murphy]], 23 (1990–91) *Most wins in a playoff season: Tom Barrasso, 16 (1991–92) and [[Marc-André Fleury|Marc-Andre Fleury]], 16 (2008–09) *Lowest goals against average in a playoff season: [[Ron Tugnutt]], 1.77 (1999–2000) *Highest save percentage in a playoff season: Ron Tugnutt, .945% (1999–2000) *Most playoff shutouts: Tom Barrasso, 6 *Most shutouts in a playoff season: Marc-Andre Fleury, 3 (2007–08) *Most consecutive games in a single playoff with multiple points: [[Evgeni Malkin]], 6 (2009) == Current staff == {{see also|List of Pittsburgh Penguins owners|List of Pittsburgh Penguins general managers|List of Pittsburgh Penguins head coaches|}} {{Div col}} * Owner(s) – [[Mario Lemieux]], [[Ron Burkle]] * Chairman – Mario Lemieux * President/Chief Executive Officer – [[David Morehouse]] * Executive Vice President/General Manager – [[Ray Shero]] * Assistant General Manager – [[Jason Botterill]] * Assistant to the General Manager – [[Tom Fitzgerald (ice hockey)|Tom Fitzgerald]] * Director of Player Personnel – [[Dan MacKinnon]] * Assistant Director of Amateur Scouting – [[Randy Sexton]] * Head Coach – [[Dan Bylsma]] * Assistant Coaches – [[Tony Granato]] and [[Todd Reirden]] * Goaltending Coach – [[Gilles Meloche]] * Player Development Coach – [[Bill Guerin]] * Goaltending Development Coach – [[Mike Bales]] * Strength & Conditioning – [[Mike Kadar]] {{Div col end}} ==Rivals== ===Philadelphia Flyers=== {{main|Battle of Pennsylvania}} The [[Philadelphia Flyers]]–Pittsburgh Penguins rivalry began in 1967 when the teams were introduced into the NHL's "Next Six" expansion wave. The rivalry exists due to divisional alignment, and geographic locations, as both teams play in the [[Pennsylvania|state of Pennsylvania]]. The Flyers lead the series with a 136–86–30 record.<ref>{{cite web | title = Philadelphia Flyers Head-to-Head Results | work = Hockey-Reference | publisher = Sports Reference LLC | url = http://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/PHI/head2head.html}}</ref> However, the Penguins eliminated the Flyers from the playoffs in 2008 and 2009 and were eliminated from the playoffs in 2011 by the Flyers, strengthening the rivalry.<ref>{{citation needed|date=May 2012}} Three years later, the Flyers won the sixth playoff meeting between the clubs to advance to the Conference Semifinals.{{cite web|last=Moldovanyi|first=Rick|url=http://thehockeywriters.com/pittsburgh-penguins-vs-philadelphia-flyers-the-best-rivalry-in-the-nhl-today/|title=Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers: The Best Rivalry in the NHL Today?|publisher= The Hockey Writers|accessdate=2010-01-03|date=December 20, 2009}}</ref> ===Washington Capitals=== The teams have faced off eight times in the playoffs, with the Penguins winning seven of the eight matchups, the only loss coming in the 1994 playoffs. The Penguins defeated the Washington Capitals along the way in all three of their Stanley Cup Championships. They have met in a decisive seventh game in 1992, 1995, and 2009. This matchup was showcased at the NHL's fourth [[Winter Classic]], played January 1, 2011 at [[Heinz Field]] in Pittsburgh. The Capitals won the game with a final score of 3–1. The rivalry can also be seen in the [[American Hockey League]]. Pittsburgh's top farm team is the [[Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins]], and their in-state, and biggest rivals are the Caps' top farm team, the [[Hershey Bears]]. ==Arenas== The Penguins called [[Civic Arena (Pittsburgh)|Civic Arena]] home for over 45 seasons beginning with their inception in 1967. In September 2010 they completed the move to the state-of-the-art [[Consol Energy Center]]. The Penguins also played two "home" games in nearby Cleveland, Ohio in 1992 and 1993. Since 1995 the [[IceoPlex at Southpointe]] has served as the teams practice facility in the south hills suburbs. [[Robert Morris University]]'s [[Island Sports Center]] has at times served as a secondary practice facility for the team. During the franchises first pre-season training camp and pre-season exhibition games the [[Brantford Civic Centre]] in [[Brantford, Ontario]] served as its home,<ref>{{cite news|title=Pittsburgh Penguins Start With Many Goalies On Team|url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5-ZdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LF8NAAAAIBAJ&dq=pittsburgh%20penguins&pg=2735%2C1568367|newspaper=''Observer-Reporter''|date=September 13, 1967|page=Page 4, Section D}}</ref> by the 1970s and continuing through the 1980s the team was using the suburban [[Rostraver Ice Garden]] for training. ==Minor league affiliates== The Penguins have two minor league affiliates assigned to their team. The [[Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins]], their [[American Hockey League|AHL]] affiliate, have played in [[Wilkes-Barre Township, Pennsylvania]] since 1999 and there is a loyal and deep Penguins fan base originating in north east Pennsylvania from this connection.{{Citation needed|date=May 2010}} The Penguins also have a secondary affiliate in the [[ECHL]], the [[Wheeling Nailers]], which they have been associated with since the start of the [[2000–01 ECHL season]]. ==Media== The Penguins currently have their radio home on [[WXDX-FM]] and their television home is [[Root Sports Pittsburgh]]. The Penguins recently started their own 24-hour radio channel on [[HD Radio]], with WXDX converting their [[adult album alternative]] [[digital subchannel]] on HD-2 into a 24-hour Penguins channel. The channel will feature the NHL's own daily "NHL Live" and league commissioner [[Gary Bettman]]'s weekly "NHL Hour", in addition to local programming. The team becomes the first NHL team with its own radio channel, and joins the [[National Football League|NFL's]] [[Dallas Cowboys]] as the second [[professional sports]] team to have such a channel.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.radio-info.com/newsletter/html/tri-05112009.html |title=The NHL Pittsburgh Penguins get a full-time HD-2 channel from 'The X.' |work=Taylor on Radio-Info |publisher=Radio-Info.com |date=2009-05-11 |accessdate=2010-12-29}}</ref> In November 2009, the Penguins also launched a weekly radio show "NHL Na Russkom (NHL in Russian)" hosted by [[George Birman]] and [[Oleg Mejeritski]] of [[Sovetsky Sport]] in order to appeal to Russian-speaking fans of the team.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://penguins.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=58778 |title=NHLPenguins.ru – English Site |publisher=Pittsburgh Penguins |date=2009-11-23 |accessdate=2010-12-29}}</ref> ===Broadcasters=== {{Further|Pittsburgh Penguins Radio Network}} ====Television==== The Penguins were broadcast by local ABC affiliate [[WTAE-TV]] during the 1967–68 season, with the station's Sports Director [[Ed Conway]]<ref>{{Citation | title = Sportscaster Ed Conway Dies | pages = 67 | newspaper = The Pittsburgh Press | location = Pittsburgh, PA | date = May 29, 1974 | url =http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19740529&id=m1oqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=KlUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7422,5352800 | archiveurl = | archivedate = }}</ref> handling the play-by-play during both the television and radio broadcast<ref>{{Citation | last = Neill | first = Barbara M. | title = Swimming Against The Tide: The Unpredictable Life of Eleanor Schano | pages = 4–5 | newspaper = Laurel Mountain Post | location = Pittsburgh | date = July/August 2008 | url = http://issuu.com/lmpeditor/docs/lmp-july-august-2008| archiveurl = | archivedate = }}</ref> and would remain as the lone play-by-play broadcaster until the completion of the 1968–69 season. Joe Tucker took over for Ed Conway during the 1969–70 season, and WPGH-TV and WTAE-TV splitting the broadcast. WPGH-TV retained the rights to broadcast the Penguins for the 1970–71 season with Bill Hamilton handing the play-by-play duties. The 1970–71 season was also the first season where the Penguins introduced a [[color commentator]] to the broadcast team, with John MacDonald taking the position as the booth's color commentator. The broadcasting rights to the Penguins were then transferred to [[WPXI|WIIC-TV 11]] in 1971, with [[Sam Nover]] handling the play-by-play with several color commentators interchanged during his tenure. Nover eventually left WIIC to join NBC Sports as a play-by-play broadcaster for the [[National Football League]]. During the Penguins' time with WIIC, the station broadcast "about a dozen" Penguins game each season.<ref name="broadcast">{{cite web | url = http://www.pbrtv.com/hard-times-for-hockey-fans/ | title =Hard Time For Hockey Fans| author= | language= | publisher = pbrtv.com | date = April 28, 2012 | accessdate = October 2, 2012}}</ref> Penguins' games returned to WPGH-TV for the 1977–78 season with former long-time Pirates broadcaster [[Bob Prince]] handling the play-by-play. Prince was criticized by fans for not being knowledgeable towards the game<ref name="broadcast" /> and that his style was better suited for baseball than hockey. He was later removed from the broadcast team and reassigned as an intermission interviewer. In his place was Jim Forney, who had previously held the position of color commentator during Sam Novak's tenure. Mike Lange, who joined the Penguins' broadcast team as a play-by-play announcer on the radio side in 1974–75, became the play-by-play broadcaster for the team at the start of the 1979–80 season. At his side was Terry Schiffauer, who had previously held the position of Penguins' Director of Public Relations and eventually transitioned into color commentator for Sam Novak since 1972–73. Lange and Schiffauer remained a team in the Penguins' broadcast booth until 1984–85, when he was replaced by [[Paul Steigerwald]]. While the Penguins broadcast network transitioned from WPGH-TV (1979–90) to [[KDKA-TV]] (1991–96), along with the eventual transition to KBL (later [[Prime Sports]]) and eventually [[Fox Sports Pittsburgh]] 1996–2011), the team of Lange and Steigerwald remained a constant in the broadcast booth from 1985 until 1999. During this time, local stations WPGH and [[WPMY|WPTT-TV]] also carried a handful of games that were not available on Fox Sports Pittsburgh during the 1996–97. Also notable during the [[1996-97 NHL season]] is that former broadcaster Sam Nover returned to the team in a new role; this time as a post-game studio host, sharing duties with [[John Fedko]] and [[Thor Tolo]]. With Steigerwald's departure in 1999, Mike Lange shared the broadcast booth with former Penguins' defenseman [[Troy Loney]]. Loney, a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the team in 1991 and 1992, remained in the position for one season before being replaced by [[Ed Olczyk]]. Lange and Olczyk were broadcast partners from 2000 until 2003, when Olczyk left the booth to become the eighteenth [[head coach]] in Pittsburgh Penguins history that had become upon due to the firing of previous coach [[Rick Kehoe]] after the [[2002-03 NHL season]].<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.ksdk.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=38980 | title =Penguins Fire Coach Rick Kehoe | author=Jordan Palmer | language= | publisher =kdsk.com | date = April 15, 2003 | accessdate = October 2, 2012}}</ref> With Olczyk's vacancy, the Penguins hired [[Bob Errey]] as their new color commentator for the start of the 2003–04 season (a position that he continues to hold as of the start of the [[2012-13 NHL season]]. Lange and Errey remained in the booth until 2005–06. After twenty-six seasons in the television broadcast booth, Mike Lange was not retained by FSN Pittsburgh. Instead, he was replaced by former broadcast partner Paul Steigerwald, who remains the current play-by-play broadcaster for the team as of the 2012–13 season. Lange returned to the radio broadcast booth and currently holds the position of radio play-by-play announcer, the same position he had held with the team in the mid-1970s. Every Penguins game is currently carried on the [[Root Sports]] [[Root Sports Pittsburgh|Pittsburgh]] network, which is carried by cable providers in most of two states and parts of four others. All of Pennsylvania (save the 10 county Philadelphia metro area), all of West Virginia except the two counties in the Washington, D.C. metro area, 8 counties in eastern and southern Ohio, three counties in Western Maryland, 1 county in Southwestern New York state and 1 county in Northeastern Kentucky. In addition [[Fox Sports Ohio]] simulcasts Penguins hockey in the Cleveland metro area as well as some parts of Eastern Ohio and Northern Kentucky. Dish Network, Verizon FiOS, and Direct TV all carry the Penguins games on their Root Sports Pittsburgh channel in HD nationally. The TV announcers are: *[[Paul Steigerwald]], play-by-play (2006–present) *[[Bob Errey]], color commentator (2003–present) *[[Dan Potash]], in-game reporter (2006–present) *[[Rob King (broadcaster)|Rob King]] and [[Jay Caufield]], in-studio post-game reporters. The Pittsburgh Penguins also receive monthly and sometimes weekly "game of the week" national exposure on both [[NBC Sports Network]] and [[NBC]] along with [[The Sports Network|TSN]] and [[CBC Sports]] in [[Canada]]. Prior to 2004, Penguins games have been aired on [[ESPN]] and [[ESPN2]]. ====Radio==== The [[Pittsburgh Penguins Radio Network]] consists of a total of 34 stations in four states.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://penguins.nhl.com/club/page.htm?bcid=sch_affiliates |title=Media Affiliates – Schedule |publisher=Pittsburgh Penguins |date= |accessdate=2010-12-29}}</ref> Twenty three of these are in Pennsylvania, four in West Virginia, three in Ohio, and three in Maryland. The network also features an FM High-Definition station in Pittsburgh. The announcers are: *[[Mike Lange]], play-by-play *[[Phil Bourque]], color commentator *[[Bob Grove (ice hockey)|Bob Grove]], pre & postgame host ==References== <!--This article uses the Cite.php citation mechanism. If you would like more information on how to add references to this article, please see http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cite/Cite.php --> {{Reflist|colwidth=30em}} ==External links== {{commons category}} *[http://www.pittsburghpenguins.com/ Official website of the Pittsburgh Penguins] {{Pittsburgh Penguins}} {{Navboxes| titlestyle = background:#FFFFFF; border-bottom:#D1BD80 5px solid; border-top:#000000 5px solid;|list1= {{s-start}} {{succession box | before = [[Edmonton Oilers]] | title = [[Stanley Cup]] Champions | years = [[1990–91 NHL season|1990–91]], [[1991–92 NHL season|1991–92]] | after = [[Montreal Canadiens]]}} {{succession box | before = [[Detroit Red Wings]] | title = [[Stanley Cup]] Champions | years = [[2008–09 NHL season|2008–09]] | after = [[Chicago Blackhawks]]}} {{s-end}} {{Pittsburgh Penguins seasons}} {{PensGM}} {{PensCoach}} {{NHL}} {{Pennsylvania Sports}} {{NHL Winter Classic}} }} {{Pittsburgh|Sports}} [[Category:Pittsburgh Penguins| ]] [[Category:Professional ice hockey teams in Pennsylvania]] [[Category:Atlantic Division (NHL)]] [[Category:Sports clubs established in 1967]] [[Category:Companies that have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy]] [[Category:Ice hockey teams in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] [[Category:National Hockey League in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Penguins]] {{Link FA|fr}}'