Penguins History

Penguins History

• Penguins History: Jim Johnson It’s somehow fitting that former Penguins defenseman Jim Johnson played his college hockey for the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs. Indeed, the undersized defenseman displayed bulldog tenacity while carving out a solid 13-year NHL career. Alt...
• Penguins All-Star Memories Most Penguins fans are familiar with the All-Star exploits of Steel City superstars like Mario Lemieux. Indeed, those of us who are old enough will never forget Mario’s breathtaking four-goal effort before an adoring throng at the 1990 All-Star Game—t...
• Penguins History: Duane Rupp Next to Ron Stackhouse, perhaps no Penguin was less appreciated in his time than defenseman Duane Rupp. Ironically, the fans’ dissatisfaction stemmed from a similar cause. Like Stackhouse, Rupp was a big player for his day (6’1” 195) who didn’t fi...
• Penguins History: Keith McCreary One of the earliest Penguins heroes, Vernon “Keith” McCreary typified the teams of the late 1960s and early 70s. While hardly a star, he was a diligent two-way player who always gave his best effort. As a youngster growing up on the shores of Lake ...
• Penguins History: Battleship Kelly In the annals of Penguins history, perhaps no player cultivated a more fearsome reputation—or earned a more colorful nickname—than left wing Bob “Battleship” Kelly. “Kelly was the guy who took care of everybody,” former Pens teammate Rick K...
• Penguins-Flyers Rivalry Part 6: Sid versus Richy (2005-present) For the third time during the course of the Pens-Flyers rivalry, the momentum shifted with the arrival of a superstar. Sidney Crosby would lead the Penguins to a third Stanley Cup—and become a lightning rod for Philadelphia fans’ hatred and jealousy. ...
• Penguins-Flyers Rivalry Part 5: Eric Lindros and the Legion of Doom (1994-2005) Following a sorry sixth-place finish in 1991-92, the Flyers acquired the rights to phenom Eric Lindros from Quebec during the summer. Slowly but surely “the Next One” began to restore the Flyers to their former glory while centering the imposing “Le...
• Penguins-Flyers Rivalry Part 4: Super Mario and "the Streak" (1984-1994) The Penguins were on life support when they drafted Mario Lemieux with the first overall pick in the 1984 Entry Draft. Although No. 66 would eventually lead the team to two Stanley Cups, it didn’t alter the nature of the Pens-Flyers rivalry—at least n...
• Penguins-Flyers Rivalry Part 3: Rise of the Broad Street Bullies (1972-1984) The Pens-Flyers rivalry heated up during the early ‘70s, due in no small part to the emergence of “the Broad Street Bullies.” Armed with bruisers like Dave “the Hammer” Schultz, Bob “Hound” Kelly, Andre “Moose” Dupont, and Don “Big Bir...
• Penguins-Flyers Rivalry Part 2: The Early Years (1967-1972) The seeds for “the Battle of Pennsylvania” were sown perhaps as far back as the mid-1960s. Upon learning of the National Hockey League’s ambitious plan to expand from six to 12 teams, Senator Jack McGregor and Peter Block lobbied hard to secure a fr...
• Penguins-Flyers Rivalry Part 1: Roots (1925-1967) Have you ever wondered how the bitter rivalry between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers got started? If so, you’re in luck. To prime the pump for the upcoming matchup between the Penguins and Flyers at CONSOL Energy Center on December 29, ...
• Penguins History: Ken Schinkel During the Penguins’ early years the Civic Arena faithful didn’t have a whole lot to cheer about. One of the few bright spots on an otherwise unimposing team was right wing Ken Schinkel. An old-school player who paid his dues during the “Original Si...
• Penguins History: Colin Campbell It’s somewhat ironic that former Penguin Colin Campbell earned lasting fame while serving as the NHL’s czar of discipline. After all, the rugged little defenseman was no stranger to the penalty box. Over the course of a 636-game NHL career that spanne...
• Penguins History: Demolition Durby As a young hockey fan, I’ll never forget the day in January of 1974 that the Penguins acquired tough guys Steve Durbano and Bob “Battleship” Kelly from St. Louis. At the time of the trade the Pens were languishing in next-to-last place. Worse yet, t...
• Penguins History: Kjell Game Following nine seasons in his native Sweden, Kjell Samuelsson ventured across the pond to join the New York Rangers in 1985-86. Standing 6’6” and weighing 235 pounds, the 27-year-old defenseman was considered an oddity—a foreign-born player of immen...
• Penguins History: Dave Schultz - If I Had A Hammer During the summer of 1977, popular enforcer Bob "Battleship" Kelly signed a free-agent deal with Chicago, leaving the Penguins without a protector. Although general manager Baz Bastien imported rugged players Colin Campbell, Bob Paradise, and Brian Spence...