Looking At The Pittsburgh Penguins
It came as no surprise that in 1966, Pittsburgh was awarded the expansion franchise by the National Hockey League. The group of investors seeking to get the team included some of America’s more influential players of industry. Some of the people involved were Art Rooney, owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Mellon and Heinz families. And that was the beginning of hockey for fans of western Pennsylvania. Here we will take a look at some of the history of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Most expansion teams in any sport tend to have a rocky opening season. This was not the case for the Penguins. They ended the 1967-68 season with just seven fewer wins than losses. Not great, but not bad for a new team. They were also able to pull off an upset over one of the NHL’s “original Six”. In an October 1967 game, they defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2.
1969 was a year of hope for Pittsburgh fans. The team managed to land a budding rookie superstar by the name of Michel Briere. He racked up more points than any other rookie during that 69-70 season. The club rode his talent all the way to the Western semi-finals, where they ultimately lost to the St. Louis Blues four games to two. Regardless of this outcome, fans of the Pens were ecstatic about the team’s future.
Shortly after, the hockey world was struck with some horrifying news. The terrific rookie, Briere, was in a horrible auto accident in Canada. He suffered massive head injuries and spent a year in a coma. He passed away shortly thereafter.
Moving ahead to 1984, we can talk about something a little less sad. Actually, for the Pens, it was a lot less sad. In the draft that year, they had the number one pick and selected a player who would go on to be considered one of the best ever to play. This good fortune did not come without controversy, as other NHL teams accused the Penguins of purposely losing games at the end of the season so they would be assured that key draft selection.
True or not, the fact is that the team drafted Mario Lemieux. The list of all he accomplished is seemingly endless. He led his team to Stanly Cup victories in both 1991 and 1992. He has won dozens of NHL awards and trophies. In 1988 he accomplished something amazing that had never been done before, or since. In a single game against the New Jersey Devils, he scored all five ways possible: regular strength, shorthanded, penalty shot, empty net and power play.
Just as fans and rival teams could be thankful that Mario was retiring, another Penguin hit the scene. That was Sidney Crosby, the youngest team captain (21) to lead a team to the championship. At this time, however, his awards were literally a dozen shy of Lemieux’.
Today, the Pittsburgh Penguins remain a powerful force in the league. They can always be found at or near the top of the standings. Oh, and they still have Sidney Crosby skating around making a difference.
Mayhar Manninghansburger is a fitness trainer She likes SportsFanTreasures.com and recommends you check out their info on Pittsburgh Penguins Watch and Toronto Maple Leafs Blanket
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