The Pittsburgh Penguins have captured the Stanley Cup five times since 1991--more than any NHL team during the same period. Joining the NHL in 1967 as an expansion team, they waddled their way through years of heavy losses both on and off the ice--bad trades, horrible draft picks, a revolving door of owners, general managers and coaches, and even a bankruptcy. Somehow, they hung on long enough to draft superstar Mario Lemieux in 1984 and eventually claim their first championship, attracting a large fanbase along the way. Packed with colorful recollections from former players, reporters and team officials, this book tells the complete story of the Penguins' first 25 years, chronicling their often hilarious, sometimes tragic transformation from bumbling upstarts to one of hockey's most accomplished franchises.
Readers have the chance to meet the Pittsburgh Penguins, one of the wildest, wackiest, most wonderful sports franchises that ever waddled its way across North America. If Penguins fans are not shedding tears of sadness, they are crying for joy or simply laughing so hard they cannot stop. The team's games once played on a station called WEEP, and its first mascot, a penguin named Pete, died of pneumonia. In Tales from the Pittsburgh Penguins, sportswriter Joe Starkey takes fans inside the locker rooms, onto the team buses (including the one defenseman Bryan "Buggsy" Watson hi-jacked) and behind the personalities that have shaped Penguins hockey since 1967. No franchise has survived more near-death experiences than this one, which twice went bankrupt and many times escaped the threat of relocation. In 1975 things were so tough that players had their postgame oranges taken away.The bitter, often comical lows only made the ride to the top that much sweeter, and the Penguins have spent quality time at the summit. Mario Lemieux led the team to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships and later bought it out of bankruptcy court. Rarely has this franchise ever taken the middle ground. When it was bad, it was very, very bad. When it was good, it was sublime, graced with some of the greatest hockey personalities of the 20th Century. Hall of Fame coaches Herb Brooks, Bob Johnson, and Scotty Bowman plied their trade in Pittsburgh, as did Hall of Fame talents such as Lemieux, Paul Coffey, Jaromir Jagr and Ron Francis. The characters, too, were the cream of the crop. Wild men such as Eddie Shack, Brian "Spinner" Spencer, and Darius Kasparaitis provided entertainment in the best and worst of times, likethe night Kasparaitis was tossed into a Calgary police car for jaywalking or the time Shack drove his dune buggy onto the ice at the Civic Arena. To borrow a phrase from legendary Penguins announcer Mike Lange, you'd have to be h
This definitive resource on the Pittsburgh Penguins, one of the NHL's most popular and successful franchises, features exhaustive research and hundreds of exclusive photographs courtesy of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The book traces the franchise's history from its birth as an expansion team in 1967 and its flirtation with bankruptcy in the 1970s to the arrival of Mario Lemieux in the 1980s and Sidney Crosby's coming in the 2000s, two acquisitions that have led to a golden age of Pittsburgh hockey.
Do you consider yourself a Pittsburgh Penguins fan? It's easy to see why! From Mario Lemieux to Jaromir Jagr, Sidney Crosby to Evgeni Malkin, and all the excellent players in between, the Penguins are a star-studded, top-flight NHL franchise. But, do you know which of those players scored the most goals for the team? How about which was drafted the highest? If you think you've got what it takes to show off your expertise in all sorts of Penguins knowledge, you can put that confidence to the test with The Ultimate Pittsburgh Penguins Trivia Book! This book will set the record straight on such team history as: What celebration made history after the Pens won their first Stanley Cup Which Penguins player had his jersey retired after just 86 games Which jealous NHL team filed a protest after seeing Pittsburgh's new uniforms Which father and son shared the same nickname while playing for the Pens How a Penguins player became the team's owner while still starring on the ice Impress your friends by showing off the depth of your fandom through a series of challenging trivia questions. Select the correct option from the multiple-choice answers provided. Place your bets on whether some of the unbelievable team facts are true or false. And pick up some great anecdotes to share about all the colorful characters who make up Penguins history! Whether you've believed in the team for decades and want to show that you know your stuff, or you're new to Pittsburgh Penguins hockey and can't get soak up knowledge fast enough, this book is sure to please anyone with the good taste to call themselves a Penguins fan!
With traditions, records, and Penguins lore, this lively, detailed book explores the personalities, events, and facts every Pittsburgh fan should know. It contains crucial information such as important dates, behind-the-scenes tales, memorable moments, and outstanding achievements by singular players like Sidney Crosby, Mario Lemieux, Paul Coffey, Jaromir Jagr, and Evgeni Malkin. This guide to all things Penguins covers which player is considered the "original Penguin," the team's first player to score 50 goals in a season, the Pens' recent back-to-back Stanley Cup wins, and more.
The story of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the ten-year period from 2009 to 2018 reads like a classic Greek tragedy, filled with gut-wrenching plot twists and turns. After rising from the ashes of the early 2000s on the wings of young stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin to capture the 2009 Stanley Cup, the Penguins were hailed as hockey’s newest superpower. However, plagued by a career-threatening concussion to Crosby and a series of ghastly playoff exits, the would-be dynasty hit the skids. Dismayed over the downward spiral, ownership cleaned house and turned to long-time Carolina general manager Jim Rutherford in an effort to restore the club’s sagging fortunes. With coach Mike Sullivan now at the helm and scorer Phil Kessel on the roster, the Pens put together a stunning resurgence, capturing back-to-back Cups in 2016 and 2017. In The Rise of the Pittsburgh Penguins 2009-2018, Rick Buker details how the Penguins have become the strongest hockey dynasty of the 21st century to date. This book ties that 10-year span together in an easy-to-read format, including an appendix at the back with season by season stats. The perfect gift for any fan of Pittsburgh hockey!
Did you know that star athletes Sidney Crosby and Mario Lemieux have both played for the Pittsburgh Penguins? Both athletes played a significant role in helping the Penguins win the Stanley Cup championship—first Lemieux in the early 1990s, and then Crosby in more recent history. Discover more intriguing facts in Pittsburgh Penguins, an Inside the NHL book.
A revised Team Spirit Hockey edition featuring the Pittsburgh Penguins that chronicles the history and accomplishments of the team. Includes access to the Team Spirit website which provides additional information and photos. Table of Contents, Glossary, Timeline, Bibliography of additional resources and Index. Aligns to Common Core State Standards requirements for Reading Informational Text.
