Pittsburgh
was one of the Expansion six added when the NHL doubled in
size in 1967. The new teams were hampered by restrictive rules
that kept all major talent with the "original 6".
The Penguins finished just six points out of first place in
the closely fought West Division, but finished out of the
playoffs.
Tragedy
struck the Penguins in 1970 when rookie center Michel Briere,
who finished third in scoring on the team during his only
season in the league, was injured in a car crash. He died
in 1971 after spending a year in hospital.
The Penguins
were never a force in the league until they drafted Mario
Lemieux in 1984. After four more years out of the playoffs,
Lemieux led the league in scoring in 1988-1989 and the Penguins
made the playoffs, where they lost in the second round to
the Philadelphia Flyers.
In the summer of 2004, the Penguins lost forward Aleksey Morozov,
who decided to sign with the Russian league in the light of
a possible lockout this season. However, the Penguins managed
to resign one of their biggest fan favorites and former stars,
Mark Recchi.
With
the 2004-2005 season effectively locked out, starting September
15, several Penguins players are taking time off to themselves,
while others are seeking alternate routes to the ice. Players
still signed to the Penguins' AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre
Penguins, are playing this season in the minors, while players
such as Aleksey Morozov and Lasse Pirjeta are honing their
talents in the elite European and Russian leagues.
Founded:
1967-1968
Arena: Mellon Arena (capacity 17,537), formerly
known as the Civic Arena
Current Coach: Ed Olczyk
Uniform colors: Black, white, vegas gold,
grey.
Logo design: A penguin skating, holding a
hockey stick
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