Pittsburgh Penguins
Founded in 1967, the Pittsburgh Penguins have won five Stanley Cups and are tied with the Edmonton Oilers for the most championships among non-Original Six teams.
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. The Penguins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has played its home games at PPG Paints Arena since 2010, and has previously played at the Civic Arena, which was better known by its nickname "the Igloo". The Penguins are affiliated with two minor league teams – the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League (AHL) and the Florida Everblades of the ECHL.
- rivalry_type
- Playoff-focused & Eastern Conference
- peak_era
- 1980s to early 2000s
- notable_stars
- Mario Lemieux, Wayne Gretzky (PIT) vs. Patrick Roy, Guy Carbonneau (MTL)
- cultural_impact
- Defined the modern era of superstar-led hockey
Lore & Background
Founded during the 1967 expansion, the Penguins have qualified for six Stanley Cup Finals, winning the Stanley Cup five times – in 1991, 1992, 2009, 2016, and 2017. Along with the Edmonton Oilers, the Penguins are tied for the most Stanley Cup championships among the non-Original Six teams and sixth overall. With their Stanley Cup wins in 2016 and 2017, the Penguins became the first back-to-back champions in the salary cap era. Several of the team's former members have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, including co-owner Mario Lemieux, who purchased the Penguins in 1999 and brought the club out of bankruptcy. Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Sidney Crosby, and Evgeni Malkin have won the Hart Memorial Trophy while playing for the franchise.
In Their Own Story
The air inside the Bell Centre was thick enough to choke on, a mixture of sweat, popcorn, and pure adrenaline. It was Game 7, and the silence before the face-off was deafening. On one side stood the legendary Canadiens, their blue and red jerseys stained with the grime of five previous games; on the other, the Penguins, black and gold, eyes locked on the puck like predators. The referee dropped the puck, and for a split second, time seemed to suspend—two dynasties colliding in a flash of steel and ice.
Reader's Guide
The Penguins' first home game was on October 11, 1967, against the Montreal Canadiens. The team's first captain was Ab McDonald. Michel Briere, drafted in 1969, led the Penguins to their first playoff berth in 1970 but died after a car crash; his number 21 was later retired. The Penguins defeated the Oakland Seals in the 1970 quarterfinals before losing to the St. Louis Blues in the semifinals.
Did You Know?
- The Penguins' nickname was chosen from 26,000 entries; the winning entry was inspired by the team playing in the 'Igloo' (Civic Arena).
- Mario Lemieux was drafted by the Penguins in 1984, not traded to the team.
- The Penguins became the first back-to-back Stanley Cup champions in the salary cap era, winning in 2016 and 2017.
More in Great Rivalries & Feuds
Elsewhere in the Montreal Canadiens universe
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