Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional hockey team based in Pittsburgh, USA. Founded in 1967, they currently play their home games at PPG Paints Arena and compete in the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference in the NHL. The Penguins have won six Stanley Cups in franchise history—tied for the most among non-Original Six teams, along with the Edmonton Oilers. In 2016 and 2017, they became the first team to win back-to-back championships in the salary cap era, which was introduced in the 2005-06 season. The Penguins have been home to all-time greats Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr, while superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have spent their entire careers with the team, both winning the Hart Memorial Trophy during their time in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh Penguins History

Hockey had been played in Pittsburgh in both the NHL (1925-1930) and the AHL (1936-1967), but by the mid-1960s, a lobbying campaign began to bring an NHL team back to the city. In 1966, the NHL awarded an expansion team to Pittsburgh. However, after more than a decade without reaching the Stanley Cup Final, the franchise found itself in trouble. Following the worst record in the league in both the 1982-83 and 1983-84 seasons, many believed the Penguins would need to fold or relocate.

That changed with the 1984 NHL Entry Draft when the Penguins selected Mario Lemieux first overall. They later acquired superstar defenseman Paul Coffey, and in 1989, Pittsburgh made the playoffs, with Lemieux leading the league in goals, assists, and points. In 1990, they drafted Jaromir Jagr, and in his rookie season, the Penguins won their first Stanley Cup. They won their second championship the following year. Since then, with Mario Lemieux later becoming the team's owner, the Penguins have won additional Stanley Cups in 2009, 2016, and 2017.