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PensBurgh

Pittsburgh Penguins blog for the five time, five time, five time, FIVE TIME Stanley Cup Champions

Latest Entries

Former Penguins in-line for a Stanley Cup

There’s a dwindling number of teams remaining in the NHL playoffs and a former Penguin will be celebrating a Stanley Cup championship this summer – we just don’t know exactly which one yet. Carolina The Hurricanes have roared out to an 8-0 postseason, getting halfway there without so much as losing a playoff game. Carolina […]

Looking at some potential regression candidates for the 2026-27 Penguins

We already looked at some of the bounce back candidates for the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2026-27 season, so now it’s time to take a look at some players on the opposite side of that spectrum that could be candidates to regress a little next season. There were a lot of Penguins players that exceeded […]

AHL Playoff Update: Wilkes-Barre blows 3-0 Game 2 lead, series tied

The Wilkes-Barre Penguins did the work, going up 3-0 by the end of the second period and riding a 3-1 lead with a few minutes to go in Game 2 last night against Springfield. But it would be the Thunderbirds’ night, they pulled their goalie and found a way to score two goals and tie […]

2025-26 Season in Review: Noel Acciari

Vitals Player: Noel AcciariBorn: Dec. 1, 1991 (34 years old)Height: 5-foot-11Weight: 209 poundsHometown: Johnston, Rhode Island, U.S.Shoots: RightDraft: Undrafted2024-25 Statistics: 67 games played; 13 goals; 12 assists; 25 points; one assist in six playoff gamesContract Status: Impending free agent on July 1, completed a three-year, $6 million contract ($2.0m cap hit)History: 2023-24 (50% C, 27% D), 2024-25 Story of the Season A popular compliment that you’ll […]

Lemieux, Crosby named No. 1 and 2 CHL players of all-time

Sidney Crosby has broken most of Mario Lemieux’s records but the current Penguin captain was behind the former one in the CHL’s listing of their top 50 players of all-time. Lemieux was named No. 1, followed closely by Crosby at No. 2. a Other Penguin related names on the list included Paul Coffey (12), Jarome […]

Analyzing’s Ben Kindel age-18 success after ninth place finish in Calder voting

Ben Kindel picked up votes and finished ninth in the Calder voting. The award was announced early and handed to the unanimous winner, Matthew Schaefer live on national television. Considering Kindel in his draft+1 wasn’t even expected to be in the NHL until his training camp performance forced his way into the picture, it’s a […]

NHL

2025-26 season in review: Tommy Novak

Player: Tommy NovakBorn: April 28, 1997 (28 years old)Height: 6’1Weight: 190 poundsHometown: St. Paul, Minnesota, USAShoots: LeftDraft: 2015, third round, No. 85 overall2025-26 Statistics: 82 games, 16 goals, 26 assists, 42 total points, +1Contract Status: Signed through 2026-27 season at $3.5 million against the salary capHistory:  Monthly Splits via Yahoo! Novak is the only Penguins player that appeared in every game […]

Pens offseason: Dubas makes his sales pitch to star players

Kyle Dubas’s routine end of season press conference yesterday went about as expected. Always a measured and composed speaker, Dubas gave credit to the team for having a good year but lamented some areas that he still needed to address to make them better. Dubas cited seeing teams like Colorado, Minnesota and especially using division […]

AHL Playoff Update: Bill Zonnon’s electric debut

Yesterday started with Kyle Dubas praising Bill Zonnon as the 2025 first round draft pick was about to turn pro full time. To say Penguin management is impressed with Zonnon’s habits would be an understatement after the player showed he was going above and beyond to watch and learn the system before even joining the […]

On this date in Penguins history: Pittsburgh blows by Caps in Game 7

Seventeen years ago today, the Penguins blew past the Washington Capitals in a series-deciding game on the road, sending Pittsburgh to the Eastern Conference Final for a second straight season. It was 2009. The Penguins and the Capitals were putting on a show for the hockey world with six games of what felt like uncontrolled […]

2025-26 Season in Review: Rickard Rakell

Vitals Player: Rickard RakellBorn: May 5, 1993 (33 years old)Height: 6-foot-1Weight: 194 poundsHometown: Sundbyberg, SwedenShoots: RightDraft: 2011 first round (30th overall) by the Anaheim Ducks2025-26 Statistics: 60 games played, 24 goals, 24 assists, 48 pointsContract Status: Rakell has two seasons remaining on his contract with a $5 million AAV through 2027-28.History: 2024-25; 2023-24; 2022-23; 2021-22 Monthly Splits via Yahoo! […]

NHL

Crosby to join Team Canada for World Championships

“I don’t think I have that luxury (of taking long breaks) any more at my age,” Sidney Crosby said at the end of last season in April 2025. “It’s better to kind of keep going at this point.” Unsurprisingly, that mindset hasn’t changed. Team Canada announced today that Crosby will join the team for the […]

Kyle Dubas talks Penguins progress, what they need and what’s next

Pittsburgh Penguins general manager/president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas met with the media on Tuesday for his end-of-season press conference, and he discussed a wide range of significant topics. At the top of the list: Evgeni Malkin’s future with the Penguins, where the Penguins currently stand in the NHL with the progress they made this […]

Kyle Dubas on Evgeni Malkin: “We’d love to have him back”

Pittsburgh general manager Kyle Dubas met with the media on Tuesday for his annual end of season press conference. We’ll have more on the entire message later, the big question and the first one asked of Dubas was about the status of Evgeni Malkin. Malkin is a free agent on July 1 and has made […]

2025-26 Season in Review: Blake Lizotte

Player: Blake LizotteBorn: Dec. 13, 1997 (Age 28 season)Height: 5’ 9”Weight: 176 poundsHometown: Lindstrom, MinnesotaShoots: LeftDraft: Undrafted (signed in July 2024 with the Pittsburgh Penguins)2025-26 Statistics: 55 regular-season games (seven goals, 12 assists, 19 points) and six playoff games (two assists, two points).Contract Status: Lizotte is signed for three more seasons at an annual cap hit of $2.25 million.History: 2024-25 Monthly Splits via Yahoo! Lizotte […]

Looking at some bounce-back candidates for the 2026-27 Penguins

There were a lot of things that contributed to the Pittsburgh Penguins strong 2025-26 performance and their return to the playoffs, and one of the biggest was the number of players that exceeded individual expectations. In some cases, it was not just a case of exceeding expectations, but having career years. When that happens across […]

2025-26 Season in Review: Bryan Rust

Vitals Player: Bryan RustBorn: May 11, 1992 (Age 33 season)Height: 5’ 11”Weight: 202 poundsHometown: Pontiac, MichiganShoots: RightDraft: 2010 third round (80th overall) by the Pittsburgh Penguins2025-26 Statistics: 72 games played, 29 goals, 36 assists = 65 points; 6 games played, 1 goal, 1 assist in playoffs.Contract Status: Rust has two seasons remaining on a six year deal signed back in 2022 with an AAV of […]

This day in Penguin history: 3 games, 2 OT goals, 2 Capital eliminations

Happy Sunday everyone. We’re kicking it back to important events on a sleepy Sunday and there’s a lot going on for May 10th in your Penguin history books to look back on and remember. 2001: Kasparaitis the hero It’s sometimes said that a playoff OT goal can come from the most unlikely of sources, and […]

This day in Penguin history: Francis steps up

(Wrote this for tomorrow, and then realized the date was wrong. So pull up a chair for some bonus history content..) 1992: Ronnie tips the balance of the series, and playoffs Pittsburgh’s hopes to defend their 1991 Stanley Cup championship were in deep trouble on May 9th, ahead of Game 4 of the Patrick Division […]

The Connor Dewar and Ilya Solovyov signings are solid start to Penguins offseason

Kyle Dubas opened up the Pittsburgh Penguins offseason on Thursday by re-signing two depth players in forward Connor Dewar and defenseman Ilya Solovyov. Dewar, a pending unrestricted free agent, received a two-year, $4.5 million extension with a $2.25 million salary cap hit per season. Solovyov, meanwhile, received a one-year, $850,000 contract. On the surface, they […]

Penguins send three players to World Championships

Three players will be representing the Pittsburgh Penguins when the 2026 men’s world championship kicks off next weekend in Switzerland. Tommy Novak and Connor Clifton will be playing for the United States at the tournament, while Parker Wotherspoon will be skating for Canada. The Penguins will also be represented by assistant general manager Jason Spezza […]

Wilkes-Barre advances to next round of AHL Playoffs

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins dispatched the Hershey Bears in Game 4 last night, booting the Washington Capitals’ AHL affiliate from the playoffs with a 4-1 victory. Harrison Brunicke scored what ended up as the game-winning goal in the second period while shorthanded. Brunicke followed up on a shot from Gabe Klassen and activated all the way […]