NHL Hiatus Gives Pittsburgh Penguins Fans Reason to Reflect on Fortune
The NHL’s games are not being played, but its weekly Super 16 series continues. In this week’s centers ranking, we see why the lack of hockey gives Pittsburgh Penguins fans a chance to look back on the recent great fortune in the Steel City.
For Pittsburgh Penguins fans, playoff hockey in April has become a tradition, as the team owns the NHL’s longest active streak for consecutive postseason appearances (13). This means that expectations and excitement often exist where nostalgia takes place now.
With that being said, the time away from playoff hockey, as well as the NHL’s Super 16: Centers release, gives Pens fans a reason to look back on the tremendous success that has blessed the city of Pittsburgh.
The list of the top 16 centers in the expansion era feature five players that suited up in the black and gold, and more impressively, three that have not worn any other NHL colors.
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Bryan Trottier (number eight on the list) and Ron Francis (number ten) each played a portion of their careers with the Penguins, winning Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992. Obviously, these two are not the first centers associated with Pittsburgh, but having these two wear Penguins uniforms and contribute to championship teams is special.
The number two player on this list is the most important person in Penguins history. Mario Lemieux won two Cups as a player (1991 and 1992), and has won three as an owner (2009, 2016, and 2017). He averaged 1.88 points per game, winning two Conn Smythe trophies, three Hart trophies, and six scoring titles, all with Pittsburgh.
The two that really stood out on this list, though, are Sidney Crosby (fourth) and Evgeni Malkin (fourteenth). Both players are three-time champions with the Penguins, winning MVP awards (regular season and postseason), scoring titles, and more, but they are also the only active players to appear on the list. To me, that says as much as any stat on the list.
No one questions the good fortune and the talent that have graced the Mellon Arena and PPG Paints Arena ice, but at this time of year, there usually is no time to reflect on what has been accomplished. This year, though, take the time to appreciate how lucky we have been in Pittsburgh.
As I watched the local re-broadcast of the 2009 Stanley Cup Final, I could not help but to think about how far the Penguins, and hockey in general, have come since that time, thanks to Crosby and Malkin.
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Penguins fans, as we watch the latter portion of these two careers, take no play and no game for granted. While a fourth Cup in the Crosby/Malkin era would be great, don’t underestimate the great fortune we have had and continue to have, watching them and others night in and night out.