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Pittsburgh Penguins Players: Roster, Sidney Crosby, Mario Lemieux And Hockey Hall Of Fame
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Published: February 27, 2008
In the 1920s, there existed a hockey franchise named the Pirates in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Eventually, after several name changes, the team became known as the Pittsburgh Penguins when the NHL decided to double in size in 1967. The Pittsburgh Penguins became one of six expansion teams that year.
Since then, the Pittsburgh Penguins have won two Stanley Cups and had several players, coaches and media members inducted into the hockey hall of fame. Currently, with the Mario Lemieux era over, youngsters such as Sidney Crosby aim to lead the Pittsburgh Penguins to a new era of prosperity.
Today's Pittsburgh Penguins have several young players on their roster. Among them are Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal. Since 2005, when Sidney Crosby was drafted, the Pittsburgh Penguins have gotten progressively better. During the 2006-2007 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins made it back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2001, when they began rebuilding their roster due to fiscal reasons.
Sidney Crosby has also set several historic achievements. In his rookie season Crosby became the youngest player to reach 100 points in a season, the youngest player to reach 200 career points at the age of 19 years and 207 days. He also broke the Pittsburgh Penguins franchise record for points in a rookie season with 102, which was previously held by hall of fame player Mario Lemieux. Despite playing for the same team that Mario Lemieux played for, Sidney Crosby is more often compared to Wayne Gretzky, the greatest player in NHL history.
Like Crosby, Lemieux was drafted as a young phenomenon. Although he was a great player in his own right, he suffered a long history of injuries ranging from a herniated disc in his spine to Hodgkin's lymphoma to arterial fibrillation. However, despite the injuries, Lemieux was able to lead the Pittsburgh Penguins to two consecutive Stanley Cup Finals victories in 1991 and 1992. Unfortunately, the Hodgkin's lymphoma forced Lemieux to retire in 1997; due to his great achievements as a player, the NHL waived the three-year waiting period and inducted him into the hockey hall of fame. Mario Lemieux's career would not end there though. He returned to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2000 and played until 2006 when he was forced to retire for good due to arterial fibrillation.
Mario Lemieux is not the only hall of famer to whom Sidney Crosby will be measured in Pittsburgh Penguin history. The Penguins boast nine players in the hockey hall of fame as well as four head coaches and one member of the media. Many players and analysts believe that eventually Crosby will have his own place in the hockey hall of fame. Fans hope that Sidney Crosby can return the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Stanley Cup Finals and a championship.
Whether Sidney Crosby will indeed be the next Wayne Gretzky remains to be seen. He possesses all the talent necessary and is still very young and learning. With the right players around him he could not only lead the Pittsburgh Penguins back to a championship or two, but he might also find himself in exclusive club of the hockey hall of fame.
Sources:
"Mario Lemieux." Wikipedia. 25 Feb. 2008. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 27 Feb. 2008. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mario_Le mieux&oldid=194025794.
"Pittsburgh Penguins." Wikipedia. 26 Feb. 2008. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 27 Feb. 2008. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pittsbur gh_Penguins&oldid=194275770.
"Sidney Crosby." Wikipedia. 24 Feb 2008. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 27 Feb. 2008. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sidney_C rosby&oldid=193644709.
Related Articles
Today's Pittsburgh Penguins have several young players on their roster. Among them are Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal. Since 2005, when Sidney Crosby was drafted, the Pittsburgh Penguins have gotten progressively better. During the 2006-2007 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins made it back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2001, when they began rebuilding their roster due to fiscal reasons.
Sidney Crosby has also set several historic achievements. In his rookie season Crosby became the youngest player to reach 100 points in a season, the youngest player to reach 200 career points at the age of 19 years and 207 days. He also broke the Pittsburgh Penguins franchise record for points in a rookie season with 102, which was previously held by hall of fame player Mario Lemieux. Despite playing for the same team that Mario Lemieux played for, Sidney Crosby is more often compared to Wayne Gretzky, the greatest player in NHL history.
Like Crosby, Lemieux was drafted as a young phenomenon. Although he was a great player in his own right, he suffered a long history of injuries ranging from a herniated disc in his spine to Hodgkin's lymphoma to arterial fibrillation. However, despite the injuries, Lemieux was able to lead the Pittsburgh Penguins to two consecutive Stanley Cup Finals victories in 1991 and 1992. Unfortunately, the Hodgkin's lymphoma forced Lemieux to retire in 1997; due to his great achievements as a player, the NHL waived the three-year waiting period and inducted him into the hockey hall of fame. Mario Lemieux's career would not end there though. He returned to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2000 and played until 2006 when he was forced to retire for good due to arterial fibrillation.
Mario Lemieux is not the only hall of famer to whom Sidney Crosby will be measured in Pittsburgh Penguin history. The Penguins boast nine players in the hockey hall of fame as well as four head coaches and one member of the media. Many players and analysts believe that eventually Crosby will have his own place in the hockey hall of fame. Fans hope that Sidney Crosby can return the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Stanley Cup Finals and a championship.
Whether Sidney Crosby will indeed be the next Wayne Gretzky remains to be seen. He possesses all the talent necessary and is still very young and learning. With the right players around him he could not only lead the Pittsburgh Penguins back to a championship or two, but he might also find himself in exclusive club of the hockey hall of fame.
Sources:
"Mario Lemieux." Wikipedia. 25 Feb. 2008. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 27 Feb. 2008. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mario_Le mieux&oldid=194025794.
"Pittsburgh Penguins." Wikipedia. 26 Feb. 2008. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 27 Feb. 2008. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pittsbur gh_Penguins&oldid=194275770.
"Sidney Crosby." Wikipedia. 24 Feb 2008. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 27 Feb. 2008. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sidney_C rosby&oldid=193644709.
