With Thanksgiving coming up, Penguins fans should think about the things they should be thankful for with their favorite team. Especially considering, there is not much to be thankful for with this current Penguins team as they are last in the Metropolitan Division with 18 points.
To avoid thinking about how awful the Penguins have been this year, think about some iconic moments/players in franchise history and be thankful for those moments.
Five Things to be Thankful For as a Penguins Fan
1. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang
The trio of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang has not only been the best trio of all-time in hockey, but arguably the best trio in all of sports. The three teammates have the longest trio tenure in sports passing Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and Jorge Posada. Crosby, Malkin, and Letang have a combined 13 All-Star selections, 3,681 points, and have won three Stanley Cups together.
This trio has been in Pittsburgh together since Malkin and Letang made their NHL debut’s in the 2006-07 season. This trio has been incredible to watch and they have already done so much together and counting.
Despite all of them being great, Crosby has been the greatest out of the group. In 2007, he was named captain of the Penguins at just 19 years old, which at the time was the youngest captain in NHL history. One of Crosby’s long laundry list of accomplishments is being included in ESPN’s top 100 athletes of the 21st century.
2. Five Stanley Cups
Another reason to be thankful for as Penguins fans is the five Stanley Cups. The Penguins have won their cups in 1991,1992, 2009, 2016, and 2017. The Penguins are tied for sixth most Stanley Cups wins amongst the other teams. In addition, they have made it to the Cup Final six times, with their one loss coming in 2008 to the Detroit Red Wings, who they defeated a year later.
3. 10th Longest Playoff Streak In Hockey
Although it recently ended during the 2022-23 season, the Penguins at the time had the longest active playoff drought in all of sports at 16 consecutive playoff berths. That 16 season playoff streak is the 10th longest streak in all of hockey. During that streak, the Penguins were able to win three Stanley Cups.
4. Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr
Besides the big three mentioned earlier, there are two other Penguins legends that deserve to be remembered and Penguins fans should be thankful for and they are none other than Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr.
Lemieux is arguably the best Penguin in their franchise history. Just to name some of his accomplishments, Lemieux is a hall-of-famer, two-time Stanley Cup winner, nine-time All-Star, three-time Hart winner, and many more. He finished his career with 1,723 points and if he was not diagnosed with leukemia, it could have been a lot more.
Another Penguin legend in Jagr as he finished his career with 1,921 points. He was a two-time Stanley Cup winner as well, eight-time all-star, five-time Ross winner, and many more. Jagr was very popular off the ice as well, as many emulated and copied his iconic mullet.
The Penguins Mount Rushmore of Lemieux, Crosby, Jagr, and Malkin may be the best four players to play for one team in hockey and definitely one of the better options in all of sports.
5. Lemieux saves Penguins hockey
Lastly, another thing to be thankful is Lemieux saving Penguins hockey. In 1999, the Penguins were bankrupt and owed the superstar $32.5 million dollars. They were in danger of selling the team and/or relocating. Lemieux struck a deal with the franchise and became the owner of the Penguins. With him as the new owner, the Penguins have been able to still be called the Penguins and remain in Pittsburgh.
Main Photo: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
